The earth naturally releases 2,700 to 6,000 tons of Methyl Mercury on its own. 2,000 to 3,000 tons are released into the atmosphere by human means. Human contribution the Methyl Mercury is usually from industrial pollution or burning of materials such as coal. A portion of this Mercury ends up in the oceans, rivers, and streams.
Fish absorb Methyl Mercury as water passes through their gills. The mercury binds tightly to proteins in their tissue. Sharks, Swordfish, King Mackerel, and Tile fish are all known to have high levels of Methyl Mercury. Primarily, this is due to their long life. They have a longer amount of time to absorb the mercury in the water. A Swordfish may live 9 years, while a Tile fish can live up to 30 years.
When you ingest these, and other fish, you are exposed to the Methyl Mercury contained in the fish. Cooking fish does not remove the mercury. The EPA recommends eating only up to 12 oz of fish known for high levels of mercury, per week.
Ingesting high levels of mercury have been known to cause neurological disorders, and young or unborn children are especially susceptible to Methyl Mercury.Methyl Mercury has actually been linked to Autism, as caused from a mother eating or being exposed to high levels of mercury.
Over the past two decades large sections of glacier, Many of them dwarfing Rhode Island, have broken off from the Antarctic Glacial Shelf and fallen to the sea.
Short montage about the problem of water contamination through point source and not point sources.
