MERCURY is a silvery room-temperature heavy metal and a chemical element. Mercury is found in natural ores deposits and manufactured devices such as barometers, thermometers, dry-cell batteries, switches, fluorescent light bulbs, and other various electronics. Elemental mercury is typically released from industrial processes, agricultural processes, household, commercial and medical products containing mercury, sewage discharge and sediment.
Mercury can seep into water supplies from improperly discarded devices containing it, as runoff from landfills & farm land, dumped by factories, or from natural deposits. The current EPA regulated maximum containment level for mercury is 2 parts per billion. Boiling your water will not remove mercury from it
HEALTH EFFECTS OF EXPOSURES TO MERCURY
Mercury is a neurotoxin. How someone's health may be affected by an exposure to mercury depends on a number of factors:
- the form of mercury (for example, methylmercury or elemental (metallic) mercury)
- the amount of mercury in the exposure;
- the age of the person exposed (the fetus is the most vulnerable)
- how long the exposure lasts
- how the person is exposed -- breathing, eating, skin contact, etc.
- the health of the person exposed.
Mercury is an inorganic, toxic metal that has disastrous effects on our bodies if too much is ingested. It is a substance we were never meant to ingest—and it does not belong in our water. In a nutshell, mercury is a poison for our bodies. It specifically damages the central nervous system, endocrine system, and kidneys. It also has a negative effect on the other organs, as well as the mouth, teeth, and gums.
CHILDREN AND THE UNBORN ARE MOST AT RISK
Mercury affects children and unborn children the worst. It has been proven to cause permanent brain and neurological damage. It also reduces cognitive abilities and is known to cause developmental problems.
RECENT ARTICLES
- https://www.wqa.org/learn-about-water/common-contaminants/mercury
- http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/chemicals/mercuryfinal.pdf
- https://www.epa.gov/mercury/health-effects-exposures-mercury
- http://www.waterbenefitshealth.com/mercury-in-water.html
- https://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/mercury/MercuryFAQ.html