Mercury pollution

Mercury is a chemical element which has been found to be toxic for all known living species. Here are for instance some of the impacts of mercury which have been studied and proved on wild life :

• Inhibition of the growth of algae, bacterias and fungi (in the past, mercurochrome was made of mercury for its biocide properties ; now the use of mercury has been forbidden because of its toxicity) ;
• Increase of the embryo-larval mortality (which has been estimated on amphibians)
• Decrease of the probability of reproduction and inhibition of laying for some species (for instance the zebra fish) ;
• Inhibition of spermatogenese ;
• Inhibition of the growth of the rainbow trout, with a high mortality rate of embryos and larvas.

All these consequences show that particular care has to be taken when dealing with mercury on coastal zones which are the dwelling of hundreds of living species.

The following articles deal with mercury pollution on European shores :

• Case study of a mercury pollution in Ria de Aveiro