Presentations

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Programme is preliminary and subject to change. New information will be posted as it becomes available.

  WORKSHOPS SESSION 1
09:00 – 12:00 1) To strengthen mercury survey capabilities in low- and middle-income countries
2) Field operations in a mercury contaminated environment: A focus on practical solutions from case studies
3) Air monitoring to achieve goals in Minamata Convention
12:00 -13:00 LUNCH
  WORKSHOPS SESSION 2 & CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
13:00 – 16:00 4) Perspectives on mercury compounds (de)methylation in the environments – Current knowledge gaps and future advances
5) Mercury characterization in Aquatic Sediments – Tools to evaluate Hg biogeochemistry and remedial strategies
6) Bio-monitoring to achieve goals in Minamata Convention
7) Mercury Policy Understanding and Developments in South Africa – Where to from here?
17:00 – 19:30 Opening Ceremony 
19:30 – 21:30 Welcome Reception
08:00-19:00 CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
08:30-10:00 ORAL SESSIONS
BALLROOM WEST MEETING ROOM 1,4 MEETING ROOM 1,6 MEETING ROOM 2,4
 

Session 1: Mercury Emissions: Monitoring and Analysis.   

Co Chairs: Casper Labuschagne & Liezl Bredenkamp

Session 2: Mercury Regulatory & Policy Matters. 

Co Chairs: Joy Leaner & Ludovic Bernaudat

Session 3: Mercury in Contaminated Sites Part (I). 

Co Chairs: Steve Dent & Shannon Plunkett

Session 4: Climate Change impact on Global Mercury Cycling. 

Co Chairs: Aryeh Feinberg & Mi-Ling Li
08:30-08:45  Tian Hezhong, Beijing Normal University –  Atmospheric mercury emissions from key industries in China: Characteristics, Amounts and Influence Susan Keane, Natural Resources Defense Council – Measuring Results of Mercury Reduction Strategies under Minamata NAPs: the case of planetGOLD Caiyan Feng,Technische Universität Braunschweig –  Assessment of elemental mercury outgassing from groundwater and subsurface soils using passive air samplers Michael Bank, Institute Of Marine Research – The climate-mercury-fish nexus: A synthetic assessment from sub-Arctic and Arctic marine ecosystems
08:45-09:00 Muntean Marilena, European Commission, Joint Research Centre –  EDGARv8 anthropogenic speciated mercury emissions: hotspots, shift of key emitting sources on global gridmaps and trend analysis over five decades. Avipsa Mahapatra,Environmental Investigation Agency – Compound Facilitating Unabated Global Trade and Sales of Mercury-added Skin Lightening Products (SLPs) Chris Eckley, Us Epa – Measuring and modeling mercury transformation and flux processes downstream of the historical Black Butte Mercury Mine (Oregon, USA). Hannah Inman, University Of Connecticut – Speciation and Distribution of Mercury in the Water Column and Sediments of the Bering and Chukchi Seas  
09:00-09:15  Jang Ha-Na,Yonsei University –  Mercury Speciation and HAP Emissions in Commercial Sludge Combustion Plant Michael Bender, Zero Mercury Working Group – Engaging E-Commerce Platforms in Eliminating Toxic Trade in Mercury Added Cosmetics Federica Meloni, University Of Florence – Thermal desorption: an experimental technique to assess liquid Hg in different soil matrices Charlotte Haugk, Stockholm University – Mercury Mobility in Permafrost Peatlands of northern Scandinavia  
09:15-09:30 Kerneels Jaars, North-West University – Statistically evaluating the performance of mercury passive air sampler at a regional background site in South Africa  Eisaku Toda, Secretariat Of The Minamata Convention – Establishment of mercury waste thresholds under the Minamata Convention Margaret Carrillo-Sheridan, Anchor QEA, LLC – Remediation of Mercury-Contaminated Former Industrial Facilities in Urbanized Areas Hannah Miller, University Of Colorado Boulder – Mercury Cycling in High Elevation Mountain Wetlands Under a Changing Climate
09:30-09:45 Raiane, Da Cruz, Beneficent Association Of The Santa Catarina Coal Industry – Satc – Mercury emissions coal from tests in combustion pilot plant Håkan Tarras-Wahlberg, Planetgold Bolivia – Strategies to reduce mercury use in the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining sector – evidence from Bolivia Vaselli Orlando, Department Of Earth Sciences – Mercury contamination in the former Hg-mining area of Abbadia San Salvatore (central Italy) and remediation: the status of the art M. Isabel Smith, University Of Southern California – Mercury stocks in discontinuous permafrost and their mobilization by river erosion and sedimentation in the Yukon River Basin  
09:45-10:00 Feiye Wang, University of Manitoba – Mercury emissions from Icelandic volcanism Rachel Kamande, CLASP, Effective implementation plan for the Minamata COP5 ban on fluorescent Lighting in Africa, Caleb Fontenot, Albemarle Corporation – Use of the remediation product MercLok™ P-640 to reduce mercury concentrations in effluent from wastewater treatment systems. Sarah Gigi, University Of Toronto Scarborough – Mercury Levels and Potential Methylation/ Demethylation Rates in Canadian High Arctic Sea and Lake Ice Cores  
10:00-10:30 Coffee Break  (Exhibition Hall/Ballroom East)
BALLROOM WEST
10:30-11:30

Plenary #1
Emerging and ongoing mercury issues of concern in the African Region.
Anne Nakefero, Rachel Kamande, Amira Adawe & Eisaku Toda

Moderator: Rico Euripidou
11:30-14:00 Poster Session (Exhibition Hall/Ballroom East)
Lunch (Exhibition Hall/Ballroom East)
BALLROOM WEST
14:00-15:30

Plenary #2 Effectiveness Evaluation of the Minamata Convention.
Dominique Kpoko Bally, Alexandra Steffen, Milena Horvat, Karina Miglioranza, Svetoslava Todorova & Mark Burton –

