{"id":8207,"date":"2009-09-28T05:56:35","date_gmt":"2009-09-28T12:56:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gasdetection.com\/?page_id=8207"},"modified":"2014-08-25T15:16:49","modified_gmt":"2014-08-25T22:16:49","slug":"dealing-mercury-right-way","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.gasdetection.com\/interscan-in-the-news\/magazine-articles\/dealing-mercury-right-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Dealing With Mercury The Right Way"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Health<\/a><\/p>\n

September 28, 2009<\/p>\n

Dealing With Mercury The Right Way<\/p>\n\"Mercury\"\n

By\u00a0 Michael D. Shaw<\/p>\n

The toxic properties of mercury have been well-known since the 18th century, when mercury-based ointments were used in the treatment of syphilis. As it was described: A night with Venus was followed by a lifetime with Mercury. Ironically, the very signs of mercury toxicity\u2014excessive salivation and gingivitis\u2014were tracked by physicians to indicate that their patients were complying with the treatment regimen.<\/p>\n

The phrase “mad as a hatter,” refers to various neurological maladies suffered by workers in that trade, who would dip fur pelts into hot mercuric nitrate in rooms with little ventilation\u2014a trade secret brought to Britain by the Huguenots, fleeing France after The Edict of Fontainebleau in 1685. In those days, if occupational hazards were even recognized, they were preferable to a quicker death by starvation.<\/p>\n

It would be Minamata Disease, discovered in 1956, and based on acute mercury toxicity derived from methyl mercury effluents coming from Nippon Chisso Hiryo Company, that would engage the public’s interest, and help launch the modern environmental movement.<\/p>\n

Mercury deposition in the environment has increased by about 300 percent since the dawn of industrialization\u2014the bulk of the mercury coming from the burning of coal. Mercury released in this manner is in its elemental format, and is thus insoluble. However, as it enters the so-called global mercury cycle, it can become oxidized into the soluble Hg(II) form, which is then taken up by various microorganisms and is converted to methyl mercury. Some species of bacteria can even de-methylate the mercury.<\/p>\n

Methyl mercury accumulates in aquatic organisms, which transfer mercury in the food chain. The higher up a species is in the food chain, the more methyl mercury is accumulated. Thus, fish from certain waters known to be polluted are removed from human consumption.<\/p>\n

The mercury cycle is further complicated in that mercury can stay in the atmosphere for a long time, and migrate all over the world. This phenomenon would explain the apparent paradox whereby dam-created lakes in northern Canada\u2014far removed from any source of mercury pollution (man-made or otherwise)\u2014still produced mercury-laden fish, that would affect the local population.<\/p>\n

On May 6, 2009, the EPA announced that it is proposing amendments to the current National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for the portland cement manufacturing industry. Mercury (Hg) is one of the chemicals under review.<\/p>\n

As one of the largest cement manufacturing facilities in the US, Lafarge’s Ravena, NY plant would be affected. The company had run voluntary comprehensive testing\u2014at a cost in excess of $250,000\u2014in 2008. The purpose of this testing was to…<\/p>\n