Atmospheric mercury: a decade of observations on Amsterdam Island

Scientific result

23 January 2024

The recent publication of a data paper by a research team including scientists from CNRS Terre & Univers highlights a unique series of measurements of atmospheric mercury on Amsterdam Island, one of the most isolated places on the planet, and one of the five districts of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands. These data support decision-making and the assessment of the Minamata Convention, an international treaty that since 2017 has aimed to protect human health and the environment from the harmful effects of this metal.

Overview of atmospheric mercury species monitored on the subtropical island of Amsterdam since 2012. Gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) is the atmospheric species currently monitored in parallel to OPAR-Maido since 2017. Figure taken from Magand et al, 2023.

Read more on the CNRS Terre & Univers website.

GET contacts: Jeroen Sonke et Laure Laffont

Sources :

Magand, O., Angot, H., Bertrand, Y., Sonke, J.E., Laffont, L., Duperray, S., Collignon, L., Boulanger, D., Dommergue, A., 2023. Over a decade of atmospheric mercury monitoring at Amsterdam island in the French southern and Antarctic Lands. Sci Data 10, 836 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02740-9

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