Why Does Mercury Exist
Mercury is a metallic element that is naturally found in rocks within the earth’s crust. It is dispersed into the environment in various ways such as soil, weathering of rocks, volcanoes, mining coal combustion, power plants, municipal waste and even the products used in the household or for health. Since mercury naturally occurs in the environment, it can exist in several forms and there are three main forms it takes on; there is Elemental mercury, organic mercury and inorganic mercury and each carry on different characteristics within that form. Elemental mercury is a silver metal but is liquid when set at room temperature. When exposed elemental mercury comes in contact with a certain temperature, it can also evaporate to convert into an
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The first way is being emitted into the atmosphere naturally from soil, the weathering of rocks, volcanos and forest fires. The second way is by the chemical being re-introduced into the environment through natural processes like evaporation or precipitation to which follow the first way it is released. As the mercury has been released into the atmosphere, the mercury is transported and deposited on the earth’s surface by natural cycles and weather like rain, wind storms and snowstorms. The final way that mercury is emitted is through manmade processes like coal-mining, coal power plants, municipal waste and industrial activities. Most facilities that burn coal have high emissions of mercury because in order to produce electricity and steam, the burning of fossil fuels releases mercury during the combustion process. Coal-fired power plants are said to be the single largest source of contamination in the United States as it is responsible for approximately fifty to seventy-five percent of human-caused mercury emission. They produce more than fifty tons of neurotoxin annually to which disperse large amounts of mercury into near water sources, as it goes into the atmosphere, drifts long distances and falls back to earth through precipitations. However, there are other sources like cars, trucks and the rupture of fluorescent lamps all submit mercury emissions. All of these processes rise the natural levels of mercury being emitted into the environment to which cause a kind of mercury
The first way is being emitted into the atmosphere naturally from soil, the weathering of rocks, volcanos and forest fires. The second way is by the chemical being re-introduced into the environment through natural processes like evaporation or precipitation to which follow the first way it is released. As the mercury has been released into the atmosphere, the mercury is transported and deposited on the earth’s surface by natural cycles and weather like rain, wind storms and snowstorms. The final way that mercury is emitted is through manmade processes like coal-mining, coal power plants, municipal waste and industrial activities. Most facilities that burn coal have high emissions of mercury because in order to produce electricity and steam, the burning of fossil fuels releases mercury during the combustion process. Coal-fired power plants are said to be the single largest source of contamination in the United States as it is responsible for approximately fifty to seventy-five percent of human-caused mercury emission. They produce more than fifty tons of neurotoxin annually to which disperse large amounts of mercury into near water sources, as it goes into the atmosphere, drifts long distances and falls back to earth through precipitations. However, there are other sources like cars, trucks and the rupture of fluorescent lamps all submit mercury emissions. All of these processes rise the natural levels of mercury being emitted into the environment to which cause a kind of mercury