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Air Pollution 502 > Mercury > Flashcards

Mercury Flashcards

1
Q

What’s worse, inhaling or ingesting Mercury?

A

Inhalation= higher exposure

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2
Q

Where is mercury found?

A
  • In soil and atmosphere from volcanic emissions
  • Extracted and used in industry, enters air or water from pollution.
  • Used to be used in some medications
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3
Q

Cause of occupational exposure of mercury

A

Gold mining

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4
Q

Methylmercury

A
  • Most toxic form of mercury.
  • Well absorbed when ingested.
  • Very long half life.
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5
Q

What happened in Minamata, Japan?

A
  • Outbreak of disease in fishing villages.
  • Production at coastal factory used mercuric oxide as a catalyst.
  • Affected 2,000.
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6
Q

Effects of Minamata disease in Infants

A
  • Mental retardation
  • Abnormal reflexes
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Developmental delays
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7
Q

Effects of Minamata disease in Adults

A
  • Tingling, pricking sensation, numbness
  • Tremors, convulsions
  • Loss of sight, loss of smell, loss of hearing
  • Dysarthria- speech disorder
  • Cognitive impairments: loss of intelligence, excitement, hallucinosis
  • Dizziness, insomnia
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8
Q

How do we go from mercury to methyl mercury?

A

biotransformation

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9
Q

Iraq mercury poisoning

A
  • Mercury compounds used as anti fungal agent in seed grains.
  • Made bread from treated seed grains.
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10
Q

Neurobehavioral Effects of Iraq mercury poisoning

A
  • Blindness, deafness
  • Cerebral palsy, seizures
  • Abnormal reflexes & muscle tone
  • Visual and auditory deficits
  • Motor development delays
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11
Q

Effects on Brain (Iraq mercury poisoning)

A
  • Decrease in brain size
  • Cell loss
  • Disorganization of cells
  • Cell migration failures
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12
Q

Sources of Exposure to Methylmercury

A
  • Biotransformed from normal mercury, then the bacteria are eaten by mollusks, etc.
  • Poorly eliminated so goes to top of food chain- biggest and oldest predators.
  • Methylmercury distributed evenly in fish and not affected by cooking.
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13
Q

Environmental Sources of Mercury

A
  • Natural degassing of Earth
  • Combustion of fossil fuel
  • Industrial discharges and wastes
  • Incinerations & Crematories
  • Dental amalgams
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14
Q

Man Made Mercury Emissions per year (tonnes/year)

A

2,300

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15
Q

What caused Mercury pollution in the Amazon? What were the effects?

A
  • After gold mining
  • Mercury goes into water and air.
    Effects
  • Altered altered vision in children of Brazil.
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16
Q

What percentage of mercury is released into the environment related to human activities?

A

50-70%

17
Q

The Grasshopper Effect/ Global Distillation

A

Air carrying contaminants from the north settles at mid-lattitudes and then eventually goes to polar regions.

18
Q

Another source of mercury in food

A

tuna

19
Q

Chippewa Indians Study

A
  • Recorded fish intake.
  • Recorded blood mercury levels.
  • Questionnaire

Results

  • Most fish consumed in April/May
  • Mercury levels in Chippewa related to fish consumption.
  • Mercury levels are below those of known health effects.
20
Q

What type of studies were used to determine “how much mercury is toxic”?

A

two large, prospective cohort studies

21
Q

Study: “How much mercury is toxic?”

A
  • Prospective cohort study
  • Assessed mother/infant levels of mercury in blood and hair.
    Results
  • No adverse neurological effects on offspring related to mercury exposure!
22
Q

Faroe Islands mercury study & results

A
  • Potential exposure to PCB’s from whale meat
  • Adverse outcomes on tests correlated with degree of mercury exposure.
  • Abnormalities in newborns correlated with high maternal mercury levels.
23
Q

Suggested Reference Dose of Mercury per day

A

0.1 micrograms/kg/day

24
Q

MeHg Consumption Limits

A

EPA: 0.1 micrograms/kg/day
FDA: 0/5 micrograms/kg/day

25
Q

After threats of harm, ________ should be taken even if a cause and effect relationship has not been established

A

precautionary measures

26
Q

T/F High mercury exposure in men associated with heart attacks.

A

T

27
Q

Mercury is also found in dental ______/

A

amalgams

28
Q

Minamata Convention Propositions

A
  • Phase out batteries, switches, cosmetics.

- Reduction on coal burning and gold mining.

Air Pollution 502 (13 decks)

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