This assessment report details the results of the 2011 AMAP  Assessment of Mercury in the Arctic. It builds upon the previous  AMAP heavy metals assessments that were presented in 1998*  and 2005*.  The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP)  is a group working under the Arctic Council. The Arctic Council  Ministers have requested AMAP to:  

• produce integrated assessment reports on the status and trends  of the conditions of the Arctic ecosystems;  
• identify possible causes for the changing conditions;  
• detect emerging problems, their possible causes, and the  potential risk to Arctic ecosystems including indigenous  peoples and other Arctic residents; and to  
• recommend actions required to reduce risks to Arctic  ecosystems.

  This report provides the accessible scientific basis and  validation for the statements and recommendations made in the  AMAP State of the Arctic Environment report, ‘Arctic Pollution  2011’ that was delivered to Arctic Council Ministers at their  meeting in Nuuk, Greenland in May 2011. It includes extensive  background data and references to the scientific literature, and  details the sources for figures reproduced in the ‘Arctic Pollution  2011’*** report. Whereas the ‘Arctic Pollution 2011’ report  contains recommendations that specifically focus on actions  aimed at improving the Arctic environment, the conclusions  and recommendations presented in this report also cover issues  of a more scientific nature, such as proposals for filling gaps in  knowledge, and recommendations relevant to future monitoring  and research work, etc.  
  To allow readers of this report to see how AMAP interprets  and develops its scientifically-based assessment product in terms  of more action-orientated conclusions and recommendations,  the ‘Executive Summary of the Arctic Pollution 2011 Ministerial  Report’ is reproduced in this report on pages xi to xiv.  The AMAP assessment is not a formal environmental risk  assessment. Rather, it constitutes a compilation of current  knowledge about the Arctic region, an evaluation of this  information in relation to agreed criteria of environmental  quality, and a statement of the prevailing conditions in the  area. The assessment presented in this report was prepared in  a systematic and uniform manner to provide a comparable  knowledge base that builds on earlier work and can be extended  through continuing work in the future.  
  The AMAP scientific assessments are prepared under the  direction of the AMAP Assessment Steering Group and are  subject to a formal and comprehensive peer review process. The  product is the responsibility of the scientific experts involved in  the preparation of the assessment. Lead countries for this AMAP  Mercury Assessment were Canada and Denmark. The assessment is based on work conducted by a large number of scientists and  experts from the Arctic countries (Canada, Denmark/Greenland/  Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and  the United States), together with contributions from indigenous  peoples organizations, from other organizations, and from experts  in other countries.  AMAP would like to express its appreciation to all of these  experts, who have contributed their time, effort, and data; and  especially to the lead experts who coordinated the production  of this report, and to referees who provided valuable comments  and helped ensure the quality of the report. A list of the main  contributors is included in the acknowledgements on page  vii of this report. The list is not comprehensive. Specifically, it  does not include the many national institutes, laboratories and  organizations, and their staff, which have been involved in the  various countries. Apologies, and no lesser thanks, are given to  any individuals unintentionally omitted from the list. Special  thanks are due to the lead authors responsible for the preparation  of the various chapters of this report.  The support of the Arctic countries is vital to the success of  AMAP. AMAP work is essentially based on ongoing activities  within the Arctic countries, and the countries also provide  the necessary support for most of the experts involved in the  preparation of the assessments. In particular, AMAP would  like to express its appreciation to Canada and Denmark for  undertaking a lead role in supporting the Mercury assessment.  Special thanks are also offered to the Nordic Council of Ministers  for their financial support to the work of AMAP, and to sponsors  of projects that have delivered data for use in this assessment.  The AMAP Working Group that was established to oversee  this work, and the AMAP mercury expert group are pleased to  present its assessment.

Russel Shearer
AMAP Working Group Chair
Peter Outridge
AMAP Mercury Assessment Co-lead (Canada)
Rune Dietz
AMAP Mercury Assessment Co-lead (Denmark)
Lars-Otto Reiersen
AMAP Executive Secretary
Oslo, August 2011