tragedy due to mercury

Waste such as mercury polluting the environment. picture via php.med

You talk about a tragedy! Imagine that. You are growing in Japan in 1950. War which completely destroyed the country eventually disappear into a distant memory as the economy recovers, and suddenly, the sister of the child is suddenly able to walk on a button or buttons, and even talk. Sometimes, crises of. Soon all the children in the region suffer from similar diseases. Then the birds begin to fall from the sky and flying fish to the surface. Above all, my sister, and several of its neighbors to slip into a coma and die soon. This, in brief, what happened in Minamata, Japan in 1950. I fear my head. Fortunately for the world, there was a new deadly plague. Unfortunately for poor people in Minamata, it appears that acetaldehyde local factory dumping tons and tons of mercury into the nearby ocean. This event has become one of the largest man-made disasters on the environment of the 20th century (and gave a more serious mercury poisoning exotic names - Minamata disease)

Minamata disease symptoms include terrible numbness, muscle weakness, vision unstoppable, hearing and speech, and in severe cases, coma and death. Among the first batch people diagnosed with the disease in 1956, over 30% died. As scientists first thought, the disease of the pathogen because of the local nature (it seems to occur in groups of families and neighborhoods), people were terrified. Mortality from infectious diseases to 30% can cause serious problems. This led to the first patients in quarantine, after ostrasized community. Unsurprisingly, access to the panic spread of the disease Brough local community. It took three years to the full extent of mercury pollution and contamination to be disclosed to the public.

In fact, as the water sample, researchers were surprised by the amount of mercury found in the water there. It turned out there were about 2 kg of mercury per ton of sediment. Just to give you an indication, the mercury content was so high that the company later returned to the mercury mines of the colonies! Unbelievable. After testing the hair of the local population, it has been conclusively established that they were exposed to massive doses of mercury in fish and shellfish, he drank local water. While people living outside of Minamata mercury levels recorded only 4 parts per million (ppm) of asymptomatic persons with Minamata often have a level of 190PPM, 705PPM and as high as reported in some patients. Almost 200 times normal!

In response worthy of the stereotypical evil corporation (as described by Hollywood), as evidence mounted against his company Chisso (spills of mercury) has stopped the discharge of pollutants directly into the ocean. Instead, he decided to be good neighbors and began to throw into a river near Minamoto, causing a number of further suffering. Well done guys. The road to accountability.

Unfortunately, when this knowledge was not power for many years. It took 12 years before any serious action has been taken by someone to stop this disease. Although there is no way to pay people to suffer, and at least some financial compensation. Not perfect, but better than nothing. At the end of 2265 was officially recognized as suffering from Minamata disease and more than 10,000 people were officially recognized, but no compensation for their suffering. Depressing, but only because he was arrested pollution that the production process, which resulted in the production of mercury waste is outdate and was replaced.

It's a real tragedy that we hope to avoid many environmental disasters in the future (even if a second outbreak in 1960 on average in a separate part of Japan have shown that all not had a lesson). Lawsuits from patients and their family life are still ongoing today.

via alex-esoterica

toxic effects of mercury on health

Waste such as mercury polluting the environment. figure via embryology

mercury effect. figure via eytonsearth


young children affected by environmental pollution. figure via infraredsauna

Mercury is contained in some of the fish we eat, whether caught in lakes and streams or to buy groceries. Mercury is also present in some of the products we use, which can be found at home, dentists, and schools. This article contains links to information on sources of mercury exposure, potential effects on health, fish may contain mercury, consumer products that contain mercury, and ways to reduce mercury exposure .


General information on mercury exposure and

Forms of mercury. Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is in the air, water and soil. There are several forms:

• elemental mercury or metal
• inorganic mercury and
• organic compounds of mercury.

Sources of mercury. Mercury is an element of the crust. You can not create or destroy mercury. Pure mercury is a liquid metal, sometimes called mercury that evaporates easily. It is traditionally used to make products like thermometers, switches and bulbs.

Mercury is found in many rocks including coal. When coal is burned, mercury is released into the environment. coal plants are the largest source of man-caused mercury emissions in the air in the U.S., representing over 40 percent of total national emissions of mercury caused by man. The EPA estimates that about one quarter of U.S. emissions by coal plants are deposited in the neighboring United States, and the remainder enters the general circulation. burning hazardous wastes, producing chlorine, breaches of mercury, mercury spills, and improper treatment and disposal of products or wastes containing mercury, it can release into the environment. According to current estimates, less than half of all mercury deposition in the U.S. comes from U.S. sources.

Exposure to mercury. The mercury in the air eventually settles into water or on land where it can be washed with water. Once deposited, certain microorganisms can change into methylmercury, a toxic form that accumulates in fish, shellfish and animals that eat fish. Fish and seafood are the main sources of methylmercury exposure to humans. Methylmercury builds up more on certain types of fish and shellfish than others. Concentrations of methylmercury in fish and shellfish depend on what they eat, how long they live and how high up the food chain.