Moderator: Celia Y Chen
15:30-16:00 Coffee Break  (Exhibition Hall/Ballroom East)
16:00-17:00 ORAL SESSIONS  
  BALLROOM WEST MEETING ROOM 1,4 MEETING ROOM 1,6 MEETING ROOM 2,4 MEETING ROOM 2,6
 

Session 5: Human Health Impacts

Co Chairs: Cassey Bartrem & Stephan Bose-O’reilly

Session 6: Biogeochemical cycling of mercury with other elements

Co Chairs: Laurent Ouerdane & Zoyne Zayas

Session 7: Addressing global Hg challenges in a changing world 

Co Chairs: Ashu Dastoor  & Charlotte Haugk

 Session 8: Energy/ Fossil Fuels.
Co Chairs: David Hunter & Warren Corns		 Science Policy Panel (SPP) and the Minamata Convention – Eisaku Toda & Peter Nelson
16:00-16:15 Laurie Chan, University Of Ottawa – The current evidence of the effects of mercury exposure on hypertension Celia Chen, Dartmouth College – Influence of mercury and other persistent pollutants on fish consumption advisories Helene Angot, CNRS, Institute of Environmental Geosciences – Exploring the concept of climate penalty in the context of mercury contamination Edward Archer, Macquarie University – Navigating Mercury Emission Reduction in Coal-Powered Economies Round Table Discussion & Updates from Delegates involved in the process
16:15-16:30 Victoria Wagener, Perkin Elmer SA – Advanced Mercury Speciation Analysis in Fish Samples using NexSAR Speciation Solution Charley Driscoll , SUNY Environmental  College Science and Forestry ; Tropical peat: a highly vulnerable global mercury sink Colin McCarter, Nipissing University – Methylmercury Export from a Headwater Peatland Catchment Decreased with Cleaner Emissions Despite Opposing Effect of Climate Warming Peter Maxson, Concorde East/west Srl – Quantity and Fate of Mercury in Crude Oil  
16:30-16:45 Raj Allwin Mabes, Institute of Environmental Protection and Sensors – Advancing Mercury Detection: A  MerB (Organomercurial-lyase)-based Solid-State Voltammetry Sensor for Methylmercury detection Liubov Eltsova, Cherepovets State University – Mercury and stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon in the hair of wild mammals of the Northwest of Russia Mingyue Li, Institute Of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy Of Science – Climate change effects on mercury cycling in high-altitude environments: insights and perspectives from research in the
Nam Co basin on the Tibetan Plateau		 Lesley Sloss, UNEP Coal Partnership – Tuning compliance strategies to regional needs  
16:45-17:00 Adna Alilović, Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School – Mercury Exposure Assessment and Model Validation through Controlled Tuna Consumption Study Jacqueline Gerson, Cornell University – The impact of agricultural sulfur use on mercury methylation in vineyard Long Chen, East China Normal University – Global warming-induced vegetation changes affect atmospheric mercury cycling Yongsheng Zhang, North China Electric University – Supercritical CO2 coupled with mechanical force to enhance carbonation of fly ash, stabilization of mercury and other heavy metals in lab and a pilot  
17:00-18:30 Posters & Happy Hour (Exhibition Hall/Ballroom East)
18:30-20:30 SSC Closing Meeting  (MEETING ROOM: 1,40) – CLOSED MEETING
08:00-19:00 CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
08:30-10:30 Oral Sessions
  BALLROOM WEST MEETING ROOM 1,4 MEETING ROOM 1,6 MEETING ROOM 2,4
 

