30-Methyl Mercury: Sources, Impacts and Effects on Lake Water Quality

Abstract

Mercury is both a global pollutant and a contaminant that is to a potentially toxic species (Methyl mercury) under the natural condition found in the environment. Its compounds are present as the trace contaminants in various biological and environmental samples such as air, water, soil, animal tissue and coal fly ash as a result of both natural and anthropogenic activities. Mercury is the metallic element that occurs naturally in earth crust, from degassing of rocks, soil, water and the volcanoes. Anthropogenic sources such as coal burning power plants, coal and other fossil fuel combustion, metal smelting, preparation of paints and lubricants, sewage and hospital waste incineration, have increased the amount of mercury on the surface of earth. In lake water mercury can precipitate or undergoes the bioconversion to volatile and soluble form like methyl mercury. Mercury enters in the aquatic life from the atmosphere in its inorganic form which then converts to methyl mercury by some bacterial activities. Wetland lakes, sediments and anoxic bottoms are of the three locations where the methyl mercury is rapidly formed. Methyl mercury is of greater concern because it accumulates in food webs to the levels that are toxic to fish and wild life. Methyl mercury is one of the neurotoxin that bioaccumulates in the fish it is also responsible for the severe neurological regeneration in animals. Peoples are exposed to methyl mercury almost entirely by eating the contaminated fish. Because of these processes, even a minuscule amount of mercury in water last can have adverse effects on aquatic organism and their predators. This paper highlight the potential sources effects and impacts of methyl mercury on human life and aquatic life in lake water quality.