Problem of Mercury Toxicity

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Mercury toxicity is a serious problem since mercury does not degrade in the environment and so once it is there as a contaminant, it is difficult to remove. It is highly toxic, particularly to children and the developing fetus, where it interferes with development, particularly the maturation process of the brain. Whatever form mercury is in - elemental, inorganic, or organic - it is toxic, and there is no truly effective treatment once it gets into the human body. Chelation therapy may help, but there are doubts as to its effectiveness or its ability to reduce the toxic effects which may have already occurred.

Most mercury pollution comes from industrial air pollution, although more and more water is becoming polluted from industrial effluents. Fish swimming in mercury-polluted waters become polluted themselves by ingesting microorganisms which have taken in mercury, and humans who eat such fish can absorb mercury from them. Power plants and automobiles are major sources of pollution in the air due to mercury. Fossil-fuel using plants are particularly polluting in this regard. The Environmental Protection Agency is working to clean up sources and eliminate mercury pollution where feasible, and is working with industry to encourage the use of alternative materials which do not contain mercury wherever possible. It will take many years to rid the environment of the mercury pollution which is already there.

Mercury is a widespread environmental po

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ter for Clean Products and Clean Technologies, The Ecology Center in Michigan, and Great Lakes United, a New York organization. Electrical switches used in automobile components such as lights and anti-lock brakes contain mercury, and such contaminates often end up in smelt furnaces in the automobile disposal and recycling process (Knight, 2001). It is estimated that these furnaces emit about 15.6 metric tons of mercury into the atmosphere each year. This is an amount far in excess of all manufacturing processes combined, and makes this process fourth behind coal-fired utilities, municipal waste incinerators, and commercial/industrial boilers for mercury emissions. Mercury vapor inhalation can cause acute necrotizing bronchitis and pneumonitis at high concentrations (Goldman and Shannon, 2001). This can lead to death from respiratory failure. Long-term exposure to mercury inhalation affects the central nervous system . Mercury also accumulates in the kidneys and leads to proteinuria and nephrotic syndrome. Compounds using inorganic mercury have been used as antibacterials, antiseptics, cathartics and diuretics, though they are now banned in the United States (Goldman and Shannon, 2001). Mercury salts are extremely caus
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Approximate Word count = 1227
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

Problem of Mercury Toxicity

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