Human activities like deforestation and land-use change affect the climate and how pollutants like mercury move through the environment. In this study, we used a global computer model to see how changes in forests and land use have altered the way mercury is released from soil and absorbed by the land. We found that deforestation, especially in places like the Amazon, leads to more mercury being released into the air. These results suggest that how we manage land can affect global pollution, and that future efforts to reduce mercury should consider land-use decisions.