Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.4
4.1
Journals
Toxics
Special Issues
Mercury Cycling and Health Effects—2nd Edition
share announcement

Mercury Cycling and Health Effects—2nd Edition

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Metals and Radioactive Substances".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 July 2025 | Viewed by 1283

Special Issue Editors

Dr. José Vicente Elias Bernardi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Geostatistics and Environmental Geochemistry Laboratory, University of Brasilia, Campus Planaltina, Brasilia 73345-010, Brazil
Interests: soil science; mercury biogeochemical cycles; spatial distribution of mercury hotspot; mercury and metilmercury in trophic webs; mercury toxic risks; mercury exposure
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Wanderley Rodrigues Bastos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Environmental Biogeochemistry Laboratory, Federal University of Rondônia, Campus Porto Velho, Rondônia 76901-000, Brazil
Interests: ecotoxicology; heavy metals; mercury and metilmercury; mercury exposure
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Jurandir Rodrigues De Souza

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Analytical and Environmental Chemistry Laboratory, Instituto de Química, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Federal District 70919-970, Brazil
Interests: mercury contamination; distribution of mercury in the environment; analytical aspects of mercury in samples of environmental interest; environmental ecotoxicology and human health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Ronaldo Almeida

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratório de Biogeoquímica Ambiental, Universidade Federal de Rondônia, Porto Velho, RO, Brazil
Interests: soil contamination; heavy metals; water

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mercury (Hg) is a chemical element that poses significant toxicity risks to biological communities and human health, depending on its concentration. As a primary control pollutant, mercury has been the focus of global initiatives such as the Minamata Convention, which was established to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions of mercury and its compounds.

Human exposure to mercury occurs through various pathways, including occupational exposure in artisanal gold mining, industrial activities, and the burning of fossil fuels. Additionally, dietary sources—particularly fish and seafood with high mercury concentrations—constitute a major route of exposure. Vegetables grown in contaminated soil or irrigated with polluted water also present potential risks.

This Special Issue invites submissions that explore diverse aspects of mercury contamination and its impacts, including but not limited to the following:

  • Local and regional factors influencing mercury distribution in the environment.
  • The bioaccumulation and biomagnification of mercury in aquatic and terrestrial food chains.
  • Risk assessments related to mercury exposure in abiotic compartments (atmosphere, water, sediment, soil) and food sources (fish, seafood, vegetables).
  • Mercury exposure in human populations.
  • Prenatal and postnatal mercury exposure, including transfer through breastfeeding.
  • Urban mercury emissions from roads, industries, and power generation, along with their environmental and public health effects.
  • Mercury emissions during forest fires and their implications for public health.

Dr. José Vicente Elias Bernardi
Prof. Dr. Wanderley Rodrigues Bastos
Prof. Dr. Jurandir Rodrigues De Souza
Prof. Dr. Ronaldo Almeida
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • mercury exposure
  • food web
  • methylmercury
  • ecotoxicology
  • health risk assessment
  • environment
  • fish
  • gestational age
  • fetal growth
  • pregnancy
  • Hg emissions

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Other

18 pages, 1849 KiB  
Article
Composting as a Sustainable Approach for Managing Mercury-Contaminated Aquatic Biomass
by María José Caraballo-Laza, Diana Marcela Ossa-Henao, Iván Urango-Cardenas, Mauricio Rosso-Pinto, Jean Remy Davée Guimarães, Roberth Paternina-Uribe, Yuber Palacios-Torres and José Marrugo-Negrete
Toxics 2025, 13(7), 553; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13070553 - 29 Jun 2025
Viewed by 278
Abstract
In this study, composting as an alternative approach for managing mercury-contaminated biomass in water bodies affected by gold mining in the Choco department was evaluated. A single-factor experiment with three treatments containing varying amounts of Eleocharis interstincta biomass sourced from mercury-contaminated sites was [...] Read more.
In this study, composting as an alternative approach for managing mercury-contaminated biomass in water bodies affected by gold mining in the Choco department was evaluated. A single-factor experiment with three treatments containing varying amounts of Eleocharis interstincta biomass sourced from mercury-contaminated sites was designed. During the composting process, physicochemical parameters were monitored such as temperature, pH, and electrical conductivity, while analyzing the behavior of mercury through mass balance assessments. Additionally, we determined the bioavailability of mercury in the final compost and characterized the physicochemical parameters of each compost sample. The mercury mass balance indicated a decrease in the total mercury content in the initial biomass over the composting period of 170 days. However, the total mercury concentration in the final compost increased due to the transformation and subsequent reduction of the original biomass. Mercury speciation analysis revealed that mercury was predominantly associated with the less bioavailable fractions (F4 and F5), suggesting its stabilization and low availability to biota. Therefore, the final compost has the potential to restore degraded soils by improving moisture retention, porosity, and soil fertility, thereby promoting plant growth. However, it does not fully meet the national and international technical standards for solid organic fertilizers or compost. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mercury Cycling and Health Effects—2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

