Mercury And Its Effects On Mercury

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

Volcanic activity around the world has been associated with high level of mercury in the area. In a 20 year research on 100 different volcanoes around the world, it was estimated that 1140 metric tons of mercury were released into the earth atmosphere, and the average flux would be 57 metric tons. The degassing plumes of 35 around the world volcanoes release 752 metric tons of mercury, and the average flux is 37.6 tons (1). Mercury geochemical belts can form in the Mediterranean, and contain richly valued mercury deposits in the upper layer. Mediterranean has two major sources of natural contamination volcanoes and seawater. Volcanoes Etna, Vulcano and Stromboli, where measured for amount of mercury they released into the atmosphere. Vulcano had mercury emission ranging from 1.3 to 5.5 kg/year, and Stromboli had levels of 7.3 to 76.6 kg/year. Etna had extremely high fluctuated readings ranging from 61.8 to 536.5 kg/year (2). Volcanoes on islands can have high amounts of methyl mercury in oceans and lakes around them, and this is due to the submarine ground water discharge from them. This means that any mercury discharge can flow out across the sea floor, but this can vary depending on the permeability of the volcano rock.

While liquid gold may be a modern allegory for something desirable, there is another liquid metal that is quite the opposite of desirable. Mercury is an unusual metal in that in its standard elemental form it is a liquid. Due to the increase in industry over the last 100 years, Mercury levels have risen, which cause serious damage to humans.

Karen Nelson, Neuroepidemiology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; and Margaret Bauman, Children’s Neurology Service, Harvard Medical School conducted a study on neuropathology of mercury toxicity. Nelson and Bauman asserted ethylmercury lacks the active transport mechanism across the blood-brain barrier that other found available to methylmercury however; they provided no evidence to support this assertion. The L system is the major transport

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)

It can be released anthropogenically, naturally or re-emitted by some combination of the previous two sources but most mercury was originally released from anthropogenic activities [8]. Burning fossil fuels and small-scale gold mining are the main sources of these anthropogenic emission [9].

As humans continue to live on Earth the climate is changing which is melting the Polar Ice Caps along with rising sea levels. Due to these changes to Earths Climate over the next millennia Earths lands may disappear and be taken over completely by the ocean. The human population is also constantly increasing and we need more space to survive. What can we do to survive? Where can we go? This film Deadliest Planets on YouTube will help us to explore our options.

When solid mercury (II) nitrate is heated, it decomposes to form solid mercury (II) oxide, gaseous nitrogen dioxide, and oxygen.

Mercury, named after the Roman God of Thievery, Commerce, and Travel, is the first planet from the Sun. It is unique because it shows at both morning rise and evening set of the sun. It is rocky, heavily cratered, covered in boulders, and also pulverized dust. The majority of it's surface bears a strong resemblance to that of Earth's moon. It's lack of atmosphere causes wild temperature fluctuations. Temperatures can range from 90 kelvin to 700 kelvin thus creating a planet, from all observations, that cannot sustain life--it is geologically dead. Mercury also has a magnetic field generated by the planet's core that can deflect solar wind and which has a magnetosphere that changes. This was surprising for such a slow rotating planet--one that rotates completely every 88 Earth days.

Solar energy does not emit any of these gasses into our atmosphere. It also avoids polluting water, land and air which could threaten human and animal life. Coal power plants are the biggest producers of mercury in the us which has caused 44 states in the US to issue fish consumption advisories and warning because of the mercury laden on fish. Solar energy do not produce mercury.

Unfortunately, these pollutants can be carried in the atmosphere by weather systems. Thus, they can travel for hundreds of miles causing damage as they go. Acid deposits in the soil can have devastating affects in the forest. It gradually causes the loss of plant nutrients, calcium and magnesium. This leads to dying off of trees in the forest. Also, acid deposits in lakes and streams have led to a drop in fish production. Mercury is another source of pollution which can be harmful to humans and wildlife. It comes from the emissions of coal-burning power plants and is deposited into the air and water. This chemical damages the nervous system, and has a detrimental affect on reproduction and prenatal development.

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

The CTBC claims that e-waste accounts for approximately 40 percent of these three toxins that end up landfills, noting that "just 1/70th of a teaspoon of mercury can contaminate 20 acres of a lake, making the fish unfit to eat."

The impacts of mercury pollution on the Earth are huge. It starts by affecting wildlife and fish and then those things are consumed by humans. There is severe brain damage that is occurring and drastically affecting society’s general IQ and earning power. The progression of society in some cultures is being halted because of this pollution. There have been a lot of governmental meetings regarding the subject, but little has changed. It seems as if there needs to be a great deal more of legislation regarding the matter.