Mercury Facts

Mercury Fact Sheet

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (http://www.epa.gov/mercury/about.htm):

• Mercury is found in many aspects of the environment (e.g., air, soil, water, rocks)
• A main source of mercury emission into the environment in the United States originates in coal burning
• EPA estimates that half of all of the deposited mercury in the United States originates from U.S. sources
• An easy way to be exposed to mercury is through the air, when it is released into the atmosphere by acts of pollution. However, the main source of human exposure to mercury is through fish
• When exposed, mercury can damage a living organisms' nervous system, heart, lungs, kidney, liver, and other internal organs. A number of factors determine the health impacts, including the type of mercury, dosage, duration of exposure, route of exposure, and the age and health of the person
• Other carnivorous animals that consume mercury-poisoned fish will also be greatly damaged
• Wildlife that comes into contact with mercury can experience an odd change of behavior, defects in their reproductive process, and even death
• On June 24, 1998, the American Hospital Association and EPA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to virtually eliminate mercury-containing waste from the health care industry waste stream by the year 2005.

• The discovery of mercury dates to 2000-1500 B.C., when it was used in certain ointments, tombs, and jewelry by ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptians, Hindus, and Chinese
• The shiny element was named mercury after the Greek god whose name mean "water and "silver"
• Mercury was a favorite of alchemists, who, among other things, believed that all life was formed from mercury and that when it hardened it turned to gold
• Hatters in the 18th also used Mercury and 19th century to remove the animal fur from the material. The expression "mad as a hatter" was widely used because there seemed to be a large amount of eccentric hat makers. Research now shows that their extensive work with mercury resulted in serious physical and mental damage from exposure to mercury vapors