What is mercury?
Mercury – known as “Hg” to chemists – is a naturally occurring element. It is a metal and conducts electricity. Liquid at room temperature, it combines easily with other metals and expands and contracts evenly with temperature changes. Because of these properties, mercury has been used in many household [PDF], medical and industrial products. Although mercury performs many useful functions in our workplaces and homes, it is toxic and can impair the way we see, hear and function. Mercury evaporates slowly. If spilled or improperly stored, this evaporation will cause continuous contamination of the air you breathe. Mercury poisoning attacks the central nervous system in all humans. Children, especially those under the age of 6, are more susceptible to mercury poisoning. Each year, Indiana has about 300 reported cases of mercury poisoning involving children exposed to mercury from broken thermometers alone. Less than a third of the mercury in the environment is naturally occurring. The ma
Mercury, chemical symbol Hg, is a silver-colored metallic element that is toxic to living organisms. At room temperature, elemental mercury is a liquid, conducts electricity, and mixes easily with other metals. Mercury also expands and contracts evenly with temperature changes. Elemental mercury easily breaks up into many small droplets and evaporates to form mercury vapor, a colorless and odorless gas. One of the organic forms of mercury, methyl mercury, is volatile, very water soluble, and the most toxic form of mercury. Mercury can cycle in the environment due to its ability to change forms.
Mercury is found naturally in the environment in several forms. In its elemental form, it is a shiny, silver-white, liquid metal used in thermometers and some electrical switches. It can be combined with other elements to form inorganic compounds. Mercury can evaporate to form colorless, odorless mercury vapors. Mercury can combine with organic material to form organic compounds such as methylmercury, which is produced primarily by bacteria and is the form which poses the greatest concern for environmental exposure.
A. Mercury is a basic element found in the earth’s crust that occurs naturally in air and water. It is also a by-product of certain industrial processes. In nature, mercury is emitted into the atmosphere through soil erosion, volcanoes and forest fires. In seawater, the source is usually underwater volcanoes. According to scientific estimates, the majority of the mercury released into the environment comes from natural sources. • Q.
