...The article “Our Preferred Poison” in the March 2005 issue of Discover magazine brings up the issue dealing with mercury poisoning. The author, Karen Wright, writes, “Mercury is unimaginably toxic and dangerous. A single drop on a human hand can be irreversibly fatal. A single drop in a large lake can make all the fish in it unsafe to eat.” This was the opening statement in the article which first grabbed my attention, because I had not thought mercury to be such a deadly substance. After all, it is used in thermometers, so I hadn’t thought it to be as fatally toxic as Wright claims it to be. The people with the most risk of damage by mercury are unborn fetuses and children. Studies seem to show that the metal has the most negative effect on the developing brain, opposed to the mature adult brain. Some scientists speculate mercury could be the cause of autism, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and Parkinson’s disease, amongst others. I don’t know how accurate or credible these studies are though. Throughout the article Wright states that no one is sure how little mercury can be ingested before the human body shows signs of poisoning. What scientists do know is the amount of mercury the human body cannot ingest. They found this out due to accidental ingestions of various people throughout the world. The article mainly focuses on two types of mercury: methylmercury, which is found in most of the fish, and other seafood’s we eat, and alloys,...
Words: 254 - Pages: 2
... Mercury - History and Naming Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun, circles the Sun faster than all the other planets in our solar system, which is why the Romans named it after the swift-footed messenger god Mercury (Space exploration, 2013). Human observers have been looking up at Mercury since at least the time of the Sumerians – the 3rd millennium BC (The planet mercury, 2013). These Greek astronomers believed even then that Mercury (and Venus) both orbited the Sun, and not the Earth. Mercury was the god of commerce, travel, and thievery in Roman mythology, hence the naming of Mercury. Slide 2 Early beliefs of Mercury Mercury was known since at least Sumerian times roughly 5,000 years ago, where it was often associated with Nabu, the god of writing (Mercury, the sun's, 2013). Mercury was also given separate names for its appearance as both a morning star and as an evening star (Mercury, the sun's, 2013). Early beliefs thought that perhaps there were two different planets. However, Greek astronomers knew that both names referred to the same planet (Mercury). Back in the nineteenth century, astronomers made very careful observations of Mercury's orbit, but they could not explain the orbit adequately using Newtonian mechanics (The planet mercury, 2013). There were discrepancies between what they observed and what was mathematics predicted. This problem would last for decades. Einstein's General Theory of Relativity correctly predicted the motions of Mercury; this...
Words: 2548 - Pages: 11
...Cameron Wilbert GLG 171 4/24/13 Prof Gutierrez Mercury is a toxic element that pollutes our lakes and streams in the United States and around the world. Some might ask what mercury is. It is a silvery colored element that is naturally found in air, water, soil and even rocks. It is a dense liquid of the heavy metals category of elements. It can be commonly found in thermometers, batteries, light switches and fluorescent light bulbs. Mercury pollution comes from coal burning power plants. When it is released into the air it returns to earth via rain and snow and therefore deposited into our bodies of water. Once the mercury is in our water it is transformed by bacteria and sunlight into the most toxic form of mercury; methyl-mercury. Most mercury that is in our environment can be found as a gas; Hg. When it is high in the air it converted into Hg (ii). Methyl-mercury is so dangerous because it is highly soluble and bio accumulative in the food chain. Bio accumulation is the process where organisms take up a contaminant faster than their bodies can eliminate it. As mercury moves up the food chain it bio magnifies and the contaminants concentration becomes more and more dangerous each time it grows. It enters the food chain first by small insect and animals which are then ate by smaller fish and so on, each time the methyl is passed on to the cells of the fish until they reach the predatory biggest fish in the environment. The fish at the top of the food chain; big mouth bass...
Words: 621 - Pages: 3
...Mercury Athletic Footwear: Valuing the Opportunity Team 10 / Mergers and Acquisitions West Coast Fashions, Inc (WCF) was a large business, which dealt with men’s and women’s apparel. One of their segments was Mercury Athletic Footwear. WCF wanted to dispose off this segment. They just wanted to divest because they wanted to focus more on their core business and move it up to the elite class. John Liedtke was the Business Development Head at that time in Active Gear Inc. He had a clear idea that acquiring Mercury will shoot up AGI’s revenues for sure. It would also ensure an expansion of the key business. In order to get a clearer picture on the acquisition, he needed to compare and analyze the company’s financials well. By this he could gauge the pros and cons of this acquisition. Are the strategic reasons behind the Merger good enough? Explain As a team, we had different views on this question. Some reasons make us think that it may be beneficial for AGI to grab the opportunity but some make us think that it might not be as promising as it seems. Let us see why we feel it is a good idea for AGI to acquire Mercury. | |Active Gear Inc. |Mercury Athletic Footwear | |Revenue |$470,285mn |$431,121mn | |% Revenue Product wise |42% Athletic 58% Casual ...