Session 9: NIMD: Minamata Storyteller

Co Chairs: Masa Fujimura & Vernon Somerset

Session 10: ASGM activities in Africa

Co Chairs: Susan Keane & Marcello Veiga

Session 11: Mercury in Marine Ecosystems Part I

Co Chairs: Sofi Jonsson & Alina Kleindienst

Session 12: Special Session:
Hg Networks & International Cooperation

Co Chairs:
David Gay
08:30-08:45

1. Greeting by the chairperson from South Africa (Vernon)

2. Greeting by the chairperson from Japan (Masa)

3. Greeting by Kumamoto prefecture from Japan

4. Greetings from the story teller from Japan (Mr. Ogata)

5. Video showing of Minamata Disease Story Teller Lecture 

6. Q&A session from South Africa and Japan.(10~ minutes) 

7. Explanation of National Institute for Minamata Disease (NIMD, Masa’s Institute)

8. Video showing of NIMD (Masa will bring South Africa)

9. Closing remarks by the chairperson from South Africa (Vernon).

 Anne Nakafeero, National Environment Management Authority – Principal Environment Officer – Biodiversity & Rangelands Vivien Taylor, Dartmouth College – Particle-bound mercury dynamics in the Gulf of Maine Itsuki Kuroda, Minsitry of Environment Japan – Japan’s International Cooperation to Support Implementation of Minamata Convention ,
08:45-09:00 Stephan Bose-O’reilly, University Hospital, LMU Munich – Impact of environmental health research in artisanal and small-scale gold mining sites in Zimbabwe Raphaël, A. Lavoie,Environment and Climate Change Canada – Movement and foraging ecology affect mercury exposure in breeding seabirds. Alexandra Steffen, Environment and Climate Change Canada;  Canada’s Global Mercury Passive Sampling Network – A Global International Collaboration   
09:00-09:15 Babajide Alo, University Of Lagos, Nigeria – GOVERNANCE STRATEGIES FOR MERCURY USE AND REDUCTIONS: NIGERIA CASE STUDY Michael Bank, Institute Of Marine Research- Rapid temporal decline of mercury in Greenland halibut: implications for biomonitoring in support of the Minamata Convention Guey-Rong Sheu, Overview of the Asia Pacific Mercury Monitoring Network (APMMN)
09:15-09:30 Bally Dominique Kpoko, University Of Wollongong – New measurements of mercury contamination in air, soil, sediments, and tailings at artisanal and small-scale gold mining sites across Côte d’Ivoire Johannes West, University of California San Diego – Linking Dimethylmercury and Monomethylmercury in a North Pacific Upwelling Region Linroy Christian, Department Of Analytical Services – The Caribbean Region Mercury Monitoring Network
09:30-09:45 Saidou Kabre, Artisanal Gold Council – Scaling up Mercury-Free Processing Technology: Installation of MFPS and Promoting Mercury-Free Processing Technologies in Burkina Faso Hannah Adams, Scripps Insititution of Oceanography – A time series of mercury speciation at Scripps Pier, La Jolla, CA: Insights on methylmercury production and cycling in the surface ocean Lynwill G Martin , SA Weather Service – The South African Mercury Network: How scientific cooperation can help fill in the data gaps
09:45-10:00 Marcello Veiga, University Of British Columbia – Obtaining Gold and Mercury Losses in an Artisanal Mining Site in Nigeria Bonusa Nabila Huda, Nexus3 Foundation – Health Hazard of Mercury-contaminated Fish from the Indonesian Marine Fish Ecosystem Susanne Fietz, Stellenbosch University –  Knowledge and technology transfer to investigate marine mercury contamination in SA: An SA-France collaboration
10:00-10:15 Djamilatou Dabre, Université Joseph Ki-zerbo – Impact of Artisanal Small-scale Goldmining in West Africa: Assessment of mercury levels and speciation in water and soil of mining sites along the Mouhoun River (Burkina Faso) Carl Lamborg, University Of California-santa Cruz – Mercury speciation across the South Pacific and Southern Ocean on the U.S. GEOTRACES (GP-17 OCE): a preliminary evaluation Ashu Dastoor, Environment and Climate Change Canada – Multi-model mercury simulation and analysis initiative to inform the Minamata and Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution Conventions
10:15-10:30 Janet Munakamwe, Wits Mining Institute, University Of The Witwatersrand – Towards a Mercury-free Artisanal and Small-scale Mining Regime in a Just Energy Transition Jacek Beldowski, Institute of Oceanology PAS – Effect of sediment resuspension on near-bottom mercury dynamics: Insights from a Baltic sea Experiment x
10:30-11:00 Coffee Break  (Exhibition Hall/Ballroom East)
  BALLROOM WEST
11:00-12:00

Plenary #3 Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining and Mercury Pollution: Lessons from African initiatives to address the challenges.

Anne Nakafeero,  Ludovic Bernaudat, Pontsho Twala & Anne Mufamadi, Moderator: Nelly Mutemeri
12:00-14:00 Poster Session & Lunch  (Exhibition Hall/Ballroom East)
12:00-13:00 Mentors Lunch @ CTICC (Meeting Room 2,60)
14:00-16:30 Oral Sessions
ROOM/S: BALLROOM WEST MEETING ROOM 1,4 MEETING ROOM 1,6 MEETING ROOM 2,4 MEETING ROOM 2,6
  Session 13: Special Session
Hg in the Southern Hemisphere Part (I)  Co Chairs: Patricia Forbes & Gustavo André Chiang Rojas

Session 14: Human Exposure and Risk Assessment of Hg

Co Chairs: Rosa Carmen Rodríguez Martín-doimeadios & Adna Alilović

Session 15: Mercury in Polar Ecosystems

Co Chairs: Suzanne Fietz & Michael Bank

Session 16: Mercury in Artisanal Gold Mining Part (I)

Co Chairs: Anne Nakafeero & Anne Mufamadi

Session 17: Special Session: New Methods for Atmospheric Mercury Measurement and Calibration

