How can mercury pollution be reduced?

Mercury is considered one of the most toxic environmental pollutants. It is insoluble in water and highly volatile, posing a threat to both human health and biological communities. Current methods for removing mercury include air pollution control devices (APCDs), adsorption, catalytic oxidation, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and electrochemical processes. Electrochemical methods are an environmentally friendly technology that utilises electrode reactions to directly remove pollutants, or, under specific conditions, generates strong oxidising radicals via specialised electrode materials to oxidise reactants. In addition, there is a green technology known as biodegradation, which utilises mercury-tolerant microorganisms to efficiently convert mercury into less toxic forms. Studies have reported that strains DCL_26, DCS_A1 and R_24 are not only capable of removing mercury from culture media and industrial wastewater but also significantly reduce its toxicity. This aids in the remediation of mercury-contaminated wastewater, rendering it suitable for crop irrigation.

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