Mercury in the Environment

Name: _________________________________       Date: _____________

When you think about mercury, you probably think of the shiny, silvery liquid (often, it's colored red) found in some thermometers. But mercury is found in a surprisingly large number of other things as well. Mercury is a naturally-occurring metallic element but that doesn't make it good for you or the environment. In fact, it is very toxic and can damage the brain and nervous system. Large amounts of the mercury used by industry ends up in the biosphere's water and soil. Once it's there, the mercury threatens the health of people and wildlife.

In this activity, you'll learn more about which things that contain mercury, how it gets into the environment, and some of the problems it causes.

To begin, visit the Environmental Protection Agency's What You Need To Know About Mercury page. Keep clicking the hand next to the picture on the right to advance through each of the pictures and captions.

1. List four things that contain mercury.
   
   
   
   
2. Describe what you need to do if mercury spills.
   
   
   
   
3. Describe the ways that mercury can hurt the environment.
   
   
   
   
4. For more mercury facts, read Mercury in Fish: Cause for Concern? What's the problem with eating large predatory fish like swordfish or tuna?
   
   
   
   
5. How often does the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suggest you eat large fish?
   
   
   
   
6. Read the text under the heading Mercury is Everywhere. What are the two major sources of mercury in the environment?
   
   
   
   
7. How do fish absorb mercury?
   
   
   
   
8. How do the levels of mercury in small fish compare to those in larger fish?
   
   
   
   
9. Explain your answer to question 8 based on what you've learned about food webs and energy pyramids.
   
   
   
   
10. Return to the Mercury in Fish article and scroll down the page to Safety Studies. Describe the results of the mercury poisoning survey from Japan in the 1960's.
    
    
    
    
11. Which body system is most affected by mercury?
    
    
    
    
12. Finally, read this Planet Diary report. What did the study conclude about mercury in U.S. waterways?
    
    
    
    
13. Who faces the biggest risk from mercury?
    
    
    
    
14. What targets did the U.S. government set for reducing mercury?