Co Chairs: Seth Layman &  Sarrah Dunham-Cheatham
14:00-14:15 Larissa Schneider, Australian National University –  From North to South of Australia: A Comprehensive Examination of Atmospheric Mercury Deposition and their Implications for the Southeast Asia Mercury Cycle Leonid Kopylev, US EPA – Scientific Challenges in the Update of an Assessment of Methylmercury Neurotoxicity Julie Charrrier, CNRS – Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS – La Rochelle Université – Combining Hg stable isotopes and sea ice biomarker to provide new insights into the role of sea ice as a source of Hg contamination in Arctic seabirds Henrik Selin, Boston University – Using systems analysis to evaluate interventions towards sustainability in artisanal and small-scale gold mining Mae Gustin, University Of Nevada – Results of the workshop- Measurement of Atmospheric Mercury: Assessment of new
measurement and calibration methods and development of a path forward
14:15-14:30 Sofia Shah, Usp – Mercury levels in some locally consumed freshwater fish, bivalves and canned tuna from selected areas of Viti Levu, Fiji. Dirk Wallschläger,  Wilfrid Laurier University –  Stochiometric relationship between mercury and selenium in the nutrition of populations in the Northwest Territories (Canada), with special emphasis on remote indigenous communities Stephen Kohler,Norwegian University Of Science And Technology (ntnu) –    Transformation of methylmercury at the beginning of the Arctic spring bloom Malgorzata Stylo, UNEP –  Insights from the analysis of artisanal gold minning Jan Gačnik, Jožef Stefan Institute –  Gold sampling for atmospheric mercury analysis: insights and limitations
14:30-14:45 Maria Dieguez, CONICET-INIBIOMA – Mercury in shallow and deep lakes within a Hg hotspot of the southeastern Patagonian Andes: insights into seasonal and spatial patterns        Kristin Eccles, Health Canada –  The development and application of methylmercury-to-total mercury ratios for exposure assessment of methylmercury from the consumption of traditional foods Beatriz  Malcata Martins,Centro De Química Estrutural, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade De Lisboa –  Uncovering mercury methylation potential and microbial communities involved in Subarctic thermokarst lakes Marcello Veiga, University Of British Columbia –  How Projects on Mercury-Free for AGM Could be More Effective Livia Lown, University Of Nevada, Reno –  Alternate materials for the capture and quantification of gaseous oxidized mercury compounds from the atmosphere
14:45-15:00 Gustavo Chiang,  Universidad Andres Bello – Chungara Chronicles: Exploring mercury dynamics in Chile’s highest lake Chunfang Gan, Institute Of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy Of Sciences/Guizhou Medical University – The Relationship between Maternal Prenatal Mercury Exposure and Neonatal Neurodevelopment: A Prospective Cohort Study  in Wanshan Mercury Mining Area, Guizhou Province João Canário,Centro De Química Estrutural – Instituto Superior Técnico – Universidade De Lisboa – Mercury dynamics in thermokarst lakes in continuous permafrost areas: Zackenberg Valley, Northeast Greenland Ludovic Bernaudat, UNEP – planetGOLD programme as a vehicle for implement of National Action Plan and ultimately reporting progress on the Minamata Convention Sarrah Dunham-Cheatham, University Of Nevada, Reno – Towards a gas chromatography mass spectrometry method for quantification and characterization of ambient gaseous oxidized mercury compounds
15:00-15:30 Coffee Break  (Exhibition Hall/Ballroom East) 
15:30-15:45 Yipeng He,Florida International University –  Air-sea exchange of elemental Hg and dimethylmercury in the South Pacific and Southern Ocean Sarah Rothenberg,Oregon State University –  Associations between in utero methylmercury exposure and child’s weight from birth to 36 months in rural China and Norway Victor Mugabe,Stellenbosch University –  Mercury over Southern Africa and the Southern Ocean Feiyue Wang, University of Manitoba – Mercury legacy from historical silver refining in Hispanic America: a tale from Guanajuato, Mexico Seth Lyman, Utah State University -Advances in permeation tube-based mercury calibration
15:45-16:00 Liezl Bredenkamp,  North-west University – A Multi-Year Record of Atmospheric Gaseous Elemental Mercury Concentrations at a Regional Site in the South African Interior Bonusa Huda, Nexus3 Foundation – Monitoring Mercury Impact on Children Living in Artisanal and Small Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) Hotspots Ewa Korejwo, Institute Of Oceanology Polish Academy Of Sciences – Mercury in the Arctic and Antarctica: The Role of Benthic Organisms Loic Martin, Ird –  Mercury stable isotopes as a tool to study the impacts of Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining on rivers in the Guianas Geyan Kempkes,  University Of Pretoria -Development of a novel graphene-based passive air sampler to bridge gaps in atmospheric mercury data in South Africa
16:00-16:15 Bakhat Rawat, Centre For Atmospheric Chemistry, University Of Wollongong (UOW) – Long-term monitoring of atmospheric mercury and its source contributions in Kennaook/Cape Grim, Australia Ping Li, Institute Of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy Of Sciences- Health effects and economic benefit of pollution remediation in typical mercury mining area Anna Panasiuk,University Of Gdańsk – Mercury in the Antarctic pelagic ecosystem – krill Euphausia superba and Pygoscelis penguins – transfer from the food to the top predators Emiliano Silva, University of São Paulo – Use of bitter cassava as an alternative to gold amalgamation Trevor O’Neil, Utah State University – Tricks of the Trade: Building Instrumentation for Atmospheric Mercury ,
16:15-16:30 Jennifer Powell,Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Organisation (CSIRO) – Characterising summertime atmospheric mercury in the Southern Ocean and Antarctic Coast marine boundary layer during the 2024 MISO Voyage Cassey Bartrem, TIFO – Assessing and Mitigating Human Health Risks in Mercury Mining Communities: A Case Study in the Kyrgyz Republic x Naomi Nitscheke, Université Grenoble Alpes –  Effect of natural and assisted revegetation of an alluvial gold mine on the reduction of mercury remobilisation from soil and transport to hydrosystems (French Guiana) x
16:30-18:00 Posters & Happy Hour (Exhibition Hall/Ballroom East)
18:30-20:00 Woman in Research Special Event ($12) Limited Seats/only pre-bookings: Meeting Room: 2,60
19:00-22:00 Student Social (Fireman’s Bar)
08:00-13:00 CONFERENCE REGISTRATION  
08:30-10:30 Oral Sessions  
  BALLROOM WEST MEETING ROOM 1,4 MEETING ROOM 1,6 MEETING ROOM 2,4 MEETING ROOM 2,6  
 

Session 18: Special Session: Hg and MeHg in marine food webs –

Co Chairs: Anne Soerensen, Ginevra Rosati & David Amptmeijer

Session 19: Special Session: Microbial communities and Hg transformation –

Co Chairs: Bo Meng & Yu-Rong Liu

Session 20: Special Session: Mercury and Biodiversity –

Co Chairs: David Evers & Paco Bustamante

Session 21: Mercury in the Terrestrial Ecosystems

Co Chairs: Harald Biester & Jani Benoit

Session 22: Special Session: The Impact of Mercury Across the Oil and Gas Value Chain

