Mercury and its Associated Impacts on Environment and Human Health: A Review

Mercury exists naturally and as a man-made contaminant. The release of processed mercury can lead to a progressive increase in the amount of atmospheric mercury, which enters the atmospheric-soil-water distribution cycles where it can remain in circulation for years. Mercury poisoning is the resul...

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Main Author: Alex, Saturday
Format: Article
Published: Omega Publishers 2018
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Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12493/65
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author Alex, Saturday
author_facet Alex, Saturday
author_sort Alex, Saturday
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description Mercury exists naturally and as a man-made contaminant. The release of processed mercury can lead to a progressive increase in the amount of atmospheric mercury, which enters the atmospheric-soil-water distribution cycles where it can remain in circulation for years. Mercury poisoning is the result of exposure to mercury or its compounds resulting in various toxic effects depending on its chemical form and route of exposure. The major route of human exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) is largely through eating contaminated fish, seafood, and wildlife which have been exposed to mercury through ingestion of contaminated lower organisms. MeHg toxicity is associated with nervous system damage in adults and impaired neurological development in infants and children. Ingested mercury may undergo bioaccumulation leading to progressive increases in body burdens. Mercury has profound neurological, endocrine, reproductive, and fetotoxicity effects. Although most countries recognize the need to combat mercury pollution, controls are either nonexistence or inadequate. Based on articles reviewed, we recommend community education on need for a reduction in use of products that contain mercury. Dentists should reduce or eliminate the use of mercury amalgam and use pre-encapsulated amalgam instead of mixing their own if they are to continue using amalgam. Environment management agencies should expand existing national research on environmental and health effects of mercury.
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spelling oai:idr.kab.ac.ug:20.500.12493-652024-01-17T04:45:31Z Mercury and its Associated Impacts on Environment and Human Health: A Review Alex, Saturday Mercury; Toxicity; Environment Mercury exists naturally and as a man-made contaminant. The release of processed mercury can lead to a progressive increase in the amount of atmospheric mercury, which enters the atmospheric-soil-water distribution cycles where it can remain in circulation for years. Mercury poisoning is the result of exposure to mercury or its compounds resulting in various toxic effects depending on its chemical form and route of exposure. The major route of human exposure to methylmercury (MeHg) is largely through eating contaminated fish, seafood, and wildlife which have been exposed to mercury through ingestion of contaminated lower organisms. MeHg toxicity is associated with nervous system damage in adults and impaired neurological development in infants and children. Ingested mercury may undergo bioaccumulation leading to progressive increases in body burdens. Mercury has profound neurological, endocrine, reproductive, and fetotoxicity effects. Although most countries recognize the need to combat mercury pollution, controls are either nonexistence or inadequate. Based on articles reviewed, we recommend community education on need for a reduction in use of products that contain mercury. Dentists should reduce or eliminate the use of mercury amalgam and use pre-encapsulated amalgam instead of mixing their own if they are to continue using amalgam. Environment management agencies should expand existing national research on environmental and health effects of mercury. 2018-08-23T10:31:28Z 2018-08-23T10:31:28Z 2018 Article Azimi, S., Moghaddam, M.S. Effect of mercury pollution on the urban environment and human health. (2013) Environ Ecol Res 1(1): 12–20. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12493/65 application/pdf Omega Publishers
spellingShingle Mercury; Toxicity; Environment
Alex, Saturday
Mercury and its Associated Impacts on Environment and Human Health: A Review
title Mercury and its Associated Impacts on Environment and Human Health: A Review
title_full Mercury and its Associated Impacts on Environment and Human Health: A Review
title_fullStr Mercury and its Associated Impacts on Environment and Human Health: A Review
title_full_unstemmed Mercury and its Associated Impacts on Environment and Human Health: A Review
title_short Mercury and its Associated Impacts on Environment and Human Health: A Review
title_sort mercury and its associated impacts on environment and human health a review
topic Mercury; Toxicity; Environment
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12493/65
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