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The Effects of Mercury Air Pollution

Mercury air pollution is a serious problem with far-reaching effects. Mercury is an element that naturally exists in the earth’s crust. Because it is present in coal, coal-burning power plants are to blame for more than 40 percent of human-produced mercury emissions, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Once mercury pollutes the air, it can contaminate the water supply and harm people and animals.

  1. Environmental Effects

    • When mercury is released into the air, it settles in bodies of water and on the ground, where it can be washed into a body of water, according to the EPA. After it makes its way to water, bacteria cause mercury to be transformed to methylmercury, a particularly toxic form of mercury. Once the water supply is contaminated, people and animals can be exposed to methylmercury.

    Animal Health Effects

    • Methylmercury builds up in fish and shellfish that live in contaminated waters, and it is not easily eliminated from the body, according to the EPA. Methylmercury also accumulates in the bodies of animals that regularly eat contaminated fish, and levels can vary depending on the age, size and type of fish eaten. Mercury contamination can continue up the food chain, affecting predators that eat fish-consuming animals. Mercury harms the health of fish and the animals that depend on them for food. High levels of mercury in wildlife can cause fertility problems, stunted growth and development, abnormal behavior and death, warns the EPA.

    Human Health Effects

    • Humans can be exposed to excessive levels of methylmercury when they frequently consume contaminated animals, particularly fish. The EPA warns that high levels of mercury can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs and immune system of humans. High blood levels of methylmercury in fetuses and children can harm the nervous system and interfere with normal thinking and learning. Shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish typically contain high levels of mercury because their long lives allow ample time for mercury to accumulate, and the EPA recommends that women considering pregnancy, pregnant women, nursing mothers and children avoid consuming these types of fish.

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