Mercury is a
naturally-occurring chemical element found in rock in the earth's crust,
including in deposits of coal. It exists in several forms: methyl mercury and
other organic compounds, elemental (metallic) mercury, and inorganic mercury
compounds. Mercury becomes a problem for the environment when it is released
from rock and ends up in the atmosphere and in water.
Mercury gets into the air from a number of sources, emission from power plants,
wildfires and emission from volcanoes, burning of municipal waste, Burning oil
that contains mercury, burning wood that contains mercury and consumer products
that contain mercury, like electronic devices, batteries, light bulbs and
thermometers that are thrown into garbage that is incinerated. In Pakistan the
major source of mercury is the emission from power plant, industrial waste
discharge in water bodies and the burning of solid waste and agriculture waste.
Textile and glass industries are found to be major mercury effluents also solid
waste disposable sites in all areas of provinces of Pakistan.
Once in the air, mercury eventually settles into bodies of water like lakes and
streams, or onto land, where it can be washed into water. Microorganisms in
water bodies can change it into methyl mercury, where it builds up in fish and
shellfish. At high levels of exposure, methyl mercury’s harmful effects on
animals include death, reduced reproduction, slower growth and development, and
abnormal behavior. The main way that people are exposed to mercury is by eating
fish and shellfish that have high levels of methyl mercury. Mercury affects the
nervous system, causes reproductive abnormalities, kidney failure, and
emotionalist ability, affects lungs and immune system of all ages.High levels of
methyl mercury in the bloodstream of babies developing in the womb and young
children may harm their developing nervous systems, affecting their ability to
think and learn