Chair: Stuart Baker & Kieran Stewart

  
08:30-08:45 Mi-Ling Li, University of Delaware – Assessing sources and bioaccumulation of mercury in two contrasting Arctic ecosystems using stable mercury isotopes Bo Meng, Institute Of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy Of Sciences – Microbial Mercury Methylation in Rice Paddy Soils Paco Bustamante,  La Rochelle University – Ecological factors Differentially Affect Mercury Levels in Two Species of Sympatric Pinnipeds from the Southern Indian Ocean Dr David McLagan – Emerging Researcher Award  Winner-Queen’s University- Seeing the forest from the trees: Using mercury archiving (dendrochronology) and physiological processing (dendrochemistry) in vegetation to improve our understanding of mercury sources and biogeochemical cycling in terrestrial systems. Kieran Stewart, Qa3 Limited – Production and Challenges – A High-Level Synopsis of Mercury Across the Global Oil and Gas Value Chain  
08:45-09:00 Isabel Garcia Arevalo, Ifremer – Taking Into Account the Phycosphere: What Does it Mean for Regional Hg and MeHg Bioaccumulation? Haiyan Hu, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences – Identification of Methanogens Responsible for MeHg Demethylation in Rice Paddy Soils Timothy Tear, Biodiversity Research Institute – Developing a Global Mercury Threat Assessment Based on Mapping Ecosystem Sensitivity to Methylation and Risk of Mercury Contamination. Jay James, Picoyune – Direct Measurement of Mercury in Natural Gas with Plasmonic Sensors.  
09:00-09:15 Johannes Bieser, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon – A Global Model for Marine Mercury Cycling and Bioaccumulation Yu-Rong Liu, Huazhong Agricultural University – Illuminating Microbial Taxa Responsible for Methylmercury Degradation by Tracking Carbon Consumption Luis Fernandez, Wake Forest University / CINCIA – Avian Mercury Exposure in Gold Mining Areas of the Southern Peruvian Amazon Kevin Bishop, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences – Revealing the Fate of Industrial-Era Mercury in Peatlands with Micrometeorology, Isotopes, Paleoecology, Genomics, and an Ice-Age2 Stuart Baker, Qa3 Limited – The Assessment and Impact of Mercury on Asset Decommissioning.  
09:15-09:30 Ginevra Rosati, National Institute Of Oceanography And Applied Geophysics – Ogs – Modelling Mercury Bioaccumulation in Reared Clams from a Temperate Polluted Lagoon Qiang Pu, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences – Horizontal Gene Transfer Mitigates the Effect of Cadmium on Key Mercury-Methylating Microorganisms in Paddy Soils Imelda Dossou Etui, United Nations Environment Programme – Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining and Biodiversity: A Global Literature Review Carl Mitchell, University Of Toronto Scarborough – Forest Harvesting Impacts on Methylmercury Production and Export in Central Canadian Boreal Watersheds Warren Corns, PS Analytical Ltd – Solubility and Fate of Mercury in Gas Processing Solvents  
09:30-09:45 David Amptmeijer, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon – Feeding Strategy as a Key Driver of Mercury (Hg) Bioaccumulation at the Base of the Marine Food Web. Xujun Liang, Northwest A & F University –  Migration and Methylation of Mercury in Legacy Contaminated Sites Driven by Climate Change Chris Sayers, University of California, Los Angeles – Assessing the Impacts of Gold Mining to Avian Communities in the Peruvian Amazon Langfei Wei, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Low Soil Mercury Caused High Rice Mercury in High Geological Background Region and Its Possible Mechanism Lhiam Paton, University Of Graz – Are Future Oil and Gas Decommissioning Sites Potential Sources for Mercury Contamination in the Deep Sea?  
09:45-10:00 Adriana Wojdasiewicz, University Of Gdańsk – Bioaccumulation and Transfer of Mercury in the Body of Cosmopolitan Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) Jiang Liu, College Of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University – Mercury Stress and Methylation Promote Carbon Emission from Rice Paddy Soils Luis Fernandez, Wake Forest University / CINCIA – Understanding the Impacts of Mercury Contamination from ASGM in Amazonian Wildlife: A Seven Year Case Study from Madre de Dios, Peru  Barna Heidel, Esslingen University – Development of a Remote-Controlled System for Bioremediation and Phytoextraction Experiments for Research and Teaching Purposes Lee Hunter, Total Hazardous and Integrated Solutions – Decontamination of Decommissioned Mercury Contaminated Subsea Pipeline Infrastructure  
10:00-10:15 Raphaël, A. Lavoie, Environment and Climate Change Canada – Mercury Biomagnification and Large-Scale Distribution Using Seabirds as Innovative Samplers Xia Lu, Lanzhou University -Microbial Mercury Methylation in Tibetan Thermokarst Lakes David Evers, Biodiversity Research Institute – Using the Global Biotic Mercury Synthesis to better understand adverse impacts of methylmercury availability on biodiversity. Mary Chuong, Umea University – Methylmercury Formation in Cambodian Rice Paddy Soil Alan Stewart,Total Hazardous and Integrated Solutions – Innovative Strategies for Mercury Decontamination of Oil and Gas Process Equipment: Ensuring Environmental Safety and Compliance  
10:15-10:30 Zofia Baumann, University of Connecticut –  Novel Data on Methylmercury Bioaccumulation in Natural Marine Plankton from Coastal North Atlantic Ocean x Allison Aldous, The Nature Conservancy – Mercury Contamination: The Threat that Entwines People and Biodiversity Joshua Landis, Dartmouth College – Latitudinal Gradients and Quantitative Accumulation of Atmospheric Hg in Forest Soils David Hunter,Batrec Industrie AG-Thermal Decontamination and Recycling of Spent Hg Guards, and stabilisation of resultant mercury: Insights from Batrec Catalyst Recycling Plan  
10:30-11:00 Coffee Break  (Exhibition Hall/Ballroom East)  
  BALLROOM WEST  
11:00-12:30

Plenary #4 Next Generation
Dr Jacqueline Gerson, Cornell University- Tracing the fate and developing solutions for mercury from artisanal and small-scale gold mining,

Dr Aryeh Feinberg, Institute of Physical Chemistry Blas Cabrera (IQF) – The global importance of deforestation as an anthropogenic driver of mercury pollution:

Dr Mi-Ling Li, University of Delaware –Unveiling Mercury Exposure Complexities: Integrating Tools and Charting Future Research Paths

Moderator: Dominique Kpoko Bally

  
  Sight Seeing & Tours (Own Leisure) – Booking can be made at the Tour Desk or click here to book  
18:30-21:00 Whiskey Evening  (limited seats)R400 a ticket (includes food and presentation)
08:00-18:00 Registration
08:30-10:30 Oral Sessions
  BALLROOM WEST MEETING ROOM 1,4 MEETING ROOM 1,6 MEETING ROOM 2,4
  Session 23:
Mercury in Freshwater Ecosystems –

