Yumeng Li, Long Chen, Sai Liang*, Jianchuan Qi, Haifeng Zhou, Cuiyang Feng, Xuechun Yang, Xiaohui Wu, Zhifu Mi, and Zhifeng Yang
Spatially Explicit Global Hotspots Driving China’s Mercury Related Health Impacts
Environmental Science & Technology 2020 54 (22), 14547-14557
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c04658
ABSTRACT
Over 100 nations signed the Minamata Convention on Mercury to control the adverse effects of mercury (Hg) emissions on human beings. A spatially explicit analysis is needed to identify the specific sources and distribution of Hg-related health impacts. This study maps China’s Hg-related health impacts and global supply chain drivers (i.e., global final consumers and primary suppliers) at a high spatial resolution. Here we show significant spatial heterogeneity in hotspots of China’s Hg-related health impacts. Approximately 1% of the land area holds only 40% of the Chinese population but nearly 70% of the fatal heart attack deaths in China. Moreover, approximately 3% of the land area holds nearly 60% of the population but 70% of the intelligence quotient (IQ) decrements. The distribution of hotspots of China’s Hg-related health impacts and global supply chain drivers are influenced by various factors including population, economy, transportation, resources, and dietary intake habits. These spatially explicit hotspots can support more effective policies in various stages of the global supply chains and more effective international cooperation to reduce Hg-related health impacts. This can facilitate the successful implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury.
China’s Hg-related health impacts and global supply chain 
Spatially explicit human health impacts caused by anthropogenic atmospheric Hg emissions in China in 2010. Graphs a and b describe spatially explicit deaths from fatal heart attacks due to methylmercury intake and total fetus IQ decrements in each grid. It is worth noting that graph b shows the total IQ decrements for the total new-born population in each grid. Graph c shows national per-fetus IQ decrements and deaths from fatal heart attacks caused by anthropogenic atmospheric Hg emissions in each region of China. The pie chart shows the contributions of sectors in each region to the national health impacts caused by atmospheric Hg emissions in this region.
Spatially explicit global consumers driving China’s Hg-related health impacts in 2010. Abbreviations: NAM, North America; LAM, Latin America and the Caribbean; WEU, Western Europe; MNA, the Middle East and North Africa; PAS, Southeast Asia and the Pacific; POECD − Pacific-OECD-1990 nations (including Japan, Australia, and New Zealand); EIT, Economies in Transition (including Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union); and EAS, East Asia (China excluded).
Spatially explicit global primary suppliers enabling China’s Hg-related health impacts in 2010. Abbreviations: NAM, North America; LAM, Latin America and the Caribbean; WEU, Western Europe; MNA, the Middle East and North Africa; PAS, Southeast Asia and the Pacific; POECD, Pacific-OECD-1990 nations (including Japan, Australia, and New Zealand); EIT, Economies in Transition (including Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union); and EAS, East Asia (China excluded).