Overview
Mercury speciation including total Hg and methylmercury (MeHg) was measured in environmental matrices (soil, water, sediment) from artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) areas in Kenya. The study characterises Hg cycling and MeHg formation in ASGM environments, which are a major source of Hg emissions globally. Not a food occurrence paper, but provides supply-chain context for Hg contamination of local food systems near ASGM sites.
Key numbers
- Total Hg and MeHg concentrations in soil, water, and/or sediment from ASGM sites in Kenya in full paper.
- MeHg formation rates and speciation fractions in full paper.
Methods (brief)
Hg speciation analysis distinguishing total Hg and MeHg. Method confirmed speciation-capable. Environmental matrices (not food). Kenya, Sub-Saharan Africa ASGM context.
Implications
Certification: ASGM areas contribute to local food-chain Hg contamination through soil and water contamination pathways. Relevant to supply-chain sourcing from affected regions. Courses: Illustrates MeHg formation pathways in mining-affected environments; relevant to understanding Hg bioaccumulation in local food systems. Microbiome: Mercury in soil affects microbial communities involved in MeHg methylation/demethylation cycles.
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Update history
The five most recent substantive edits to this page, classified major (evidence or structure moved), correction (a published value or statement was wrong and has been fixed), or minor (narrative rewritten without changing the underlying evidence). Each description is derived from what the edit did to this page; the linked commit is the authoritative record, routine regeneration passes are excluded, and the full version history lives in git. When DOI minting comes online (see schema docs), each entry below will also link to a version-pinned DataCite DOI.
| Commit | Date | Change | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| a8052bb | 2026-08-09 | major | 6 sections added; narrative text revised |