In collaboration with the Biodiversity Initiative, BRI biologists are conducting mercury sampling in the small Central African country of Equatorial Guinea. The team is conducting some of the first dedicated sampling of birds to assess mercury exposure in Central Africa.
Tropical rainforests, in particular primary forest, are particularly effective at converting elemental mercury into methylmercury, an organic form that bioaccumulates up the food chain. Mercury exposure not only impacts individuals, but populations as well.
Initial testing found that birds in Equatorial Guinea showed elevated levels of mercury, so much so that it was likely these birds were experiencing reproductive and other health-related harm. Given that many of these species are already known to be threatened by climate change-related drivers as well as habitat change, mercury exposure could be yet another synergistic driver of decline for these birds.
Understanding the role rainforests play in the regional impact of artisanal gold mining and other sources of airborne mercury is critical in painting a larger picture about the risk of mercury in the region.
Central Africa Region Mercury Monitoring and Evaluation Network
The Central Africa Region Mercury Monitoring and Evaluation Network (CARMEN), of which Equatorial Guinea is a collaborating country, is important to serve as a mercury monitoring hub for the region. A grant from the Minamata Convention Secretariat’s Office through the Specific International Programme to Gabon sets the stage for this regional network. The development of a centralized mercury lab will aid in building capacity to contribute toward an understanding of human and ecological health.
The CARMEN will assist in:
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Building capacity with relevant local Ministries in the focal country of Gabon;
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Developing standard operating procedures for the region;
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Coordinating information about mercury for human and ecological health purposes.
Resources and Publications
- Global Mercury Threat Assessment
- Caribbean Mercury Monitoring Network Report
- Mercury in the Global Environment
- Local, Regional, and Global Biomonitoring: Understanding Mercury Exposure through Monitoring At-risk Species
- Global Mercury Monitoring in Biota (8-page summary)
- Phasing Out/Phasing Down Mercury-added Products: What to Know about Consumer and Commercial Products Outlined in the Minamata Convention
