What effects can mercury have on fish and other forms of aquatic life?
In comparison to organisms not exposed to mercury, aquatic plants and animals living in mercury-polluted water are likely to be smaller in both length and weight, and to have physical deformities, reproduction disorders, and a shorter life span. Mercury is a neurotoxin that damages or destroys nerve tissue. When mercury enters the body, it moves into the bloodstream and is carried to the liver, kidneys, and brain, causing a variety of neurological symptoms. Mammals that accumulate toxic levels of mercury show signs of brain damage by abnormal behaviour, eating disorders, loss of balance, lack of coordination, and paralysis of the legs. Selenium, which is an essential trace nutrient, can partially nullify the negative effects of mercury.
