Mercury is altering gene expression

Mercury is altering gene expression

The mercury found at very low concentrations in water is concentrated along the entire food chain, from algae via zooplankton to small fish and on to the largest fish — the ones we eat. Mercury causes severe and irreversible neurological disorders in people who…

Mercury contamination widespread across western North America

Mercury contamination widespread across western North America

An international research team has found that mercury contamination is widespread across western North America in the air, soil, lake sediments, plants, fish and wildlife. The team, led by researchers from the USGS, evaluated potential risks from mercury to the…

Severe mercury contamination in Amazon prompts state of emergency, Peru

Severe mercury contamination in Amazon prompts state of emergency, Peru

The Peruvian government has declared a 60-day state of emergency for 11 towns in Madre de Dios, a region in southeastern Peru’s Amazon Basin, after officials found alarmingly high levels of mercury. This highly toxic metal comes from illegal gold mines and…

Mercury concentrations in Hawaiian yellowfin tuna increasing

Mercury concentrations in Hawaiian yellowfin tuna increasing

Mercury concentrations in Hawaiian yellowfin tuna are increasing at a rate of 3.8 percent or more per year, according to a new University of Michigan-led study that suggests rising atmospheric levels of the toxic substance are to blame. Mercury is a toxic trace metal th

Mercury from gold mines accumulates hundreds of miles downstream

Mercury from gold mines accumulates hundreds of miles downstream

Duke University researchers have found hazardous levels of mercury hundreds of miles downstream from Peruvian gold mines. Researchers have determined that the health risks taken on by artisanal, small-scale gold miners extend far beyond the miners themselves. Based…

Good news for children – Vaccination opt-outs on the rise

Good news for children – Vaccination opt-outs on the rise

Believe it or not there are men and women who are mentally twisted enough to believe they are doing the right thing when they poison children. They choose to ignore the fact that, by their dastardly acts, they can wipe the smiles off the faces of innocent and