Mercury is widely considered to be among the highest priority environmental pollutants of concern on the global scale. Although occupational exposure to inorganic mercury is a continuous problem, possible effects on broader sections of the population resulting from widespread dispersal of mercury in the environment has become a major concern in recent years.
Mercury has been targeted by agencies and organisations worldwide for possible emission control. For example, the EU has called for a ban on mercury exports by 20111, while the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) coordinates intense scientific and policy debate on how best to deal with mercury on a global level. In February 2009, the Governing Council of UNEP took the decision to begin negotiations towards an international treaty on mercury that would significantly reduce the use of this dangerous chemical.
This thematic issue reports on research which explores the impacts of mercury emissions and contaminants, and how they may be traced, controlled and reduced.
The use of mercury in industrial processes is a key policy concern. The manufacture of chlorine in chlor-alkali plants represents one such process. A pan-European project has assessed mercury exposure levels for communities living near chlor-alkali plants and considered whether this could cause kidney damage. Read the results in the article ‘Impact of mercury exposure from chlor-alkali plants’.
The consequences of mercury exposure are still not fully understood. To develop effective strategies for preventing any toxic consequences, we first need a precise medical understanding of what mercury does to our bodies, and how. ‘Does mercury damage genes?’ discusses mechanisms for DNA damage.
While dental amalgam is not widely believed to pose a health risk in itself, there is concern that it could contribute to more harmful levels of accumulated mercury in the body, by adding to deposits derived from air pollution and contaminated food. However, its exact contribution is not clear. Researchers have recently shed new light on this matter by highlighting another mechanism of exposure to mercury from dental fillings.