There’s an interesting article about mercury contamination in the
latest issue of Time magazine. Well-known sources of this pollution
are coal-fired power plants and chemical factories, and most people
are aware that large fish are highly contaminated; but now there is
growing concern about wetlands that hold very large stores of
accumulated mercury from the atmosphere. This mercury has been
converted by bacteria into methylmercury, a more toxic form that stays
in the body longer. Wildfires, brought on by drought, can release many
years’ worth of mercury (since the beginning of the Industrial
Revolution); and droughts are thought to be increasing due to global
warming.
Odorless toxic mercury vapor emissions come from factories and dumps
from the manufacture or the discarding of mercury-containing products
such as batteries, paints, electrical switches, jewelry….
The article also mentions that 178 songbirds have been found to have
high levels of mercury from the insects that they feed on, and that
mercury is now being found in other animals; among them are bats, mink,
otters, panthers, and polar bears. This is a growing, world-wide
problem.
Reading the article, I began to realize even more how there is a
“domino effect” to environmental contamination and how consequences are
cumulative long into the future. However, the article ended on a
positive note: The mercury removed from circulation can be held in
warehouses in special containers at under 70 degrees to prevent
evaporation.