Words: 2227 - Pages: 9
...manometers, sphygmomanometers, and float valves and other things that have mercury on should be disposed properly. Avoid throwing them in rivers for mercury is toxic and poisonous. Mercury * Mercury is a chemical element with symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is commonly known as quicksilver and was formerly named hydrargyrum. * Mercury poisoning can result from exposure to water-soluble forms of mercury (such as mercuric chloride or methylmercury), inhalation of mercury vapor, or eating seafood contaminated with mercury. * Mercury is used in thermometers, barometers, manometers, sphygmomanometers, float valves, mercury switches, mercury relays fluorescent lamps and other devices, through concerns about the element's toxicity have led to mercury thermometers and sphygmomanometers being largely phased out in clinical environments in favour of alternatives such as alcohol- or galinstan-filled glass thermometers and thermistor- or infrared-based electronic instruments. Mercury can be found in four different forms: * Mercury metal, which is a silver-gray liquid, is harmful to humans when it is exposed into the air and consequently breathed into the lungs. * Methylmercury "may be taken into the body by eating certain saltwater and freshwater fish, especially larger fish at the top of the food chain, such as shark, swordfish, largemouth bass, and chain pickerel." * Inorganic mercury compounds can be found in batteries, over the counter drugs, ointments, nasal...
Words: 2359 - Pages: 10
...Consequences of Mercury Pollution Coming in Contact with Mercury People can come in contact with mercury in a number of ways. There is increased risk of mercury exposure in the dental, health and chemical industries. People are also at risk of consuming an unsafe amount of mercury if they eat certain things in excess amounts, such as more than 6 ounces of albacore tuna per week, or over 12 ounces of fish like shrimp, canned tuna, salmon, pollock or catfish. Exposure to mercury can cause brain damage, kidney damage, lung damage and various digestive system problems (McCoy). Perhaps the person most vulnerable to mercury poisoning is the pregnant woman and her unborn fetus. Trauma caused to infants and children as a result of mercury exposure is exponentially worse than it would be an adult. In most cases, it causes severe nervous system problems. Exposure A EU study found that “between 1.5 and 2 million children in the EU are born each year with MeHg exposures above the safe limit of 0.58µg/g and 200,000 above the WHO recommended maximum of 2.5µg/g” (Sunderland). Exposure to MeHg in these amounts affects brain development. Stunted brain development leads to a lower IQ. A low IQ lessens one’s earning power. When just looking at the European Union, the consequences are of paramount importance. In the study, Prof Philippe Grandjean explained, "If we convert the effects of MeHg on developing brains into IQ points then the benefits of controlling MeHg pollution...
Words: 826 - Pages: 4
...overexposure to mercury. The use of EBSCO Host, allowed a search for mercury and neurotoxicity’s in databases: ALT Health Watch, CINAHL PLUS, Health Source: Nursing/Academic edition, and Medline. Several articles were reviewed and chosen for evaluation. These articles discuss recorded evidence of increased mercury exposure and the related effects of neurotoxins. Increasing public knowledge of neurotoxicity risks when exposed to mercury may decrease physiological and psychological defects. Introduction There is a correlation of neurotoxicity’s and increased exposure to mercury. Mercury is found in the earth’s core and is found in the air and water (S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, 2008). Mercury has a similar response to the body as lead. It has been proven that lead, another neurotoxic metal found in the earth’s core, can be extremely dangerous with increased exposure (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences - National Institute of Health, 2011). As defined by business (Business dictionary, 2012), a neurotoxin is a biological or chemical substance (such as mercury compounds) that primarily affects the central nervous system to produce behavioral, emotional, or body-movement (motor) abnormalities. Thus, being exposed to bioengineered chemicals such as methyl mercury increases the chances of a person exhibiting neurotoxicity’s immediately or over time of exposure. In recent evidence, a small amount of mercury was found...