Co Chairs: Charles Driscoll & Joze Kotnik

 Session 24: Special Session: Mercury Pollution in Asia  

Co Chairs: Asif Qureshi & Shuxiao Wang

 Session 25: Special Session
Advancing Metrological PracticesCo Chairs: Igor Zivkovic & Milena Horvat 		Session 26: Mercury Control TechnologiesCo Chairs: Sandra de Vos & Peter Maxson
08:30-08:45 Hui Zhang, Institute Of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy Of Sciences – A complete understanding of the sources and pathways of mercury deposited to lake ecosystem using a stable mercury isotope mass balance model Prof XINBIN FENG, Kathryn R Mahaffey Lifetime Achievement Award Winner– Institute Of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy Of Sciences – Combating Air Pollution Significantly Reduced Air Mercury Concentrations in China Milena Horvat, Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia – Metrological Study of a Continuous Flow Calibration Technique for Atmospheric Mercury Haomiao Xu, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Mercury Abatement and Recycling from Non-Ferrous Smelting Flue Gas
08:45-09:00 Roxanne Razavi , Syracuse University – Long-term trends and patterns in mercury in atmospheric deposition, a lake-watershed mass balance and fish tissue analysis in the Adirondack region of New York Warren Corns, PS Analytical Ltd – An Improved Remote Sampling Technique for Atmospheric Pollutants Zan Qu, Shanghai Jiao Tong University – Research on Mercury Pollution Control and Resource Utilization Technology of Industrial Flue Gas
09:00-09:15 Karin Eklöf, Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet – Methylmercury in Water from Newly Inundated Forest Landscapes Shuxiao Wang, Tsinghua University – Drivers of global mercury emissions during 2017 – 2022  Iris De Krom, VSL -SI Traceable Calibration Methods for Mercury Gas Generators Scharrenbach Frank, New Environmental Technology GmbH – From Toxic to Non-Toxic
What Options Are Available to Prevent Mercury Blowouts in Flue Gas Systems
09:15-09:30 Vera Slaveykova, University Of Geneva – Beyond Bioaccumulation: Probing Mercury’s Effects on Phytoplankton Metabolism Qingru Wu, Tsinghua University –Mapping China’s Mercury Emission (1978-2021) Koichi Haraguchi, National Institute for Minamata Disease – Advancements in Mercury Measurement and Global Comparability: Insights from Inter-Laboratory Exercises and Proficiency Testing Programs Vera Roth, Chalmers University Of Technology – Electrochemical Alloy Formation for Mercury Decontamination of Aqueous Solutions
09:30-09:45 Vivien Taylor, Dartmouth College – Mercury Bioaccumulation in Zooplankton and Fish From the Deep and Shallow Basins of Lake Champlain Qianggong Zhang, Institute Of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy Of Sciences – Melting Himalayas and Mercury Export: Results and Perspectives from Everest Proglacial Rongbuk River and Trans-Himalayan Koshi River Akane Yamakawa, National Institute For Environmental Studies – Use of Environmental Reference Materials (RMs) for Quality Control of Precise Isotopic Measurements Li Jia, Taiyuan University of Technology – Study on Mercury Removal Performance and Mechanism of Cu-BTC/FeCu-BC Composite Adsorbent
09:45-10:00 Young Gwang Kim, Pohang University Of Science And Technology – Elucidating Mercury Sources and Exposure Pathways to Bivalves Using Mercury Stable Isotopes. Liyuan Liu, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences – Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Anthropogenic Mercury and CO2 Emissions from Municipal Solid Waste Incineration in China: Implications for Mercury and Climate Change Igor Zivkovic, Jozef Stefan Institute – Requirements for Comparable Mercury Speciation Analyses in Seawater Jinjing Luo, Xiamen University – Adsorption Mechanism of Gaseous Elemental Mercury on Carbon Nanotubes with Typical Functional Groups
10:00-10:15 Sonja Gindorf, Stockholm University – Formation of refractory methylmercury pools by particle adsorption Asif Qureshi, IIT Hyderabad – Mercury and Other Trace Elements in the Sediments and Representative Biota of an Anthropogenically Impacted Estuary Sreekanth Vijayakumaran Nair, Jožef Stefan Institute – Stability of Common Preconcentration Methods for Gaseous Oxidized Mercury in Air Eisaku Toda, Secretariat Of The Minamata Convention – Minamata Convention Guidance on Best Available Techniques and Best Environmental Practices to Control Mercury Releases
10:15-10:30 Chris Eckley, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Identifying the Role of Native Versus Non-Native Wetland Vegetation to Influence Methylmercury Production Hua Zhang, Institute Of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy Of Science – Mercury Pollution and Health Risks in Chinese Fish and Rice Kun Zhang, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences – Using Mercury Stable Isotopes to Quantify Directional Soil-Atmosphere Hg(0) Exchange in Rice Paddy Ecosystems: Implications for Hg(0) Emission to Atmosphere from Land Surfaces Huazhen Chang, Renmin University Of China – Catalytic Oxidation of Hg0 Over Co-Based Mixed Metal Oxides Catalyst
10:30-11:00 Coffee Break  (Exhibition Hall/Ballroom East)
  BALLROOM WEST
11:00-12:30 Plenary #5 Mercury and its potential impacts on biological diversity.

Malgorzata Stylo, Allison Aldous, Claudia Vega, Liuz Fernandez, & Monika Stankiewicz. Moderator: David Evers
12:30-14:00 Poster Session & Lunch  (Exhibition Hall/Ballroom East)
  Advisory Board Information Session (Meeting Room: 2,6)
14:00-16:30 Oral Sessions
  BALLROOM WEST MEETING ROOM 1,4 MEETING ROOM 1,6 MEETING ROOM 2,4
  Session 27: Mercury Stable Isotopes: Monitoring the effectiveness of the Minamata Convention

Co Chairs: Chuxian Li & Young Gwang

 Session 28: Special Session: Hg Research in the SH Part (II) 

