Mercury

Mercury Hazards from Gold Mining to Humans, Plants, and Animals

“…These concerns, and other aspects of mercury and its compounds in the environment as a result of natural or anthropogenic processes, are the subject of many reviews, including those by Montague andMontague (1971), D'Itri (1972), Friberg and Vostal (1972), Jernelov et al (1972Jernelov et al ( , 1975, Keckes and Miettinen (1972), Buhler (1973), Holden (1973), D'Itri andD'Itri (1977), Eisler (1978Eisler ( , 1981Eisler ( , 1987Eisler ( , 2000, U.S. National Academy of Sciences (USNAS) (1978), Beijer and Jernelov (1979), Birge et al (1979), Magos and Webb (1979), Nriagu (1979), Clarkson and Marsh (1982), Das et al (1982), Boudou and Ribeyre (1983), Elhassni (1983), Clarkson et al (1984), Robinson and Touvinen (1984), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) (1985), Wren (1986), Clarkson (1990), Lindqvist (1991), U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) (1994), Watras and Huckabee (1994); Hamasaki et al (1995), Porcella et al (1995), Heinz (1996), Thompson (1996), Wiener and Spry (1996), de Lacerda and Salomons (1998), Wiener et al (2002).…”

“…High uptake and accumulation of mercury from the medium by representative species of marine and freshwater fishes and invertebrates are extensively documented (Kopfler 1974;Eisler 1978Eisler , 1981Birge et al 1979;Huckabee et al 1979;USEPA 1985;Stokes et al 1981;Rodgers and Beamish 1982;Hirota et al 1983;Clarkson et al 1984;McClurg 1984;Niimi and Lowe-Jindi 1984;Ramamoorthy and Blumhagen 1984;Ribeyre and Boudou 1984;Thain 1984;Newman and Doubet 1989;Angelow and Nicholls 1991;Wright et al 1991;Handy and Penrice 1993). Accumulation patterns were enhanced or significantly modified by a variety of biological and abiotic factors (USNAS 1978;Eisler 1978Eisler , 1981Eisler , 1984Eisler , 1985USEPA 1985;Stokes et al 1981;Rodgers and Beamish 1982;Clarkson et al 1984;Ramamoorthy and Blumhagen 1984;Ribeyre and Boudou 1984;Ponce and Bloom 1991;Odin et al 1995;Choi et al 1998). …”

“…Mercury transfer and biomagnification through mammalian food chains is well documented (Galster 1976;USNAS 1978;Eaton et al 1980;Eisler 1981;Huckabee et al 1981;Sheffy and St. Amant 1982;Kucera 1983;Clarkson et al 1984;Wren 1986), but there is considerable variation. Among terrestrial mammals, for example, herbivores such as mule deer, moose (Alces alces), caribou (Rangifer tarandus), and various species of rabbits usually contained <1.0 mg Hg/kg FW in liver and kidney, but carnivores such as the marten (Martes martes), polecat (Mustela putorius), and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) frequently contained more than 30 mg/kg (USNAS 1978).…”

“…Frequently, a substantial latent period intervenes between the cessation of exposure to mercury and the onset of signs and symptoms. This interval is usually measured in weeks or months, but sometimes in years (Clarkson et al 1984). At high sublethal doses in humans, mercury causes cerebral palsy, gross motor and mental impairment, speech disturbances, blindness, deafness, microcephaly, intestinal disturbances, tremors, and tissue pathology (Chang 1979;USEPA 1985;Elhassni 1983;Clarkson et al 1984;USPHS 1994).…”

“…In humans and other mammals, it causes teratogenic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic effects; the fetus is the most sensitive life stage (USNAS 1987;Chang 1979: Khera 1979USEPA 1985;Elhassni 1983;Greener and Kochen 1983;Clarkson et al 1984). Methylmercury irreversibly destroys the neurons of the central nervous system.…”