Words: 1169 - Pages: 5
...Mercury Poisoning 'In that direction,' the Cat said, 'lives a hatter: and in That direction, lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they're both mad.' (Lewis Carroll, 1865) With those lines the Cheshire Cat in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland introduces us to a victim of mercury poisoning. The term mad as a hatter was very common in Carroll’s day because of the use of mercury in the making of hats. Once it was understood that mercury was highly toxic, it was no longer used in the making of hats. The damage had already been done. Hatters would suffer from “hatter’s shakes”, a form of nerve damage with symptoms not unlike Parkinson’s disease. Even today it is still called “Mad Hatters Syndrome”. (Martin, 2012) Hats are now formed and blocked using hot water and steam. (Rand's Custom Hats, 2012) Mercury contamination is still a real threat even though hatters no longer use the metal. The first recorded account of mercury poisoning was in 50 B.C. Today, scientist recognize mercury to be a neurotoxin and that high levels of exposure can lead to serious illness and even death. Since the 1950’s and 60’s, scientific evidence has pointed to mercury or anthropogenic emissions as having widespread impacts on the environment and human health. For instance, in 1956 methylmercury poisoning was officially discovered in a Japanese community near a polyvinyl chloride plastics plant that has been dumping untreated liquid waste containing methyl...
Words: 731 - Pages: 3
...One of the most distinct features of Mercury’s surface is the fact that it looks wrinkled: this is due to the cooling of the planet’s iron core which led to the surface contracting. Mercury lost a third of its radius during this process (was reduced from 1.8 to 1.2 miles). Named “Scarps” by scientists, the wrinkles can be up to one mile high, and stretch over numerous miles. Another particularity of Mercury is that it is covered in craters, making it the most cratered planet in the entire Solar System. All of these craters strongly vary in shape and size, and originate from numerous encounters with comets and meteoroids. The largest one, Caloris Basin which was discovered in 1974, has a diameter of 1.550 kilometres and is surrounded by a...
Words: 1242 - Pages: 5
...Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, is a rocky, solid planet and is therefore called a terrestrial planet. It was once volcanic. As such, it... Due to a thin atmosphere, the surface also shows evidence of many impacts, as it has many craters. Temperatures can vary between 90 and 700 Kelvin. Because of the wildly fluctuating conditions caused by these temperatures, and also due to any life-sustaining elements (although there is some evidence of water at the poles), there is almost certainly no life on Mercury. Though it does not show any signs of clouds or dust storms, implying a significant lack of weather on the planet, it does still have a magnetic field, though it is only 1/100th of the strength of Earth's. The largest crater is called the Caloris Basin, which is 1,550km wide. Another crater is Rachmaninoff, which is 306km wide. The outer shell of the planet is approximately 400km thick....
Words: 606 - Pages: 3
...presentation On NANO Mercury Power Plant (Non Conventional /Renewable) ABSTRACT: power plant is used to production of electricity by so many methods like hydro power plant,nuclear power plant ,gas turbinre plant combined cycle power plant, solar power plant, wind power plant, tidal power plant, diesel generator, petrol generator, this all are power plant run by fuel and generate electricity. i am introducing new type and technology power plant MERCURY: It's the only common metal which is liquid at ordinary temperatures. Mercury is sometimes called quicksilver. It is a heavy, silvery-white liquid metal. It is a rather poor conductor of heat if compared with other metals but it is a fair conductor of electricity. It alloys easily with many metals, such as gold, silver, and tin. These alloys are called amalgams. The most important mercury salts are mercuric chloride HgCl2 (corrosive sublimate - a violent poison), mercuric chloride Hg2Cl2 (calomel, still used in medicine occasionally), mercury fulminate (Hg (ONC) 2, a detonator...
Words: 4680 - Pages: 19
...1) What questions do you ask of Dr. Levin and of the local Arkansas health department? Human exposure to mercury even in small quantity is never a thing medically which may cause some serious health problems, and could be a threat to the lives of these young adults. Metallic mercury exposure is toxic to the central and peripheral nervous systems. The inhalation of mercury vapor, as the case of one of the teens who smoked mercury laced cigarette can produce harmful effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems, lungs and kidneys, and may be fatal if not properly treated. Mercury on its own is corrosive to the skin, eyes and even gastrointestinal tract, which could induce kidney toxicity if taken orally. For these reasons therefore, I...
Words: 1469 - Pages: 6
...The harmful effects of mercury on the human body Mercury is an interesting element; has been used in batteries, filling cavities, and in some cases creating vaccines but whenever a person exposed to mercury there are risks in connection with food consumption and childbearing, with numerous examples of lives drastically affected by this hazardous element. Mercury has long since found its way into the foods we eat like food with high fructuous corn syrup, but is found in nearly 85% of the fish consumed. People that eat a diet high in fish are at risk of taking in hazardous amounts of mercury do to contamination. Since mercury is nearly undetectable by normal means it can’t be removed by simply getting rid of the skin or any other part of the fish. When mercury is ingested it acts as a neurotoxin that infects the brain and nervous system. When Mercury enters fish in the wild it usually involves the mercury cycle process which the OEHHA (Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment) describes as “Methyl mercury in fish comes from mercury in the aquatic environment. Mercury, a metal, is widely found in nature in rock and soil, and is washed into surface waters during storms. Mercury evaporates from rock, soil, and water into the air, and then falls back to the earth in rain, often far from where it started. Human activities redistribute mercury and can increase its concentration in the aquatic environment.” Pregnant women and young children are actually in more danger...
