Mercury cycle

[2] Annually, over 5000 metric tons of mercury is released to the atmosphere by primary emissions and secondary re-emissions.

[9] Anthropogenic primary sources of mercury include gold mining, burning coal, and production of non-iron metals, such as copper or lead.

[3] Primary anthropogenic emissions are leading to increased sizes of mercury in surface reservoirs.

[14] Wet and dry deposition is responsible for 90% of the mercury of surface waters, including open ocean.

[17] Inorganic mercury can be converted by bacteria and archaea into methylmercury ([CH3Hg]+),[18] which bioaccumulates in marine species such as tuna and swordfish and biomagnifies further up the food chain.