Mercury's poisonous pulse: Blazing a new path for aquatic conservation with eco-friendly mitigation strategies

Many compounds and inorganic elements released from natural and anthropogenic origins contaminate the environment and are implicated in catastrophes involving most biologically driven ecological processes and public health. One such element is Mercury. Mercury exists in both inorganic elemental form and the more metabolically active molecular form e.g. methyl mercury. They enjoy wide applications in medicine and form key components of numerous electrical and electronic devices. Unfortunately, severe health and adverse physiological conditions have developed from the impacts of mercury on the flora and fauna of both aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Despite being present in tiny amounts in water bodies, mercury undergoes a process of trophic amplification where its concentration increases significantly as it moves up the food chain through processes like biomethylation, bioaccumulation, and biomagnification. Most current methods for removing mercury through physical and chemical means have significant drawbacks, including high costs, complex technical requirements, and harmful secondary effects on the environment. Therefore, only environmentally friendly and sustainable approaches are acceptable to mitigate the risks to public health and ecosystem damage. Bioremediation involves the use of biological systems, i.e., plants and microbes, to recover mercury from the environment. The application of microorganisms in remediation is the hallmark of all mitigation strategies targeted at mercury pollution in the soil and aquatic matrices. The present paper provides a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge on mercury pollution in the environment (i.e., atmosphere, soil, water, and sediments). Many symptoms of mercury poisoning in fish, birds, and other animals, including man, were extensively treated. Information on the existing physico-chemical treatment methods, as well as the more ecologically friendly bioremediation measures available, was summarized. The importance of strengthening existing international policies, commitments, protocols, and alignments on the control of anthropogenic generation, treatment, and reduction of mercury discharges to the environment was highlighted.