Co Chairs: Maria C Diéguez & Larissa Schneider

 Session 29: Risk Assessment and Hg exposure to wild life, birds & fish

Co Chairs: Laurie Chan & Victoria Wagener

Session 30: Atmospheric Hg cycling: Source & Emissions

Co Chairs: Guey-Rong Sheu & Alexandra Steffen
14:00-14:15 David Amouroux, CNRS – UPPA / IPREM – Re-Assessment of Methylmercury Photodemethylation Pathways and Hg Isotopic Fractionation in Model Freshwater Margot Schneider, Australian National University – Climate-Induced Changes in Mercury Deposition in South-Eastern Australia, a Study From the Last Glacial Maximum to the Mid-Holocene (6,500 to 20,000 Years BP) Zhangwei Wang, Research Center For Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy Of Sciences – Migratory Birds Methylmercury Exposure in Eastern China：
Risk and Challenge 		Satoshi Irei, National Institute For Minamata Disease – Gaseous Mercury Emission from Open Prescribed Grassland Burning in Japan
14:15-14:30 Igor Zivkovic, Jozef Stefan Institute – Origin of Mercury in Soils in the Vicinity of Emission Sources Using Stable Isotope Approach Vincent Lal, The University Of The South Pacific – Lessons Learnt from 20-Years of Mercury Analysis in Tuna from the South West Pacific: Establishing a Regional Reference Laboratory for Long-Term Mercury Monitoring in the Pacific Antoine Grissot, CNRS LIENSs – The Role of Mercury Exposure on the Stress Landscape of a Wintering Arctic Seabird Species, the Brunnich’s Guillemot Uria Lomvia. Jacopo Cabassi, Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources (IGG), National Research Council of Italy (CNR) – Gaseous Elemental Mercury (GEM) in Florence (central Italy): measurements at point stations and comparison with other gaseous pollutants
14:30-14:45 Saebom Jung, Pohang University Of Science And Technology – Temporal Dynamics and Internal Variations of Mercury Isotopes in a Marine Fish (Starry flounder, Platichthys stellatus) During Bioaccumulation and Excretion Larissa Schneider, Australian National University -A synthesis of mercury research in the Southern Hemisphere, Jabi Zabala, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU – Experimental Exposure of a Model Fish Species to Methylmercury and Food Restriction Reveals Interactive Effects of Stressors and Complex Responses at Multiple Reproductive Endpoints Seth Lyman, Utah State University – GEOS-Chem is Unable to Reproduce High Oxidized Mercury Episodes in Western U.S.A.
14:45-15:00  Ryan Lepak, Us Environmental Protection Agency – Drivers of Mercury Contamination, Methylmercury Formation and Mercury Sources Within Lake Sediments Across the Contiguous United States Francisco Quesada, Andrés Bello University – Mercury Biomagnification on Aquatic Trophic Webs: A meta-analysis of the Southern Hemisphere Yanju Ma, Guangxi Normal University – Mercury Threat to Declining Migratory Shorebirds Along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway  Oleg Travnikov, Jozef Stefan Institute – Multi-Model Atmospheric Simulations Under the Multi-Compartment Mercury Modeling and Analysis Project (MCHgMAP)
15:00-15:30 Coffee Break  (Exhibition Hall/Ballroom East)
  BALLROOM WEST MEETING ROOM 1,4 MEETING ROOM 1,6 MEETING ROOM 2,4
   Session 27: Mercury Stable Isotopes: Cycling and isotopic fractionation in global forests

Co Chairs:  Xinbin Feng & Jerry Lin

 Session 28: Mercury in Marine Ecosystems Part II

Co Chairs: Johannes Bieser & Vivien Taylor

Session 29: Mercury in Artisanal Gold Mining Part (II)

Co Chairs: Babajide Alo & Pontsho Twala

Session 30: Atmospheric Hg cycling: Source & Emissions

Co Chairs: Guey – Rong Sheu & Alexandra Steffen
15:30-15:45 Xu Liu, Southwest University – Historical Atmospheric Mercury Concentration Reconstructed from Tree Rings in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Alina Kleindienst, University of Pau – Methylation, Demethylation and Reduction in Coastal Waters of the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean Peter Weiss-Penzias, University Of California, Santa Cruz – Investigating Mercury Uptake, Release, Chemical Speciation, and Isotope Fractionation in Native and Transplanted Lichens at Legacy Mercury Mine and Background Locations Koketso Molepo, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Insights into Hg0 Air-Sea Exchange Using Long-Term Atmospheric Observations from Coastal Monitoring Sites
15:45-16:00 Kang Luo, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences – Mercury Bioaccumulation and Transfer in Subtropical Forest Bird Food Chains Insights from vivo-Nest Videorecording and Mercury Isotopes Cathryn Sephus, Scripps Institution Of Oceanography – Exploring Biogeochemical Cycling of Mercury in Hypersaline Environments Giordano Montegrossi, CNR-IGG Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources – Monitoring, Assessment, and Possible Remediation in the Abandoned Hg-mine of Abbadia San Salvatore (central Italy) Hui Zhang, Institute Of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy Of Sciences – An Interhemispheric Difference in Atmospheric Gaseous Elemental Mercury Isotopes Suggests an Overestimation of Oceanic Mercury Emissions
16:00-16:15 Nantao Liu, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences – Mercury Isotopic Evidences Reveal Precipitation Controls Mercury Accumulation in Soils of Tianshan No. 1 Glacier Retreat Area Sabine Azemard, Iaea – "Mercury in the Ocean": IAEA’s Global Network of Analytical Laboratories for Mercury Data Collection. Jessie Samaniego, Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Nuclear Research Institute – Mercury Species, Stable Isotopes and Distribution of Total Mercury in Coastal Sediments of Honda Bay, Palawan, Philippines Lei Zhang, Nanjing University – Does Wetland Act as a Source or a Sink of Atmospheric Mercury?
16:15-16:30 Meiqing Sun, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang – The Mechanism of Foliar Physiological Parameters Restricting Foliar Assimilation of Atmospheric Mercury in Typical Forest Ecosystems Simon Otiwa,  University Of The South Pacific – Cold Vapour Determination of Mercury in Seaweeds and Seagrasses Collected Along Nasese Seashore in Suva, Fiji Caleb Fontenot, Albemarle Corporation – In-situ Remediation of Mercury-Contaminated Mining Calcines Using a Novel Amendment Product Known as MercLok™ P-640  Deming Han, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences – Photochemical Reduction of Oxidised Mercury in Atmospheric Aerosol Water
16:30-17:30 Posters & Happy Hour (Exhibition Hall/Ballroom East)
18:00-23:00 GALA DINNER  (Gold Restaurant) /Smart Casual/Traditional (Pre-booked tickets)
08:00-12:00 Registration
08:30-10:00 Oral Sessions
  BALLROOM WEST MEETING ROOM 1,4 MEETING ROOM 1,6 MEETING ROOM 2,4
  Session 31: Special Session:
Advances in statistical/machine learning and process-based models