EPA is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and with states and tribes to issue advice to women who may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers and parents of young children, how often you should eat certain types of trade in fish and shellfish caught. Alarms are also issued to fish for men, women and children of all ages, if any. In addition, EPA publishes an annual summary of information about local fish and alerts sent food safety recommendations to the public. Fish is a good part of the diet, if EPA and the FDA continues to encourage people to eat fish low in methylmercury.

Another exhibition, less mercury, which may be of concern is inhalation of mercury vapor. These exposures can occur when products containing mercury or elemental mercury break and release into the air, especially in warm or poorly ventilated indoor environments.

The health effects of mercury. mercury exposure at high levels can damage the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs and immune systems of people of all ages. Studies show that eating fish does not cause the majority of these health problems. However, showed that high levels of methylmercury in the blood of unborn babies and young children can be detrimental to the developing nervous system, making children less able to think and learn.

via medicinenet

environmental damage caused by mining petroleum

"map environmental damage due to mud Lapindo" figure via masif

"Lumpur Lapindo, Situbondo, Indonesia" figure via matanews

For now most of us are in dire need of petroleum as an energy source. but do you know the environmental damage that has been going around places where petroleum drilling or oil that spilled into the sea when will be distributed.

in Situbondo, East Java, Indonesia, the failure of crude oil while digging resulted in big losses for the people, companies and even countries. tens of hectares of land inundated by the mud. many residents are forced to move because her house had been submerged in mud. create a traumatic incident of most citizens.

meanwhile, we can see the other events due to petroleum distribution activities. Tengker ship sank, spilling oil into the sea. What happens there is damage to marine ecosystems.

pollution impacts to sanitation

Water is a key resource for our quality of life, things that grow and manufacture. It also provides systems and ecological habitat in Europe, plants and animals.

Access to safe water for drinking and sanitation is a prerequisite for health and well-being. Most people in Europe with access to drinking water quality. However, in some parts of the quality is still often do not meet basic biological and chemical agents. Fresh, clean water is also essential for ecosystems. Plants and animals in lakes, rivers and seas to respond to environmental changes caused by chemical changes in water quality and physical disturbance of habitats. Changes in species composition of groups of organisms such as phytoplankton, algae, macrophytes, animals and fish can be caused by climate change. They may also indicate changes in water quality due to eutrophication, organic pollution, hazardous substances or oil. Changes in habitat can cause physical disturbance through dams, drainage and dredging of rivers, construction of reservoirs, sand and gravel in the coastal waters, bottom trawling by fishing vessels, etc.

Almost all human actions can have negative effects and water. Water quality affects both the direct and diffuse pollution from point sources that come from rural and urban, industrial emissions and agriculture. pollution from agriculture and point source pollution from sewage wastewater and industrial discharges are the main sources. In agriculture, the main pollutants are nutrients, pesticides, sediment and faecal micro-organisms. Oxygen consumption of substances and hazardous chemicals are linked to discharges from point sources.

The graph shows the many sources of nitrogen pollution in water. In general, you can make a distinction between:

sources such as discharges from sewage wastewater, industrial and agricultural products;
sources, such as losses in the background (eg, forests), agricultural losses, losses from scattered dwellings and atmospheric deposition on water bodies (eg marine areas, or lakes).

via eea.europa

environmental pollution caused by waste plant

figure via outlookindia

figure via nmpirg

There is the saddest thing of our earth that the industrial orientation of our environment has changed for the worse. Almost any industrial activity in each country, especially the developed or developing country with a population that much like in China, India or Indonesia. Industrial atmosphere has an impact on the environment especially if the orientation as it does not pay attention to environmental integrity.

We can see many people who are exposed to sewage disposal plant, either smoke or liquid waste. Air around the factory or with a radius of more distant than it also polluted. These activities were clearly damaging to the ecosystem. water as a source of civic life is no longer useful because it was contaminated. Which protects the earth's atmosphere becomes damaged by smoke contains compounds that can react with atmospheric gases.

home design future

figure via rgu

figure via treehugger

figure via bbc

figure via solarsolutionsnj

figure via gearfuse

environmentally friendly house design

figure via ecohouseplan

It's very environmentally friendly home help rescue the world's program. home design example above, its design is also capable of protecting us from the dangers of earthquakes. before we make a house with the design above we must consider first the wind direction or position of our house. This is very important to the circulation of air will we can and it can affect our health.

home would be better if we faced toward the sunrise. then we will get more by using the above design because the roof is designed to reduce rain water into the ground and it was very useful to increase the ground water. There are things that you should not forget if you want to save the world, namely the use of electrical energy that is environmentally friendly using solar or wind power.