Question

What environmental damage are caused by mercury pollution? What are the main sources of mercury pollution?

Answer 1

Mercury pollution and the environmental damage caused by it:- Mercury can be present in three forms and they are methyl mercury, elemental mercury and inorganic mercury and can enter the environment in any forms from their sources once they enter the environment it spreads, the gaseous form of mercury spreads globally while as the gaseous inorganic ionic mercury does not spread to a large distance and can reach to close area from their souce and it gets deposited into the soil or water. Once such form of mercury reaches soil or water then microorganism convert the elemental mercury into very toxic form called methyl mercury which finds its way to the water from soil and is ingested by the fishes and other auqatic animals and by the phenomenon of biomagnification gets acculated in the higher tropic consumers through food chain including human beings after consuming such fishes which leads to toxic effects on the body. The effects of mercury can be discussed under the following headings.

Effect on fishes:- Methyl mercury is ingested by fishes but is excreated slowly from the body and hence it gets accumulated in the fishes and then effects the consumers.

Effects oh humans:- mercury is toxic to nervous system particularly the featus and new born, mostly pregnant women and the children less then six years of age are effected. Adults who have consumed large amounts of methylmercury experience some nervous system problems like trembling hands, tingling in their tounge, lips, toes or fingers.

Sources of Mercury pollution:-

1. mercury is present in the coal and once the coal is burned mercury is emitted in the air, since power is generated by utilising coal- fired power plants are the main sources of mercury pollution.

2.limestone contain the mercury so the cement klins are also the source.

3.some of the hazards wastes which include the medical wastes, garbage incinerators, house hold items.

4. gold mines are also the source of mercury since during the seperation of the gold from the mined ores, when fold is heated during seperation process mercury is released.