Co Chairs: Lei Zhang & Noelle Selin

 Session 32: Mercury in Contaminated Sites Part (II)

Co Chairs: Chris Eckley & Margaret Carrillo-Sheridan

 Session 33: Meta-omic and geochemical approaches to linking microbial activity to biogeochemical mercury cycling

Co Chairs: Jacqueline Gerson & David Amouroux

 Session 34: Special Session:
Mercury-selenium interaction in biota

Co Chairs: Rob Mason & Zoyne Pedrero Zayas
08:30-08:45 Lei Zhang, Nanjing University – Long-Term Changes in Contributions of Anthropogenic and Natural Perturbations to Atmospheric Mercury in the United States Dimitrios Vlassopoulos, Anchor QEA Inc.- Remediation of Mercury in Groundwater by In Situ Chemical Fixation: Geochemical Characterization and Modeling Are Keys to Success Jin-Ping Xue, Universite de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour – Microbial and Photochemical Processes Controlling Mercury Speciation in an Athalassic Sulfate-Rich Saline Lake, NE Spain Zoyne Pedrero Zayas, French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) – Deciphering Mercury and Selenium Interactions in Fish: a Kinetic Comprehensive Speciation and Isotopic Study in Rainbow Trout with Tuna-Based Diets
08:45-09:00 Eric Roy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Top-down Constraints on Mercury Emissions from Diffuse Sources Shannon Plunkett, Duke University – Fate, Transport, and Bioavailability of Mercury Downstream Cyanidation Plants in a Major ASGM-Impacted River Yongli Wang, Texas Tech University – Global Survey of hgcA-Carrying Genomes in Marine and Freshwater Sediments Juliette Esplugas, CNRS – Unraveling Mercury Species Dynamics and Potential Interactions with Selenium: A Study in Amazonian Riverine Communities
09:00-09:15 Yanxu Zhang, Nanjing University – Global Mercury Cycling: An Earth System Modeling Approach Steve Dent, Cdm Smith – An Approach to Effectively Characterizing a River Impacted by a Historical Mercury Mine Using a Combination of Abiotic and Biotic Media Ikram Bakour, Universität Bern – Mercury Interaction with S-containing Molecules: Implications for Potential Methylation and Demethylation Regulation in a Sulfate Reducing Bacteria Rosa Carmen Rodríguez Martín-doimeadios, Universidad De Castilla-la Mancha – Critical Assessment of Sample Preparation Methods for the Study of HgSe Nanoparticles in Fish Tissues by SP-ICP-MS
09:15-09:30 Long Chen, East China Normal University – Improved mechanistic modeling on reproducing particulate bound mercury in the marine atmosphere Bryn Thoms, Oregon DEQ – Identifying Spatial Patterns of Mercury and Methylmercury Concentrations and Loads Downstream of Historical Mining Areas in the Western USA Marisol Goni Urriza, Iprem University Of Pau – Microbial Interactions Between Sulfate Reducing Bacteria and Anoxygenic Phototrophs Affect Hg Methylation Janja Snoj Tratnik, Jozef Stefan Institute –  Mercury Exposure, Fish Consumption and Neurodevelopment: Findings from the Northern Adriatic Birth Cohort Study
09:30-09:45 Darshi Hewa Edirappulige, SUNY College Of Environmental Science and Forestry – Computational Chemistry Re-interprets Lab and Field Studies of Nitrate Radical Initiation of Oxidation of Hg(0) Jason Silvertooth, CDM Smith – Characterizing Mercury Dynamics in a Flood Control Reservoir Downstream of a Historical Mercury Mine Sophie Barrouilhet, Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour –  Genetic Determinisms Involved in Mercury Resistance Mechanism in a Sulfate Reducing Bacterium: Impact on Mercury Accumulation and Methylation Laurent Ouerdane, Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour – New Insights in Hg and Se Speciation in the Rainbow Trout, an Aquaculture Model
09:45-10:00 Aryeh Feinberg, Institute of Physical Chemistry Blas Cabrera (IQF) – Increasing anthropogenic emissions are inconsistent with the declining atmospheric mercury concentrations observed in the Northern Hemisphere Alfonso Rodriguez, Pure Earth – Mercury Management – First Temporary Mercury Storage Unit and Institutional Protocol in Colombia  Asif Qureshi,  IIT Hyderabad – If You Don’t See It Doesn’t Mean It Is Not Working: Sample Size And The Effectiveness Evaluation Of The Minamata Convention Adna Alilović, Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School – Exploring Selenium-Mercury Interactions in Human Systems: Insights from Controlled Fish Consumption and Biomarker Analysis
10:00-10:30 Coffee Break  (Exhibition Hall/Ballroom East)
  BALLROOM WEST
10:30-11:30 Plenary #6 Mercury Point Source Emissions in South Africa: Developments in the Energy and Petrochemical Sector

Alexandra De Vos, Lynn Breet, Lindi Vilakazi, Bryan McCourt & Xolani Ngubeni

Moderator: Lesley Sloss
11:30-14:00 Closing Ceremony , ICMGP 2026 Handover, Prize Giving and announcement of ICMGP 2028 host city
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