Teledyne Leeman Labs Blog

Despite its remote location, the Amazonian basin is not immune to mercury contamination. A new study published in the Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry found the presence of mercury in two species of turtles and two species of caiman. The concentration of the mercury was below World Health Organization consumption guidelines, but the mercury levels in the liver were higher than recommended for children and pregnant women.

Scientists from Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. will present the findings of a study at the American Academy of Neurology’s Annual Meeting in April that links eating fish and seafood with higher levels of mercury to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Mercury is a neurotoxic metal and the primary source of exposure for people in the United States is via consumption of methylmercury-contaminated fish. The preliminary study published by the AAN suggests that while ALS does not have a known cause, mercury could be a risk factor for the disease.

The familiar Florida summertime clap of daily thunder signals to the kids playing ball outside that it is time to go inside for a bit.  Any U.S. Gulf Coast kid knows when the thunderstorm clouds roll overhead to get to shelter—fast--- because next to come are the threatening lightning strikes. While the lightning is a dangerous concern, the invisible pollution dangers from thunderstorms may be even worse than the lightning strikes. 

The Mercury Deposition Network has evaluated rainwater nationwide for twenty years.  It has puzzled analysts as to why the mercury levels were persistently so much higher in the southeast, especially in the Gulf Coast states of Florida and Louisiana, than those of northern states.  

Spearheading a global group of scientists, the U.S. Geological Survey chronicled the mercury pollutants in the air, soil, sediment, plants, fish and wildlife throughout western North America.  Ecologists complied decades of data and studies to assess groupings of mercury and methylmercury.

Mercury, a heavy metal, is organically found in the rock of the earth’s crust.  It can become problematic when people, fish, and wildlife are subjected to elevated levels of mercury in its harmful configuration, methylmercury. 

Illegal gold mining operations in Peru have forced the Peruvian government to declare a state of emergency for the next two month. While the gold is valuable, the extracted process from surrounding areas has created a major health problem for local residents.

In 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency adopted new emissions standards that were directed at cutting power plant emisions of mercury and other toxic air pollutants. On June 29, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the rules with a vote of 5-4 citing the costs of the regulations to power plant operators. The EPA estimated the rules would force companies to spend $9.6 billion a year on compliance while saving Americans between $37 billion and $90 billion a year from premature death and reduced health complications. The decision reverses a D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals decision that called mercury emissions a “threat to the public and the environment.”

Mercury is a common element found in the lab, particularly in thermometers, barometers, manometers and sphygmomanometers. Given the danger of mercury, many of these instruments are being phased out in place of more environmental- and health-friendly options. As far back as 1991, the Environmental Protection Agency regulated mercury out of latex paint, and in other industries such as pharmaceutical and agricultural, it is being used less and less.

There are three forms of mercury inorganic, organic and elemental mercury, which is most common in the lab. Each is toxic, but organic mercury, which forms in nature, contaminates fish and pollutes waters. Elemental mercury is a silvery and odorless liquid at room temperature, and is the most common source of occupational exposure. The vapors from a spill can “affects the central nervous system (CNS), producing tremors, mood changes and reduced cognitive, sensory, and motor nerve functions. The kidneys are also affected, with renal failure at extremely high doses.”[i]

This is part one of the story about Onondaga Lake, considered at one time to be the most polluted lake in the United States. 

In early November 2014, Honeywell finished the dredging of Onondaga Lake, moving the lake one step closer back to a natural resource that can be used and enjoyed by the surrounding community. The lake in central New York covers more than 4.6 square miles, is one mile wide and 4.6 miles long.  The early story of Onondaga Lake is one of prosperity and growth, turned to abuse and pollution. Once considered a public treasure with popular beaches, resorts and amusement parks, the lake fell victim to industrial development and the impact of a surging population.

The Gold Rush Part V: Sources of Mercury

Part four of our mercury blog series covered the effects of mercury exposure on humans. In the final part of our series, we will focus on the sources of mercury, and briefly highlight the existing regulation designed to stop mercury from damaging the environment, wildlife ecosystems, and human lives.