Mercury

Mercury is a highly toxic heavy metal that can be released into the environment and can build up in our lakes, rivers, streams, and fish. mercury is released into the environment in a number of way s including from the emissions of power plants and from the illegal disposal of mercury-added products.

The dangers of mercury are well. It can damage the nervous, digestive, respiratory, and immune systems. unborn babies still developing in the womb are particularly vulnerable as prenatal exposure to mercury can impact the child's memory, motor skills, and future ability to learn.

Other adverse health effects from mercury exposure can be tremors, impaired vision and hearing, paralysis, insomnia, and emotional instability. Recent studies suggest that mercury may have no threshold below which some adverse effects do not occur.

We've taken the first steps but we must go further

Vermont has taken many steps to reduce public exposure to mercury. In 2005, the state passed comprehensive legislation to mitigate the negative environmental impacts of discarded mercury-added products. The law bans and/or restricts the sale of certain mercury-added products; prohibits the use of mercury in schools; requires reduction in mercury releases from dental clinics; requires mercury reduction plans from hospitals; clarifies the product labeling requirements for mercury-added products and; bans the discard of mercury-added products in landfills and municipal waste incinerators.

Further legislation passed in 2006 also requires the removal of mercury-added auto switches from end-of-life vehicles prior to crushing. While both pieces of legislation are certainly a step in the right direction, more could still be done to ensure that Vermonter's are protected from exposure to mercury.

According to the EPA, at least 300,000 newborns each year may have increased risk of learning disabilities associated with in utero exposure to methylmercury

 

Quick Facts:

• Mercury causes immune, sensor, neurological, motor, and behavioral dysfunctions
• Mercury persists in the environment, does not break down easily, and accumulates in the fatty tissues of living things.
• Mercury has increased in both the air and water more than three fold over the last century.
• Women and children in Vermont cannot eat certain fish from our rivers, lakes, and streams due to the high levels of mercury present in the ecosystem.

Solutions That Can Win

1) The collection and proper disposal of mercury-containing thermostats. Mercury-containing products that are illegally thrown out with the trash can leach out into our soil and the environment. the Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Vermont is working to establish a means by which we can collect and properly dispose of mercury-containing thermostats.

2) Visible fish advisories at water access areas and grocery stores.

Many fish found in our lakes, rivers, and streams cannot be consumed because they contain high levels of mercury. Even many of the fish sold in grocery stores contain levels of mercury that can be harmful to human health. Public education is necessary to ensure that Vermonters make wise choices when deciding which fish to eat. The Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Vermont is working to Promote the display of fish advisories at water access areas and groceries stores.