ABSTRACT
Proposed mercury criteria for the protection of representative crops, aquatic organisms, birds, and mammals are shown in Table 12.1, and for human health in Table 12.2. These criteria vary widely between nations and even between localities in the same nation. In almost every instance, these criteria are listed as concentrations of total mercury, with most, if not all, of the mercury present as an organomercury species. In some cases, recommended mercury criteria are routinely exceeded, as is the case for brown bears (
Ursus
arctos
) in the Slovak Republic (Zilincar et al., 1992), and in Italian seafood products recommended for human consumption (Barghigiani and De Ranieri, 1992).
