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Looping Mercury Cycle in Global Environmental-Economic System Modeling
Yumeng Li1, Long Chen2, Sai Liang3
1School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, P. R. China.
Environmental Science & Technology
|February 7, 2022
Summary
This review highlights mercury's environmental impacts on economies, particularly through labor and biodiversity. Looping the mercury cycle in environmental-economic models is crucial for effective global mercury control strategies.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Environmental Economics
- Global Environmental-Economic Systems
Background:
- The Minamata Convention mandates mercury (Hg) control actions to mitigate pollution impacts.
- Current Hg cycle models focus on emission-to-impact pathways but lack environmental feedback loops to economic systems.
- This gap hinders comprehensive Hg control strategy development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically review Hg cycle modeling and identify knowledge gaps.
- To propose approaches for integrating environmental impacts back into economic models.
- To inform more dynamic and flexible Hg control measures for the Minamata Convention.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of recent information on Hg cycle modeling.
- Critical review of existing literature on environmental-economic interactions related to Hg.
- Identification of feedback mechanisms and cascading effects.
Main Results:
- Hg-related environmental impacts feedback to the economic system via labor force reduction and biodiversity loss.
- Interactions between Hg activities in environmental and economic systems require further clarification.
- Cascading economic effects of Hg pollution through global supply chains remain largely unrevealed.
Conclusions:
- Looping the Hg cycle in global environmental-economic models is essential for effective Hg management.
- Addressing identified knowledge gaps will enable more dynamic and flexible Hg control measures.
- This research offers new perspectives for implementing the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
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