3 38 Ha r m fr o m Toxi c Ch e m i c a l s
Heavy metals travel through the air, into water, fish, soil, and plants, and into our bodies.
Mercury poisoning
Mercury is a heavy metal that can cause serious health problems when it is
released into the environment by mining, especially gold mining, burning
coal, building dams, or when products that contain mercury become waste.
Mercury is highly toxic.
When mercury collects in rivers, lakes, and streams and combines with
rotting plants, it can turn into a more toxic form called methyl mercury.
Even a very small amount of mercury can poison all the fish in a pond or
river. Methyl mercury in the environment is toxic for centuries.
Health problems from mercury
Breathing in or absorbing through the skin even a very small amount of
mercury can cause damage to the nerves, kidneys, lungs, and brain, and birth
defects. The health problems can take many years to show up.
Mild mercury poisoning causes tingling in the lips, tongue, fingers, and toes, and
trembling in the hands and feet. In some cases, these signs do not appear until
long after exposure.
Severe mercury poisoning causes headaches, memory loss, difficulty
coordinating movement and vision, dizziness, metal taste in the mouth,
muscle spasms, pain and stiffness in joints and muscles, rapid heartbeat,
and a very weak or very strong pulse.
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012