14 pages, 1781 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Mercury Concentration in Cosmetic Clays
by Agnieszka Fischer, Barbara Brodziak-Dopierała, Wiktoria Jańska, Luiza Jeyranyan and Beata Malara
Toxics 2025, 13(6), 507; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13060507 - 16 Jun 2025
Viewed by 362
Abstract
(1) Background: Clays are popular raw materials of natural origin used in cosmetology, beauty salons, and home care. They have moisturizing, soothing, cleansing, disinfecting, detoxifying, and regenerating properties, and can be used externally in the form of poultices or internally in solution form. [...] Read more.
(1) Background: Clays are popular raw materials of natural origin used in cosmetology, beauty salons, and home care. They have moisturizing, soothing, cleansing, disinfecting, detoxifying, and regenerating properties, and can be used externally in the form of poultices or internally in solution form. Though they are characterized by a rich and diverse mineral composition and are considered safe for the body, their use can expose users to harmful elements including mercury. (2) Materials and methods: This study analyzed mercury (Hg) concentrations in samples of cosmetic clays available on the Polish market. Hg analysis was performed using the AAS method with an AMA 254 analyzer. The clays differed in type/color and were purchased from different manufacturers. (3) Results: The mean Hg content in all the tested samples was 28.91 µg/kg, with a range of changes of 1.87–200.81 µg/kg. The highest concentrations of Hg were found in green (AM = 53.26 µg/kg) and white (AM = 52.80 µg/kg) clays, while the lowest were detected in purple (AM = 2.56 µg/kg) and blue (AM = 3.69 µg/kg) clays. The differences in Hg content between individual types of clay were statistically significant. (4) Conclusions: Due to the presence of Hg found in all the samples of cosmetic clay tested, it is likely that these products need to be tested for their metal contents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mercury Cycling and Health Effects—2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Other

Jump to: Research

19 pages, 2183 KiB  
Systematic Review
Mercury Scenario in Fish from the Amazon Basin: Exploring the Interplay of Social Groups and Environmental Diversity
by Thaís de Castro Paiva, Inácio Abreu Pestana, Lorena Nascimento Leite Miranda, Gabriel Oliveira de Carvalho, Wanderley Rodrigues Bastos and Daniele Kasper
Toxics 2025, 13(7), 580; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics13070580 - 10 Jul 2025
Viewed by 341
Abstract
The Amazon faces significant challenges related to mercury contamination, including naturally elevated concentrations and gold mining activities. Due to mercury’s toxicity and the importance of fish as a protein source for local populations, assessing mercury levels in regional fish is crucial. However, there [...] Read more.
The Amazon faces significant challenges related to mercury contamination, including naturally elevated concentrations and gold mining activities. Due to mercury’s toxicity and the importance of fish as a protein source for local populations, assessing mercury levels in regional fish is crucial. However, there are gaps in knowledge regarding mercury concentrations in many areas of the Amazon basin. This study aims to synthesize the existing literature on mercury concentrations in fish and the exposure of urban and traditional social groups through fish consumption. A systematic review (1990–2022) was conducted for six fish genera (Cichla spp., Hoplias spp. and Plagioscion spp., Leporinus spp., Semaprochilodus spp., and Schizodon spp.) in the Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics) and Scopus (Elsevier) databases. The database consisted of a total of 46 studies and 455 reports. The distribution of studies in the region was not homogeneous. The most studied regions were the Madeira River sub-basin, while the Paru–Jari basin had no studies. Risk deterministic and probabilistic assessments based on Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA, 2007) guidelines showed high risk exposure, especially for traditional communities. Carnivorous fish from lakes and hydroelectric reservoirs, as well as fish from black-water ecosystems, exhibited higher mercury concentrations. In the Amazon region, even if mercury levels in fish muscle do not exceed regulatory limits, the high fish consumption can still elevate health risks for local populations. Monitoring mercury levels across a broader range of fish species, including both carnivorous and non-carnivorous species, especially in communities heavily reliant on fish for their diet, will enable a more accurate risk assessment and provide an opportunity to recommend fish species with lower mercury exposure risk for human consumption. The present study emphasizes the need to protect regions that already exhibit higher levels of mercury—such as lakes, hydroelectric reservoirs, and black-water ecosystems—to ensure food safety and safeguard public health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mercury Cycling and Health Effects—2nd Edition)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop