Knowledgebase > Contaminants > Mercury
Overview
Mercury is a natural element, but it is also a toxic pollutant
that could have devastating effects on wildlife and human health,
as well as the economic vitality and way
of life of
our coastal communities, if humanity cannot adopt stringent measures
to curb mercury use and emissions. Mercury has been used in
a great variety of industrial, commercial, and pharmaceutical
applications, despite
knowledge
of its toxic effects. Thermometers, switches, fluorescent lamps,
batteries, and dental fillings are just a few of the products
that may contain mercury.
Major emission sources include metal processing, fossil fuel
combustion, municipal waste and sludge incineration, oil refining,
crematoria, and
landfills. Though mercury is released from natural sources, scientists
estimate that over two-thirds of global mercury emissions are
from human sources. Read more
Click for a list of resources about this topic:
- Related projects
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Gulf of Maine Council's related activities
- Mercury is one of three priority contaminants in the Council's Action Plan 2001-2006, with several objectives for mercury research, monitoring, and education.
- The Gulfwatch program measures mercury and other contaminants in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) to understand spatial and temporal trends in contamination in Gulf of Maine coastal areas.