Where can mercury in the air come from

According to a study by the University of Vermont, USA, mercury can exist in four forms. Mercury metal is a silver gray liquid, harmful to humans when exposed to air and inhaled into the lungs. Methyl mercury (MeHg) can penetrate into the body when people eat some saltwater and freshwater fish, especially large fish at the top of the food chain, such as sharks, swordfish, sea bass and dog fish. .

Inorganic mercury compounds can be found in batteries, pills, ointments, mosquito sprays and some herbal medicines. This compound can be harmful if humans inhale or swallow.

The final form is mercury phenyl (phenylmercury) usually present in paints produced from latex, exterior paint, waterproof baits, eye cosmetics and personal hygiene tools. Phenylmercury enters the body when inhaled in vapors, absorbed through the skin or through the gastrointestinal tract.

Monitoring device to detect mercury poison in the air in Hanoi.(Photo: Tr.Phan).

Mercury can be generated from coal-fired power plants, incinerators and forest fires . In addition, some familiar items that often contain mercury include: fluorescent lights, neon lights, heating and heating equipment, thermometers, lab solvents and dental fillings in dental clinics.

Mercury causes many harms to fish, birds and mammals such as hindering growth and development, promoting abnormal behavior, difficult birth and even death. Mercury enters the air through processes of fuel burning, medical waste burning and industrial production, along with a number of natural sources.

In other environments, mercury deposits in the soil through wetting and drying processes of forest ecosystems. Then, this element accumulates in a highly toxic form in the food chain of the aquatic ecosystem. Exposure to mercury is most common through food when consuming mercury or seafood poisoning.

Once exposed to the body, mercury is absorbed almost entirely into the bloodstream and distributed to all tissues including the brain. It also transmits the placenta to the fetus and fetal brain. The first sign of mercury poisoning is numbness and stinging in the lips, fingers and toes, called anesthesia (paresthesia).

Exposure to mercury for a long time leads to tremor, loss of ability to regulate movement, personality changes, memory loss, insomnia, fatigue, headache, weight loss, psychological stress and inflammation. profit. These symptoms occur when a person is exposed to airborne mercury concentrations above 50 micrograms / m ³ (one microgram is one millionth of a gram).

According to researchers at Colgate University, New York, USA, mercury can be very toxic when poured out.The best way to dispose of mercury is to sprinkle sulfur powder to turn it into a hard-to-clean form.