The poison that’s right under our nose.

• Thousands of Americans unnecessarily expose themselves and others to mercury.
• People usually throw away products containing mercury, which leads to contamination of our air and water and the poisoning of fish, wildlife, and ourselves.

Mercury exposure wreaks havoc on the human body.

• At high levels, metallic mercury can cause serious damage to the nervous system. Other forms of mercury can damage other organs, particularly the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract. Even at low levels, metallic mercury can cause health problems.
• Among the health problems related to metallic mercury poisoning are tremors, changes in vision or hearing, insomnia, weakness, memory loss, headache, irritability, shyness and nervousness, and a health condition called acrodynia.

Pregnant women and young children are especially vulnerable.

• Mercury readily passes from the placenta to the fetus and may accumulate in higher concentrations in the fetus than in the mother.
• Young children, who often play on the floor where metallic mercury may have been spilled, are particularly at risk for effects on the central nervous system. Mercury vapors are readily absorbed into the bloodstream from the lungs, and the human central nervous system, which is still developing during the first few years of life, may become permanently damaged.

Once in the air, the pandora’s box is open.

• Once released into the environment, mercury is very hard to clean up. Because metallic mercury vaporizes into the air at room temperature, it presents an immediate health risk to anyone spending time in a room where metallic mercury was recently sprinkled or spilled onto the floor, or where opened containers of metallic mercury are present.
• Very small amounts of metallic mercury (a few drops) can raise air concentrations to levels that may be harmful to health.

Improper disposal of mercury leads to a boomerang poisoning effect.

• Mercury often finds its way back to us because many unknowingly throw away products containing mercury into trash systems that are not equipped to handle mercury. Eventually, this mercury is deposited into our air and water.
• Approximately 1/3 of mercury pollution in the U.S. is released by waste incinerators burning mercury-tainted trash. Wind can carry airborne mercury great distances before it is deposited on land and water, primarily by rain and snow, contaminating pristine lakes hundreds of miles from any mercury source.
• Once mercury enters waters, either directly or through air deposition, it can bioaccumulate in fish and animal tissue in its most toxic form – methyl mercury. Bioaccumulation means that the concentration of mercury in predators at the top of the food web (e.g., predatory fish and fish-eating birds and mammals) can be thousands or even millions of times greater than the concentrations of mercury found in the water.
• Boomerang poisoning occurs when humans eat these mercury-contaminated fish.

Mercury also poisons wildlife.

• Fish-eating animals, such as eagles, osprey, common loons, river otters, and mink, may suffer problems such as premature death, weight loss, and reproductive difficulties as a result of eating mercury-contaminated fish.

Knowing is half the battle.

• In numerous school cases, children were unaware of the dangers involved in exposing themselves and their families to this deadly poison. Adults are also often unaware of the hazards associated with mercury; some have even brought it home from work for children to play with.
• Just one-half teaspoon of mercury spilled in the home can be dangerous.

Mercury use reduction and proper disposal are the keys to ending mercury poisoning.

• The two keys to ending mercury poisoning are reducing the source (there are appropriate substitutes available for nearly all uses of mercury) and ensuring that the existing mercury is disposed of properly.