mercury-gold+class+'09


 * Mercury- Dylan Arroyo, Aidan Jamison-Frank

Abstract** Mercury is a liquid transition metal with a shiny metallic appearance. Its chemical symbol is Hg and its atomic number is 80. Mercury has been in use for thousands of years, and is continually in use today. Ancient uses include a component of make-up, a part of elixirs intended on giving eternal life to the drinker, and in the center of alchemy, with it being mixed with sulfur to make gold. Modern uses include mercury vapor for florescent lights (the vapor reacts with a phosphor producing visible and ultraviolent lights), thermometers (although its becoming outdated with modern advancements in technology), and in the refinement of gold and silver ores. Health implications: mercury, if ingested can complicate a fetus’ development, disrupt a persons’ sanity (i.e. mad hatters), a persons’ nervous system - in particular a person coordination, and can causes sensory impairment. If the body absorbs too much mercury, it can become lethal, usually by liver failure. Environmental implications: Mercury is a fairly rare element found in the earths crust. It’s most commonly found as mercury ore (combined with cinnabar). After heavy processing, it’s ready for use. After use, mercury is most often just thrown away (seeing as its in other appliances and difficult to remove with out proper tools), but the correct thing to do, in this country, is to give it to the EPA and let them handle it. Mercury in the soil can stunt the growth or kill plants and vegetation. Economic/ political implications: as far as politics and mercury are concerned, there isn’t a lot there. The biggest thing is fish. More and more fish are found containing mercury, which is dangerous to people eating them (see health implications above). If it were universally banned that would mean the price of fish would skyrocket. Mercury isn’t the top concern for economists or politicians. I don’t have any strong feelings towards mercury. It looks cool and is fun to play with, but it’s not something I want to deal with. I feel as though it’s not really a big deal, and yes it shouldn’t be in our fish or anything, but it’s not something there needs to be political action about. Action in general you ask? I act to avoid contact with mercury and I think most people should do the same.

-How/why we use this chemical We used mercury, because it conducts electricity, it expands and contracts with temperature changes evenly, and forms alloys with other metals, which are called amalgams and used to help extract gold from it ores dental fillings and help extend the life of dry cell batteries. Mercury also forms useful compounds with other elements.
 * Background**

-What products is it used in? • Barometers • Catalysts And Pigments • Cells for Caustic Soda and Chlorine Production • Dental Amalgams • Electrical Instruments • Fungicides/Preservatives (most uses now banned) • Investment Casting • Laboratory Reagent • Manometers • Medicines • Mercury Vapor Lamps • Metal Plating • Photography • Synthetic Silk • Solder • Tanning and Dyeing • Textile Production • Thermometers • Use In Boilers/Turbines For Electricity Generation

-What benefits does this chemical offer these products? In thermometers it expands and contracts with the changing of the temperature which allows it to give a clear reading.

-Where in the world is it used? It is used world wide. -Is it banned anywhere? It is banned in certain products but it is not

1. How is the chemical made/refined? - Mercury is not very abundant in the earths crust (about .05 mg/kg) and mercury ore, on average contains about 1% mercury. The ore is highly refined, and the mercury is essentially squeezed out. - Mercury ore is most commonly cinnabar. 2. How are common products that contain this chemical made? - Mercury is mainly used in electronics. Because it has such uniform properties (the temp that it solidifies, its density) and this uniformity is useful in such things as manometers (pressure), and thermometers (temp). - It is also used as a lubricant and a coolant. 3 . Include a detailed description of the synthesis process. - This is an element, there is no synthesis. 4. Include a drawing/diagram of the chemical’s structure.
 * Synthesis/Production Section: **

1. What are the possible dangers associated with this chemical? The dangers associated with this chemical depend on the age of the person. With fetuses, infants, and children it affects their growing brain and nervous system. 2. How, specifically, does this chemical affect the body? With fetuses it impacts on cognitive thinking, memory, attention, language, and fine motor and visual spatial skills. -What human body processes are affected by this chemical? The growing process. 3. What human systems are affected by this chemical? (eg reproductive, endocrine) Nervous.
 * Human health implications **

-What specific environmental systems/processes does your chemical interact with? The main and most common reactant of mercury is Aluminum. Aluminum and Mercury readily combine in nature whenever in contact with each other. When combined the compound quickly oxidizes leaving the mercury behind to start the process over again. It is said that even a little bit of mercury can ‘eat away’ at a lot of aluminum after a long period of time. How does the chemical interact with the environment? Mercury, being a very rare element, is usually found in small, concentrated amounts in the earths crust. It doesn’t react with most anything else in its environment either. It can interact with the environment through landfills or other ways that people irresponsibly dispose of mercury. -What happens when this chemical degrades? What byproducts are formed? It degrades into ethyl mercury, which isn’t as dangerous to human’s -How long does it take to degrade? Doesn’t say. -How is it disposed of? In the United States the EPA is responsible for most mercury deposition, regulating it in safe ways. Details are scarce.
 * Environmental implications **

-What/who would be affected if the chemical were banned? Fisher men, Fish eaters, Fish markets. Swimmers, Pool -What are the costs of alternatives? 1.46 million in the chlorine. 8.7 million in the fish market. -What products would we not have if it were banned? Fish. Chlorine. -What countries export and/or use this product? All. -How would a ban affect you (or the average American)? I would have to pay more to get Chlorine and fish. Or I may not be able to eat fish at all. -What are the political ramifications of banning this chemical?
 * Economic/Political Impact**

Mercury is an element in use for thousands of years, with applications such as make-up (which ironically sometimes ended up deforming the users face), elixir for eternal life, and in thermometers. In the present day it’s very useful in lighting. Neon and florescent lights have mercury vapor in them to help produce the light. Mercury is also used in electronics, namely computers. It helps make the light for the LCD computer screen, and sometimes in the circuit boards, although I don’t know why or how. Mercury is becoming increasingly outdated in thermometers as other, less toxic, forms of taking temperature occur with new technology. On the down side, mercury, if exposed to enough, will kill you. Mercury never leaves your body so ever a very low exposure over a long period of time could turn lethal. And as far as actions go, some governments are putting bans or limits of mercury in some products, in an attempt to curb mercury poisoning. Personally I believe people should make their own decisions and be smart with what they buy, and please, when your thermometer breaks, don’t eat the shiny metallic beads rolling around the floor.
 * Summary**

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