A contribution to Global Mercury ObservationS in French Austral Lands

Mercury (Hg) is a potent neurotoxin that is globally dispersed in the atmosphere. Humans are mostly exposed to mercury by eating seafood. In 2017, the Minamata Convention has come into force, which aims to limit the use, emissions and health impacts of mercury globally. The Convention’s effectiveness in lowering (i) mercury emissions, (ii) environmental concentrations of mercury and ultimately (iii) human exposure to mercury will have to be evaluated. How does the scientific community can contribute to assess the effectiveness of the convention and the government policies?

The main objective of GMOStral 4 is to support the monitoring of mercury compounds and other long-range transported contaminants at Amsterdam Island and other southern territories. Those variables are essential to evaluate the effectiveness of international treaties and document both the natural and anthropogenic variability of contaminants. GMOStral 4 project is fully integrated into international initiatives such as GOS4M flagship, GAPS network (mercury passive sampler initiative led by Environment Canada and Climate Change), regional networks (SAMNET in South Africa).