Environmental Effects Of Mercury Pollution

b. [3.3] Is there more mercury in the phytoplankton at the base of the food chain or in the fish at the top? (2pts)

With the well-being of future generations in mind, environmental concerns have begun to establish a permanent residence atop the priority ladder for a vast array of Americans. Consequently, writers and political pundits alike are seizing this opportunity to capitalize on advocating their stance on the issue. Information, representing all positions, pours in at an unrelenting and unfathomable rate. For the average American it can be an arduous process sifting through all the rhetoric in attempt to find the real truth regarding our impact as humans on the environment; one such example is Susan Brown’s article The EPA’s Mercury Problem. In this article Brown attempts to expose hypocrisy among progressives by paralleling the Environmental Protection

If mercury biomagnifies, in which of the organisms would you expect to find the highest mercury levels in a lake with mercury contamination?

Wrangell-St Elias is one in four Alaskan national parks that tested positive for mercury. In some cases the levels exceeded the State of Alaska’s human consumption levels of mercury for women and children. The test was part of a multi-year U.S. geological survey and study of fish in high elevation lakes and streams. Mercury was found in all fish and can be harmful to other fish, wildlife, humans etc. The mercury was found in fish in Copper, Tanada, and Summit Lakes. Consuming high amounts of mercury can damage developing brains in babies and

Additionally, the effect of mining rocks is clear all over the world. For instance, according to the book, ‘The Amazon Gold Rush and Environmental Mercury Contamination,” the author mentions mercury contamination of waterways in the Amazon around gold mines. The problem is the extensive effluent that is discharged into the rivers and streams. The effect on marine life can be deleterious. The importance of the Amazon area to sustain the global equilibrium in the environment has been recognized worldwide. This has been much more accentuated in the present days due to the intense debate related to global warming. Consequently, all initiatives or studies directed to a better knowledge and management of that huge environment are welcome and needed.

For instance, certain seafoods are known to have high concentrations of mercury. The same can be found inside of certain dental fillings, such as silver fillings or mercury amalgrams.

As already stated, many other locations around the world are affected by mercury poisoning and contamination. For example, Canada and Japan have an extensive history of mercury poisoning, including neurologic symptoms and contaminated fish. These studies have has been documented since the 1950’s in these locations. In fact, the contamination became so problematic the Ontario health department formed a task force on organic mercury in 1972. Further, recent protesting throughout Toronto has asked for Canada to address the contamination of mercury. Findings revealed levels of mercury exceeding those of international standards and included the highest recorded mercury contamination among in the western part of the world. (CITE 6)

Once released into the environment, mercury is free to be taken up by plants and animals but is not toxic unless transformed through bacterial or chemical processes into its organic form, the most famous of which is methylmercury [6], [8], [10] Methylmercury impacts several critical organ systems and particularly toxic to the development of the fetus [11]. It also bioaccumulates in living organisms, which leads to higher levels of methylmercury with each increasing trophic level [10], [12], [13]

Mercury is an element that can be found in our environment through air, water and soil. Being exposed to constant levels of mercury may be detrimental to one’s overall health since it can impact the nervous, digestive and immune systems of human (WHO). In 1960, the demand of Mercury (Hg) increased significantly as it was needed in many commercial and medical practices, despite its high toxicity levels (dwivedi). Thus, the increase in mercury consumption was due to industrialization. Mercury should be gaining increased medical concerns as it can impact the lives of several classes of society. In Canada, it is found that the vast majority of marine mammals contain methylmercury (MeHg) (Laird). Methylmercury is highly more lethal than Mercury

Mercury can be used in many different products such as barometers, florescent lamps, and electrical switches and can be in the fish that we eat, whether the fish was caught in a local lake or bought from the grocery store. Mercury is a naturally occurring element in the earth’s crust that can be moved around from volcanoes, coal burning plants, mining, and other natural or human actions. “Mercury is well-documented as a toxic chemical that is atmospherically transported on a local, regional, and global scale by cycling among air, land, and water” (U.S. EPA, 2009). As early as the 1950’s we found that exposure to mercury can be extremely toxic, even deadly to animals and people. Throughout this report I will describe the basic

such as trout and burbot (Hynes 1970). Warmer temperatures and changes in water quantity could therefore affect species composition and survival in the oil sands region.

Mercury is categorized as a nephrotoxin and neurotoxin. Mercury is commonly found in fluorescent light bulbs, electronics, fungicides, and medical equipment [2]. The main focus of this study in mercury is due to the large segments of the population commonly exposed to dental amalgams [3], vaccines [4], seafood [5-7], and formation of the global pollutant, such as geologic deposits of mercury released into the atmosphere.

Mercury belonging of six chemist elements which the most poisonous among the six million substations in nature 1. This compound was very poisonous for biologis system 1-2. The contamination of mercury could be decreased by bioremediation method, because this method proved more efficient and economic than the physical or chemical ways 3-4. Organisms respond to heavy metal stress using different defense system, such as exclusion, compartmentalization, formation of complexes and synthesis of binding proteins like metallothioneins 5. Bacteria use the intracellular mechanism for mercury detoxification process, by reducing the Hg2+ to non toxic Hg0, by a group of mercury reductase enzyme that incorporated in the mer operon. Hg0 formed then diffuses out of the cells 6. Mer operon structure is varied, consisting of genes that encode functional proteins for regulation (merR), transportation (MerT, merP and or merC, merF) and for reduction (merA). In species with broad-spectrum resistance, merB genes, these genes required for resistance to organomerkuri compounds, such as methylmercury and phenilmerkuri, by hydrolysis of the C-Hg bond before reducing Hg2+. Additional genes are located in the downstream (downstream) of the gene in the operon merA. MerB gene is rarely found in Gram-negative bacteria 7-8.

The article describes briefly how the mercury ends up in the fish we eat, how the rain grabs the mercury from the atmosphere and deposits it into the lakes and oceans. Because of the food chain, the largest of the aquatic animals will have the highest amount of mercury, whales and sharks for example. So, communities high in whale and shark consumption will show the greatest risk of mercury poisoning.

Kennedy, Robert F., and Marc A. Yaggi. "Mercury Poisoning Is a Growing Global Menace We Have to Address." The Guardian. N.p., 10 Jan. 2013. Web. 24 Sept. 2013. .