Growing concerns have focused on the relationships between emitted and deposited mercury (Hg) on intercontinental scales.Compared with previous studies on modern source-receptor relationships, we use a global biogeochemical model of Hg (eight continents and eight ocean basins defined) to evaluate the legacy impacts of historical anthropogenic emissions on the source-receptor relationships.A historical anthropogenic emission inventory from 2000 BC to present is used to drive the model.Results indicate human activities contribute the most to Arctic Ocean among all ocean basins with 29%, 19%, 13% and 11% of oceanic Hg from North America, Europe, South America and Asia, respectively.Anthropogenic emission from North America is the largest source for all oceanic receptors (avg.27%) except Asia for North Pacific (37%).These findings are inconsistent with the dominant contributor of Asia in previous studies.Total proportion of contribution from continental anthropogenic sources to the whole ocean has increased from 14% in 1500 to 85% in 2008.In the modern era (post-1990), historical anthropogenic emissions from North America and Asia are the two primary sources for the ocean.These findings reveal the legacy impacts of historical anthropogenic emissions are significant on global source-receptor relationships of Hg, and policy-makers had better to revisit the role of critical source continents.