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 than any other demographic. During the early developmental stages of the brain for young children, nutrients are constantly absorbed for growth and when they eat contaminated fish. Even in small quantities, mercury could affect a child's development, delayed walking and talking, limitations to the attention span and can cause learning disabilities. According to OEHHA “At the highest exposure levels experienced in these poisonings, methyl mercury toxicity symptoms included such nervous system effects as loss of coordination, blurred vision or blindness, and hearing and speech impairment. Scientists also discovered that the developing nervous systems of fetuses are particularly sensitive to the toxic effects of methyl mercury. In the Japanese outbreak, for example, some fetuses developed methyl mercury toxicity during pregnancy even when their mothers did not.” There is also mounting evidence that suggests that exposure to mercury may also lead to heart disease. Besides possibly getting heart disease mercury a can also dull the brain and cause other problems in the human body. Even with the knowledge that we possess there are things about the effects of mercury that we still don’t understand. There are cases in which mercury has affected people on a grand scale like the Minamata Bay incident (Douglas Allchin) “The case of Minamata, Japan, and the mercury poisoning (originally called Minamata disease) that took place there, appeared briefly in news headlines in the 1970s and then receded from public attention--at least in the U.S. The episode was fully and richly documented, however, by former Life photographer, Eugene Smith, and his wife, Aileen, who lived in Minamata for several years. Much of what follows draws on their book (unfortunately, now out-of-print, but available in many libraries; see Smith and Smith 1972, 1975; Ishimure 1990). In the early 1950s, similar behavior began to appear--sporadically and without much notice--in humans. People would stumble while walking, not be able to write or button their buttons, have trouble hearing or swallowing, or tremble uncontrollably. In 1956 an apparent epidemic broke out and one can imagine the confusion--and fear--that was prevalent because no one knew the cause. Was it a viral inflammation of the brain? Was it syphilis? Was it hereditary ataxia, or alcoholism? Was it infectious? The popular names of "cat's-dancing disease" and the "strange disease" convey some of both the mystery and its alienating quality. The physiological effects, including successive loss of motor control, were devastating, and resulted in sometimes partly paralyzed and contorted bodies. Here, the photos of Eugene Smith speak more fully and sensitively than any words one can imagine. One resident, Tsuginori Hamamoto, described the plight of his father, a fisherman. Virtually overnight, Sohachi lost his ability to keep his balance, or to stay afloat in the water once he had fallen off the boat. He could not put on his sandals, walk properly, or understand what others were saying to him. Once hardy and strongly self-willed, his condition quickly degenerated, and he was hospitalized on the fourth day. There, even tied to his bed with bandages, he "craze-danced," said words that were not words; he salivated; he convulsed. Later, he tore at his own skin with his fingernails until his body bled. "Mother would look at Dad," Tsuginori recalled, "and just stand there--tears dropping from her eyes--looking dazed. Then we realized that the same symptoms were developing in Mother." The father died within seven weeks, the mother nine years later. By the end of 1956, epidemiological and medical researchers identified the disease as heavy-metal poisoning caused by eating the fish and shellfish of Minamata Bay. Direct evidence that mercury from the Chisso plant was responsible, however, did not emerge until 1959. Dr. Hajimé Hosokawa, in private tests on cats at the Chisso Company Hospital, showed that the plant's acetaldehyde waste water caused the disease symptoms (though the results were not made public). Chisso installed a "cyclator" designed to control the emissions, offered `Miami' (consolation payments) to the patients, and the matter seemed resolved. Nearly 100 patients had been identified, of whom over twenty had died. More patients emerged, however. Children were also born with the "disease." The geographical distribution of cases widened. In 1963, Public Health Service researchers traced the disease to mercury from Chisso. Controversy soon erupted over who was responsible for compensating the victims and supporting their families. It was not until 1970 that a district court ruled that Chisso make payments totaling $3.2 million to the original group of patients; others soon received payment by negotiating directly with Chisso.”

To bring things to close mercury is a very dangerous contaminant that is present in nearly every fish that is that is consumed. Mercury can be used for medical purposes when used with proper techniques it can even be used as a vaccine. Even with the information that we there are many things that we still are unclear on when it comes to mercury but, we are making strides to combat each new issue as it surfaces.

Works Cited

· Weihe P., and Choi AL. "Result Filters." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 24 Apr. 20013. Web. 30 Apr. 2013.
· "Mercury Fact Sheet." ELCOSH: The Center for Construction Research and Training, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2013.
· "Mercury Levels in Fish." American Pregnancy Association. American Pregnancy Association, n.d. Web. 02 May 2013.
· "Health Effects." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 02 May 2013.
· "OEHHA Mercury in Fish." OEHHA Mercury in Fish. Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, 23 June 2003. Web. 11 May 2013.
· Ishimure, Michiko. 1990. Paradise in the Sea of Sorrow. English translation by Livet Monnet. Yamaguchi Publishing House (c/o Japan Publications Trading Co., Ltd., Tokyo).
· Smith, W. Eugene and Aileen M. Smith. 1972. Life, (June 2), 74-79.
· (1975). Minamata. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
· Douglas Allchin. "The Poisoning of Minamata." The Poisoning of Minamata. University of Minnesota, n.d. Web. 12 May 2013.