Mercury Poisoning
By Adam Ware
80Hg
Mercury is element 80 on the PT
 A heavy metal with 80 protons in the
nucleus of each atom.

Sources of Hg in the Environment
Natural contributors are volcanoes
 Largest contributor, by far, are man-made
energy plants.
 Coal combustion is most caustic.

How Hg enters the food chain
Methylmercury
Most readily bioaccumulated- accumulates
within organism faster than it is eliminated.
 2-step process from eleental Hg

 Oxidation
into Hg(II) m
 Methylation
into CH3Hg+
Animals most at risk

Plants do store some Hg, but most of that
nasty CH3Hg is found lurking in bodies of
water.

Predatory fish and the animals that directly
consume them tend to store the highest
concentrations.
Pregnant Woman should
avoid consuming any
animal with any significant
amount of Hg.
Young animals at risk too!

Bird and Amphibian embryos seem to be
the most affected by high concentrations.