Author(s)

M. Horvat

Abstract

General facts about the global mercury cycle with particular emphasis on the coastal and ocean environment are summarized. In the coastal environment the largest source of mercury is river-born particulate bound species. This portion of mercury is unreactive and is quickly buried in nearshore sediments. Only a small fraction of reactive mercury (ionic mercury in solution that is immediately available for reaction) originates from river inputs. The most important source of reactive mercury in the coastal and oceanic environment is through atmospheric input and via upwelling. Biologically-mediated processes, mainly connected to primary production, are responsible for active redistribution of reactive mercury. In this process a large part of reactive Hg is reduced to elemental mercury which is

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