Interview Questions

Q. What are some common sources of mercury?

A. Coal, the chlor-alkali industry, light bulbs, volcanoes. There are many more anthropogenic sources than environmental sources. (See Sources and Deposition diagram)

 

Q: Why is mercury a problem?

A: Mercury exists in three different forms. Hg elemental and Hg 2+ are the most common forms. Elemental mercury is not a problem. However, Hg 2+ can be methylated by bacteria. This allows it to bioconcentrate and bioaccumulate because it is not fat soluble. Mercury disrupts cell membrane functions and is toxic to almost all organisms.

Q: If we were to stop emitting mercury today, would that solve the problem?

A: It would definitely help, but it would not be a complete solution for many years. Mercury would sink into recalcitrant pools, those that are more stable and don’t re-emit mercury into the environment; this can be thought of as a permanent sink. When there is no further emissions, the labile pools, those that are less stable and do re-emit mercury, will shrink in number as the mercury moves to these recalcitrant environments. This drop will happen quickly if we stop our emissions, but long term removal of mercury would take years. 

 

Q: How can this situation be modeled?

A: Mercury is methylated, therefore it is tied into the carbon cycle. We have much more information about this cycle and can use it to determine mercury levels globally.

 

Q: What are some of the current challenges in mercury reduction?

A: Some countries depend on mercury producing industries. There is some global discussion regarding mercury regulation, however, it is difficult to come to a consensus because so many countries are dependent on mercury producing processes for development. (See Mercury Regulations)

 

Q: How did you become interested in mercury?

A: I have always been interested in field work and environmental sciences. In college I did extensive field work and loved being outside. I have spent considerable time working on the policy side of scientific work, but have always been drawn back to research.