Mercury: A Potential Contaminant Essay

Mercury is a heavy metal with serious side effects like heart problems, digestive imbalance, loss of memory, breathing problems, ADD, depression, etc.

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

solar system. The element Hg is used in thermometers and barometers and is also used a

Mercury, (its chemical symbol Hg), comes from the Greek word hydrargyrum, meaning, water silver, although T is commonly named as quick silver. Mercuries atom number is 80 and its mass number is 200.59. It is the only metal that is a liquid at room temperature (around 20-25 degrees Celsius).

“It identified small children as the most vulnerable to the heavy metal because it could cause significant health impacts, including impairing their development.” Donna Field, ABC News.

Arsenic (As) is a metalloid in group 15, period 4 of the periodic table. It is associated with the atomic number 33 and maintains an atomic weight of 74.92 (Gagnon). As a solid at room temperature, it is most likely to be found as a shiny grey element; however, it may also appear as yellow or black. It is also known to be quite brittle in its solid state (PubChem). There are three different categories that arsenic compounds may be identified as: Inorganic Arsenic compounds (i.e., arsenic trioxide (As2O3), and lead arsenate (PbHAsO4) are some of the more common ones), Organic Arsenic compounds (i.e., Arsanilic Acid (C6H8AsNO3), and Methylarsonic Acid (CH5AsO3) are the more common ones), and Arsine gas (AsH3) (NCBI). All of the aforementioned states, categories, and compounds have various toxicities- the most toxic and severe symptoms tend to result for the entrance of inorganic arsenic and arsine gas into the body.

Title: Historical Atmospheric Mercury Emissions And Depositions in North America Compared to Mercury Accumulations in Sedimentary Records.

In a sample of 200 fish from the Madre de Dios River near mining operations, 56% of the fish had mercury levels which exceeded the World Health Organization’s acceptable guidelines by 0.5 mg kg-1 subsequently posing a health hazard to local communities (Diringer et al., 2015).

Mercury is extremely dangerous to humans due to its extreme conditions not suitable to human life. Missions to Mercury must be conducted with infallible safety standards to prevent incidents such as what has happened in the past. These safety standards must consider all possible circumstances in which measures must be taken. When doing missions on Mercury safety should be the number one priority.

The element Mercury is a group 12, period 6 transition metal. Its atomic number is 80 and its atomic mass is 200.59. Mercury has a silvery, mirror-like appearance and is very dense. It weighs 13.6 times as much as the same volume of water (Blaszczak-Boxe, 2014). Mercury is the only common metal that remains a liquid at room temperature. Mercury is a monoatomic substance and is represented by the symbol Hg on the periodic table that comes from the Greek word hydrargyrum, which means “liquid silver”. Because of its mobility, Mercury is also known as quicksilver and was named after the fastest moving plant in the solar system (Chemicool.com, 2012). The Lewis structure of mercury can be seen in Figure A.

B) “Itai-itai byo”: According to the textbook, Itai-itai-byo is “a condition attributed to ingestion of cadmium and characterized by excruciating pain across the entire body” (Friis, 2012 pg. 138). Itai-itai-byo is a form of bone brittleness/weakness. An individual who has this disease is in pain further than you could imagine.

Mercury is an element on the periodic table. It’s element symbol is Hg. It is also known as quicksilver. On the periodic table, it is group number 12 and period number 6. It has an atomic number of 80. Its atomic mass is 200.59 . Mercury is a natural occurring element that is very dangerous to humans. It is a transition metal. It was discovered by the ancient Chinese and Hindus before 2000 BC. It is a thick, shiny, and silver liquid that is extremely toxic. It is a poor conductor of heat and a fair conductor of electricity. It has a freezing point of -38.33 Celsius and a boiling point of 356.73 Celsius. It has the lowest boiling and freezing point of any other metal. It is also the only element that can turn liquid at room temperature.

Mercury toxicity is extremely dangerous and is a huge health concern that is occurring daily all over the world. Mercury is particularly threatening because it can be found in the air, soil, and water, as well as in foods people consume daily. There is elemental, organic, and inorganic mercury that can be exposed to the body in low and high amounts. Elemental mercury can be found in glass thermometers, electrical switches, fluorescent light bulbs, dental fillings, as well as some medical equipment. Organic mercury is found in fumes from burning coals and various types of fish. Inorganic mercury is found in batteries, chemistry labs, and some disinfectants. Different factors that will help to determine if there are health risks upon exposure

Have you or someone you know experienced tremors, insomnia, mood swings, headaches, or even neuromuscular changes? These serious symptoms commonly found in patients suffering from Parkinson’s, brain tumors, and multiple sclerosis. However, what if these symptoms were not a result of disease but a common metal? Located on the periodic table of elements and considered a transition metal that is shiny and fast moving. Named after the fastest moving planet in our solar system; the ancients believed it was the “first matter” from which all other metals were formed. Commonly found back in the day at dentist offices, doctors offices and maybe even your own home. Mercury, or quicksilver, is a well known element today.

The people with the most risk of damage by mercury are unborn fetuses and children. Studies seem to show that the metal