Question

What environmental damage are caused by mercury pollution? What are the main sources of mercury pollution?

Answer 1

Mercury is the industrial effluents. It is changed to water soluble dimethyl mercury which undergoes biomagnification . Eating poisoned animals causes deformity known as minamata ( minimata ) disease due to eating of fish captured from Hg - contaminated. This disease is characterised by diarrhoea , hemolysis, impairment of various sense, numbness of lips, tongue, limbs, deafness, blurring of vision , mental dearrangement, meningitis and death.

Effluents of thermal power plants ( coal ) , gold , and cement contain Hg . Industrial activities generate a variety of waste products ; may contain mercury which are generally discharged into water which increases biomagnification.