<p>This fourth session of the mercury science stream addresses human health risks to mercury in the context of worldwide socioenvironmental variability. This topic, in preparation for the 2022 ICMGP plenary lecture and synthesis paper, presents an overview of risks posed by mercury to human populations worldwide through case studies. We tend to generalize (and at times misrepresent) mercury risk in science and policy arenas and can sometimes forget that risk is context dependent. As such, the primary goal of this work is to help stakeholders (e.g. Minamata Convention policy makers; mercury scientists) gain a deeper empathy and understanding of the diversity/variance of mercury risk globally.</p>