More than twice as much mercury in environment as thought

One of the largest concerns today with mercury is small-scale gold mining in the developing world. Environmentalists and public health advocates are pinning their hopes on an international treaty, agreed to in 2013, called the Minamata Convention, after a town in Japan where citizens suffered from severe mercury poisoning. The treaty would require countries that ratify it to ban mercury in batteries, light bulbs, and other products, and cut emissions from power plants, incinerators, and factories.
http://news.sciencemag.org/environment/2014/09/more-twice-much-mercury-environment-thought