Chapter 9 - IMPACT OF MERCURY ON PUBLIC HEALTH IN NJ

In recent years, mercury has received increasing attention because of its known or suspected impacts on human health. Historically, this concern has resulted from occupational exposures (e.g., “Mad Hatter’s” disease), and from large-scale poisonings (Minamata and Iraq). Currently, however, concern is also focused on more subtle health effects. While use of thimerosal (an organic mercury compound) in vaccines is currently an issue of some concern in the medical community, it was beyond the scope of this Task Force. We will focus here largely on methylmercury in fish, inorganic mercury salts in drinking water, and on releases of elemental mercury through spills and intentional releases, representing largest current environmental impact in NJ.