Concerning the comment from Dr. Gustin “that this manuscript seems to have fallen easily through the peer review process”, I would strongly refute this. The manuscript was handled by my Associate Editor Dr. John Gray, who has a strong background in mercury geochemistry and he arranged for review by two acknowledged experts in the field. The reviewers both suggested acceptance with minor/moderate revision. Dr. Gray also reviewed the manuscript and made some suggestions for improvement. The manuscript was modified to counter criticisms and incorporate suggested changes, and the revised version was subsequently deemed acceptable for publication by Dr. Gray and myself. It certainly did not fall “easily through the peer review process”.
