A Retrospection on Mercury Contamination, Bioaccumulation, and Toxicity in Diverse Environments: Current Insights and Future Prospects

Vinay Kumar (), Mridul Umesh, Manoj Kumar Shanmugam, Pritha Chakraborty, Lucky Duhan, Sathyanarayana N. Gummadi, Ritu Pasrija, Iyyappan Jayaraj and Lohith Kumar Dasarahally Huligowda
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Vinay Kumar: Bioconversion and Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Department of Community Medicine, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Chennai 602105, Tamil Nadu, India
Mridul Umesh: Department of Life Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Hosur Road, Bengaluru 560029, Karnataka, India
Manoj Kumar Shanmugam: Applied and Industrial Microbiology, Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, Tamil Nadu, India
Pritha Chakraborty: School of Allied Healthcare and Sciences, Jain (Deemed to be) University, Whitefield, Bangalore 560066, Karnataka, India
Lucky Duhan: Department of Biochemistry, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak 124001, Haryana, India
Sathyanarayana N. Gummadi: Applied and Industrial Microbiology, Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, Tamil Nadu, India
Ritu Pasrija: Department of Biochemistry, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak 124001, Haryana, India
Iyyappan Jayaraj: Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, (SIMATS), Chennai 602105, Tamil Nadu, India
Lohith Kumar Dasarahally Huligowda: Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee 247667, Uttarakhand, India

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 18, 1-33

Abstract: Owing to various industrial applications of mercury (Hg), its release into the environment at high concentration is becoming a great threat to living organisms on a global scale. Human exposure to Hg is greatly correlated with contamination in the food chain through cereal crops and sea foods. Since Hg is a non-essential component and does not possess a biological role and exhibits carcinogenic and genotoxic behaviour, biomonitoring with a focus on biomagnification of higher living animals and plants is the need of the hour. This review traces the plausible relationship between Hg concentration, chemical form, exposure, bioavailability, bioaccumulation, distribution, and ecotoxicology. The toxicity with molecular mechanisms, oxidative stress (OS), protein alteration, genomic change, and enzymatic disruptions are discussed. In addition, this review also elaborates advanced strategies for reducing Hg contamination such as algal and phytoremediation, biochar application, catalytical oxidation, and immobilization. Furthermore, there are challenges to overcome and future perspectives considering Hg concentrations, biomarkers, and identification through the nature of exposures are recommended.

Keywords: mercury fate; methyl mercury conversion; bioaccumulation; ecotoxicity; biomarkers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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