[Thematic Report] Negative Effects of Mercuryby Seojin Lee | 19-04-2020 17:12 |
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China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang Di, was obsessed with finding a potion that would allow himself to live forever (1). Unfortunately, his life was thought to be cut short because he drank mercury, a substance now known not only to be unhealthy but poisonous and is considered a major public health concern (5). Although mercury is a rare element (2), it can cause plenty of problems not only to humans but also to the environment. Humans can be exposed to mercury in many different ways (5). However, the most significant way of exposure to mercury is by consuming contaminated fish. An example of this happened in Minamata, a city in Japan. Between 1936 and 1968, a factory disposed liquid waste containing large amounts of mercury into the Minamata Bay. Because the citizens did not know of this contamination, they continued to eat the contaminated seafood, which resulted in over 50,000 affected citizens (5). Humans exposed to mercury in large amounts in a short time like what happened in Minamata are likely to experience many negative effects. These include neurological and behavioral disorders such as tremors, insomnia, headaches, and even memory loss (5). Not only will it cause harm to humans who were exposed to mercury themselves, it is especially harmful to unborn babies when a pregnant woman is exposed to the substance. When this occurs, the baby might experience physical and mental disabilities which will affect its cognitive thinking, memory, and much more (5). However, humans aren't the only species that are affected by this substance. Many organisms that feed on fishes are also affected, like eagles and seals (4). In this way, whole food chains in the ecosystem may be affected. Similarly, humpback dolphins in Hong Kong, beluga whales in Greenland and some birds in Canada are all negatively influenced by this "major health hazard (3)." Mercury contamination is a worldwide issue in both human health and environmental ecosystems. The substance is clearly capable of destroying the inhabitants of the environment, so we must do everything we can in order to prevent even more damage to wildlife. We can start by terminating the careless disposals of harmful substances into bodies of water filled with thriving organisms, or by stopping those factory productions in general by boycotting its products. Sources:
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