Modern science of a legacy problem: mercury biogeochemical research after the Minamata Convention.

In the summer of 2017 the Minamata Convention on Mercury entered into force, marking a new phase in global efforts to protect human health and the environment from the deleterious effects of mercury pollution. This global treaty, with 91 parties as of April 2018, builds upon decades of scientific research on mercury. This work describes the harmful effects of mercury for human health, delineates the factors that influence the distribution and transformation of mercury compounds in the environment, and recommends potential strategies to reduce the impacts of mercury on people and ecosystems.