Transport and Fate of Mercury (Hg) in the Environment: Need for Continuous Monitoring 92 Zia Mahmood Siddiqi Contents Introduction ..................................................................................... 2318 Abundance and Type of Mercury .............................................................. 2320 Sources of Mercury ............................................................................. 2321 Natural Sources ............................................................................. 2321 Anthropogenic Sources ..................................................................... 2321 Fate and Transport of Mercury ................................................................. 2322 Long Range Transport of Mercury ......................................................... 2322 Deposition of Mercury ...................................................................... 2322 Fate of Organic Mercury .................................................................... 2322 Bioaccumulation of Mercury and Human Exposure to Mercury .............................. 2323 Measurement of Mercury ....................................................................... 2325 Ambient Air ................................................................................. 2326 Sediments, Soils, and Water Bodies ........................................................ 2328 Biological Samples .......................................................................... 2330 Monitoring and Effectiveness Evaluation ...................................................... 2332 Cross-References ............................................................................... 2332 References ...................................................................................... 2333 Abstract Mercury is a metallic element found in nature as a liquid at room temperature. Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant that affects human and ecosystem health. It is released into the environment from a variety of sources, both natural and anthro- pogenic. Three forms of mercury in the environment are reported, namely, elemental, inorganic, and organic mercury. Although all forms of mercury are toxic, vapors of elemental mercury can occur presenting a health hazard. While vapor of elemental mercury can be transported to long distances by air flow, some Z. M. Siddiqi (*) Jubail University College, Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia e-mail: siddiqizm2005@hotmail.com © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019 C. M. Hussain (ed.), Handbook of Environmental Materials Management, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73645-7_56 2317