Mercury Contamination

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

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

Every year it is estimated that 1.8 million batteries are not properly disposed of. When this happens, it poses a major threat to the ecosystem. Heavy metals used in batteries are toxic to humans and they can leach into our water system. Lead and nickel-cadmium (Nd-CD) can only enter the human body by inhalation or ingestion, but mercury can even be absorbed through the skin. Federal and state laws and regulations have been implemented and enforced to ensure heavy metal batteries are properly disposed of and recycled.

There are three different chemical forms that mercury exists in and each has a specific effect on human health, however for the purpose of this paper only two will be talked about. The first is elemental mercury (Hg), which also called metallic mercury. In this form the primary health effect is when it is breathes as vapor where it can be absorbed through the lungs. Symptoms of this kind include tremors, emotional changes, insomnia, neuromuscular changes, headaches, disturbances in sensations, changes in nerve responses, and performance deficits on tests of cognitive functions. At higher doses there can be kidney effects, respiratory failure, and even death. In this form it is emitted into the air from coal-fired power plants, waste incinerators, smelting plants, which is by far the leading man-made source of mercury in the Great Lakes. It is released into the air and transported by air currents and will eventually fall and be deposited in soil or water. This is particularly important to the people living in Michigan because in Detroit the mercury found in rain has been

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines for safe exposure level to mercury are one-tenth of a microgram (mcg) per kilogram of body weight. Children received about 237 mcg of Thimerosal by two years old with the first 200 mcg administered before six months old. Thimerosal is an ethylmercury preservative (about 49.6 percent mercury by weight) used in vaccines to add shelf life to the vaccine. Thimerosal is about 50 times more toxic due to it being injected, there is no blood–brain barrier in infants, mercury clings to brain cells and nerves, and infants do not create bile therefore the mercury cannot be excreted. PDD-NOS are the largest group and are characterized by four other different disorders. The four disorders

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)

The water in Flint is placing people in peril because the water is accumulating with lead. Lead is a type of chemical element in the carbon group. Lead is a soft and heavy post - transition metal. If lead accumulates in your body you could sustain death or lead poisoning. Lead poisoning occurs when lead builds up in the body often over a period of months or years. Even small amounts of lead can cause perpetual health problem. Children under the age of six are vulnerable to lead poisoning and possibility death.

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].

In an article from The Washington Post on the 26th of January, 2009: “Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply,” the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy’s Dr. David Wallinga, a co-author of both studies, said in a prepared statement.

Certainly, the mercury is a vigorous neurotoxin and poisonous to the brain; however, toxicity depends on the dose. Supporters to mercury hypothesis claim that the thimerosal contains ethylmercury in dosages exceeding the limits that the Environmental Protection Agency allows. They argue that these dosages of mercury should be considered with the prenatal vaccines dosages and the environmental sources of mercury. Additionally, underweight and premature infants receive the same dosages as larger babies. Furthermore, they claim that some children may be unable to metabolize mercury, and possibly these are the children who get diagnosed with Autism. They support their claims with the journalist David Kirby’s book “Evidence of Harm” where he claims that the increase in 1990s childhood vaccine led to cumulate of thimerosal, which caused the increase in Autism rates (Kirby

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.

Glass mercury thermometers. Mercury is dangerous to your child's health and to the environment. The glass in this type of thermometer can break, which could result in injury.

Mercury is a heavy silver white liquid metal. Mercury’s melting point -38.9 degrees c. The group that mercury is in the zinc group and also the isotopes number of mercury is 198. Mercury was discovered by sumerians, mercury was discovered in 265 b.c. in 1639. It fits in because it has a melting point and it has atomic numbers. Mercury is used for batteries. Mercury’s medical issues are highly toxic, and it has fate transportation deposition. Mercury is toxic and makes you get nervous when effected. Mercury is affected because of its numbers and compounds. It causes effects the nerves, digestive, and the lungs. The environmental effects are elemental, inorganic, and methylmercury. The greek name of mercury is hydrargyrum wh

The purpose of this assignment was to discuss how mercury pollution is dangerous for our aquatic ecosystems. I wanted to show that we should be more concerned about the effects of mercury and how it impacts the marine mammals as well as humans. Many people disregard mercury as being a serious pollutant which can cause severe illness and even in some cases, death to marine mammals. By knowing the effects of mercury pollution, we can make a difference by following measures to safely dispose of mercury product. By properly disposing mercury containing products, we will be tremendously helping to curb mercury pollution one small step at a time.