Environmental Contaminants Research
Mercury
For more information on mercury please visit the DNR's Mercury Web Page.
Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is present throughout the environment. Human activity can release some of that mercury into the air, water and soil. Mercury concentrations in air are usually low and of little direct concern. However, when atmospheric mercury falls to earth, it may be altered by bacterial or chemical action into an organic form known as methylmercury.
Methylmercury is much more toxic than the original molecules that drifted in the air, and has the ability to migrate through cell membranes and "bioaccumulate" in living tissue. Bioaccumulation is the process by which a substance builds up in a living organism from the surrounding air or water, or through the consumption of contaminated food.
The bioaccumulation of methylmercury in natural ecosystems is an environmental concern because it inflicts increasing levels of harm on species higher up the food chain. This occurs through a process known as "biomagnification", whereby persistent substances like methylmercury will increase in concentration from microorganisms, to fish, and to fish eating predators- like otters and loons. Elevated methylmercury levels may ultimately lead to the decline of affected wildlife populations.
For more information on mercury please visit the DNR's Mercury Web Page.
Science Services is currently engaged in the following research related to mercury in the environment.
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