Mercury

[[image:Hg.jpg width="388" height="88"]] **Abbreviation:** Hg
Mercury is a poor conductor of heat, but fairly good conductor of electricity. It can easily alloy with other metals such as gold, silver, and tin. Mercury is the only common element that is liquid at ordinary temperatures.
 * Chemical Characteristics:**

Mercury can be found naturally in the environment in metal form, as mercury salts, or organic mercury compounds. Mercury becomes a part of the environment from the breakdown of minerals that are exposed to wind and water. The concentration of mercury in the environment is increasing due mostly to human activity: fossil fuel combustion, mining, smelting and solid waste combustion. This element is not normally found in food, but can be spread among food chains by smaller organisms such as fish. Mercury can also enter the body through vegetables and other agricultural products that have been sprayed with agriculture sprays containing mercury. Mercury can be found mainly in cinnabar ore in Spain, Russia, Italy, China, and Slovenia.
 * Physical Characteristics:** Heavy, silvery-white liquid metal.
 * Where can the element be found in nature?**

The cinnabar ore is heated in a current of air and the mercury vapor is condensed. The mercury is then washed with nitric acid and air treated in order to eliminate impurities. Further purification is done by distillation at a lower pressure.
 * How is the element recovered and purified?**

•Mercury has a considerably higher boiling point than water and because of this, mercury vapor is used in turbines more often than steam. •Mercury amalgams helped bring about the invention of glass mirrors to produce a reflecting surface. •Mercury is used in electrical discharges when voltage needs to decrease. •Mercury is used in the thermometer, barometer, and diffusion pump. •Mercury can also be used as electrodes in the making of batteries. •Mercury-vapor lamps, advertising signs, pesticide paint.
 * How is it used?**

Thermostats •Used to adjust the temperature indoors •Used in: Indoor facilities such as businesses or homes. •If mercury is spilled, it can seep in to the ground and enter water. Bodies of water with much too high of a mercury concentration cannot be used for drinking water. Fluorescent lamps •Indoor lighting •Used in indoor facilities •If the lamp/light breaks, the release of mercury in a gaseous or solid state can be hazardous to the environment. Thermometers •Measure indoor/outdoor temperatures •Used in laboratories, air, water, cooking, and for fevers •If mercury is spilled, it can release harmful vapors and contaminate the surrounding area. Batteries Heating/cooling equipment Toys Jewelry
 * Products made from Mercury:**

Mercury-containing items have to be properly disposed of by HVAC businesses or electrical contractors. They should be taken to a hazardous waste facility. The Thermostat Recycling Corporation provide collection bins for the disposal of mercury-containing thermostats. No. A person can be exposed to mercury by breathing the contaminated air, skin contact, or eating contaminated food, the most common being fish. The most at risk are infants and children because mercury can severely damage a developing nervous system. Mercury consumption can lead to difficulty in learning, memory, vision, and hearing. Pregnant women are also at risk for passing consumed mercury to their unborn child.
 * How is mercury disposed of?**
 * Is mercury an important nutrient for human health?**

In adults, mercury exposure can cause tremors, changes in vision, loss of hearing, muscle coordination, loss of sensation, and memory difficulty. Higher exposure effects the kidneys, lungs, and digestive system.

Citations: Calvert, Dr. James B. "Mercury." //Physics//. 5 Nov. 2002. Web. 20 Nov. 2009. .

Winter, Dr. Mark J. "Mercury." //WebElements//. 1993. Web. 20 Nov. 2009. .

"Mercury In The Environment." //Washington State Department of Health//. Access Washington Official State Gov. Website. Web. 20 Nov. 2009. .

Smythe Eddy