Human Intervention in the Mercury Cycle:

The Role of Consumer Products

Bruce Lourie

Mercury is a natural element with unique physical and chemical properties. Some of these properties have been exploited commercially and have led to the pervasive and on-going use of mercury in a wide range of consumer products. Other attributes of mercury, notably its toxicity, persistence and ability to biomagnify have led to tragic environmental disasters with significant loss of human life.

The biogeochemical cycle of mercury has been altered by humans through the deliberate use and incidental release of mercury. This paper explores how the mercury cycle has been altered by human activity, the relative importance of contributions of mercury from consumer products, life-cycle emissions for selected consumer products and trends in mercury use in consumer products.

The author has undertaken research on the various uses of mercury in consumer products and estimated the amount of mercury used in consumer products in Canada. In almost all cases mercury use in products is declining and a number of uses have been phased-out entirely.

Bruce Lourie

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