Because of its presence and bioaccumulation in the form of methylmercury in aquatic organisms, mercury is a source of concern for the health or consumers of high-level living organisms. This is the key factor driving current global mercury research and environmental regulation and is the main driver of UNEP's current global partnership on mercury transfer and fate (UNEP F & T).

The overall focus of the UNEP F & T report is to assess the relative importance of the various processes / mechanisms that influence the transfer of mercury (Hg) from sources of emission to the water and terrestrial receptors and to provide possible relationships between the source and the future. This transport occurs through air transport, chemical transitions and subsequent deposition, and involves intermittent recirculation of reservoirs that occur before the eventual removal of mercury from the atmosphere. Understanding of sources, global mercury transfer and capacity, and the impact of human activity on the biosphere require better knowledge of the movement of mercury and atmospheric transformation.

Better understanding of the sources, fate and means of transport of mercury is important if a concerted and concerted effort is made to establish priorities and targets for mercury management and reduction at national, regional and global levels; and to develop and implement such policies and strategies. To achieve this, a series of coordinated scientific endeavors that focus on resource estimation, measurement, verification of concentrations, processes and modeling is likely to be needed, together with the interpretation of results within the policy framework..