Words: 1247 - Pages: 5
...Mercury Athletic Footwear | Caso Mercury Athletic Footwear | Valorización de Empresas | | | 11/05/2013 | Cuellar, Sandra Karina Gudiel Alfaro, Guillermo José Guerra Caballero, Mario Alexis Contenido Preguntas del caso Inversiones financieras BancoSal 2 ¿Cuál es la temática del caso? 2 Realice un análisis del sector y la empresa 2 FORTALEZAS 2 OPORTUNIDADES 2 DEBILIDADES 3 AMENAZAS 3 ¿Cuáles son las diferencias entre las empresas del sector financiero y sector industrial? 3 Elabore un diagnóstico de rentabilidad y riesgo de la empresa 4 ¿Qué método es más empleado en la valorización de empresas financieras? 4 Valorice la empresa y su patrimonio 5 ¿Cuánto seria lo máximo que pagara para adquirir el 51% del capital de la empresa? 5 ¿Cómo recomienda tratar al accionista minoritario? ¿Opciones de salida? ¿Representación en la junta directiva? 5 Caso 4: Mercury Athletic Footwear. West Cost Fashion, Inc es un negocio grande de ropa para hombre y mujeres que a decidido deshacerde de uno de sus segmentos; Mercury Athletic Footwear, empresa de calzado. John Liedtke director de desarrollo de negocios de Active Gear, Inc (AGI). Tiene una posibilidad para adquirirla y desea evaluar cuanto es lo que tendría que pagar por si desea hacerse con la empresa Mercury Preguntas del caso Mercury Athletic Footwear ¿Cuáles son las características de la industria del calzado? La industria del calzado es muy competitiva, con bajo crecimiento y...
Words: 1036 - Pages: 5
...Caso Mercury Athletic Footwear (MAF) 1. ¿Cuáles son las características de la Industria del calzado? LA INDUSTRIA DEL CALZADO ES UN SECTOR ALTAMENTE COMPETITIVO Y CARACTERIZADO POR UN BAJO CRECIMIENTO, TIENE MARGENES DE UTILIDAD RELATIVAMENTE ESTABLES CON RENDIMIENTOS VOLATILES DEBIDO A LA COMPETENCIA. LA PARTE SENSIBLE DE LA INDUSTRIA ES LA MODA. LOS NUEVOS PRODUCTOS REQUIEREN UN CICLO 8 A 10 MESES PARA COMPLETAR SU NUEVO DISEÑO. 2. ¿Cómo evalúa el desempeño financiero de las empresas Active Gear, Inc. & Mercury Athletic Footwear? ACTIVE TIENE UN BUEN DESEMPEÑO A PESAR DE SER UNA PEQUEÑA EMPRESA CON UN ENFOQUE SIMPLIFICADO HACIA LA MARCA Y GESTION DE INVENTARIO, OBTENIENDO UN MARGEN OPERATIVO FUERTE. AUN QUE TENIA UN CRECIMIENTO DE 6% ANUAL, ESTE DISMINUYÓ A UN 2,2% DEBIDO A LA FUERTE COMPETENCIA MERCURY EL RENDIMIENTO FINANCIERO FUE DESEPCIONANTE DEBIDO A LOS BAJOS PRECIOS Y LA POCA ACEPTACION DE CALZADO CASUAL Y DEPORTIVO PARA LA MUJER, LO QUE LLEVO A SACARLO DEL MERCADO. 3. ¿Considera que la empresa Active Gear, Inc. está lista financieramente para adquirir Mercury Athletic Footwear? NO ESTA LISTA, YA QUE PRIMERAMENTE DEBE TENER UNA MAYOR ACEPTACION EN EL MERCADO 4. Realice un análisis FODA de la empresa Mercury Athletic Footwear para la empresa Active Gear, Inc. 5. ¿Considera que es un fit estratégico idóneo la adquision de Mercury Athletic Footwar por parte de Active Gear, Inc? ¿Porqué? 6. ¿Cuánto puede valer la empresa Mercury Athletic...
Words: 295 - Pages: 2
