Mercury

Resources

DEQ

Presentations from the Mercury Symposium

Mercury fact sheet
(PDF)

Virginia mercury study
(On mercury from air pollution)

Mercury Advisory Committee
(For coastal waters)

Power plants

Air quality advisory board reports

DEQ Mercury Switch Program

Preventing mercury pollution

Mercury in fish tissue

Contamination from industrial incidents

South River Science Team
(Shenandoah River)

Cleanup of Olin Corp. site
(North Fork Holston River)

Virginia Department of Health

Fish consumption advisories

Reducing mercury in the environment is one of DEQ's highest priorities.

To accomplish this, DEQ is working to

• Gain a better understanding of mercury sources and the extent of contamination.

• Reduce mercury and its use.

• More effectively address mercury-related issues.

As this work progresses, DEQ remains dedicated to ensuring that people’s exposure to mercury is as low as possible.

In fish

Eating contaminated fish is the primary way people are exposed to mercury.

DEQ tests fish tissue and sediment samples for a variety of pollutants, including mercury.

DEQ and the Virginia Department of Health work together to ensure that elevated mercury levels detected by DEQ result in fish consumption advisories issued by the health department.

In air emissions

In 2007, the agency began a detailed assessment on the effects of mercury in air emissions. It includes studies on the risk to human health from eating fish contaminated with mercury, how the metal is deposited from air emissions and costs associated with pollution controls.

From these studies, DEQ plans to evaluate the effectiveness of regulations that limit mercury emissions and how these emissions may affect Virginia’s environment, especially its rivers, lakes and estuaries. The final report is due to the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate natural resource committees by October 2008.

The basics

Mercury is a naturally occurring metal that is released to the environment from some manufacturing and industrial activities.

Once mercury is deposited in streams, rivers, lakes or wetlands, natural biological processes can convert it into a toxin called methylmercury. Fish become contaminated with methylmercury when they are exposed to it from water and sediment and eat other organisms that contain the toxin.

For more information on mercury, please see the DEQ fact sheet "Reducing Mercury in the Environment." (PDF)