Mercury, a liquid metal, is not surprisingly found in nature. Because the element is usually safely entrapped in coal and other geological deposits, it is not considered as a threat to living organisms. It is just another way of Mother Nature ensuring that all of her creations live harmoniously with one another. However, the balance is often disrupted by the activities of humans. When mercury is taken from the rocks or fossil fuel is burned, mercury is released into the atmosphere and thus rain down on an area's water resources.
One reason why the presence of mercury in the water resources is so dangerous is that it is absorbed by the fish as they breathe and eat. As the mercury goes up the food chain, the concentration of mercury increases. This can potentially be dangerous to people who consume the fish while being unaware of the danger found in the water resources.
The effects of mercury poisoning can range from respiratory and digestive problems to brain damage upon chronic exposure. The health dangers alone are enough for the water resources to be protected from exposure to this dangerous element.
The state of Idaho is not immune to this kind of pollution. To protect the public from consuming mercury-laden fish, the Idaho Division of health has a system of issuing advisories warning against fish consumption through the Idaho Fish Consumption Advisory Program. The purpose of these advisories is to educate the public about the risks they consume fish that have high concentrations of mercury.
Just the fact that Idaho needs to have advisories regarding fish is already indicative of the condition of its water resources. In fact, there have been studies conducted that show that some bodies of water in Idaho fail to meet the acceptable levels of mercury. Some of the causes of this pollution on the water resources are mining operations, use of coal, and sewage treatment plants.
To find ways on how to resolve this problem, the government of the state decided to establish the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Since 2005, it has been mandated to find out the amount of mercury found in the water and soil resources of Idaho. It is also tasked with the role of finding out where the mercury comes from.
The DEQ works closely with the US Environmental Protection Agency as well as other protection groups from both the public and private sectors to ensure that the levels of mercury found in the water are minimized.
There are various projects that were implemented to accomplish such a task. The rationale behind all of them is to increase the public's awareness of their actions. Thus, education and information dissemination is the key to its success.
Lowering the levels of mercury in the state's bodies of water is not a job that can be accomplished overnight. However, with the cooperation of different parts of the community, a big difference in the environment is already made.
Chris Blastoyout writes about floods and water damage problem. See:
http://www.localwaterremoval.com/Idaho
No comments:
Post a Comment