SEPA
MERCURY MESSES
WITH THE
ENVIRONMENT
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Publication No. 909F23001
August 2023
Mercury Messes with the Environment
by
The United States Environmental Protection Agency
EPA Region 9
the Office of Public Affairs
Follow Blue the Heron and friends to learn how mercury affects the environment
and your health. This book is for children, their caretakers and educators.
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Hi there! I'm a heron named Blue.
Herons, like me, hang out in both freshwater and saltwater. You can
find my friends and me in streams, rivers, lakes, marshes, lagoons, bays,
oceans and other water bodies. I like to eat fish, amphibians, reptiles, small
mammals, insects, and other birds.
Something has been polluting the water in the places where I live and hunt
called mercury. With this book in your hands, we'll learn about mercury and
environmental justice and how we can keep ourselves and our communities
safe. Let's get started!
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WHAT IS MERCURY ANP WHERE DOBS IT
COME FROM?
Mercury is a naturally occurring element found in the Earth's crust. But, it
can be harmful when it takes different forms.
Mercury is released into the air and water from both natural and human-
made sources. For example, volcanoes and forest fires are natural
sources of mercury.
Human activities are responsible for much of the mercury that is
released into the environment including:
Historic gold and silver mining
Present-day gold mining
Burning of coal, oil, and wood for fuel
Old factories that used mercury to make products
Thermometers and fluorescent light bulbs
• Thermometers and fluorescent light bulbs
Color in the different ways that mercury gets into the environment
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HOW MERCURY BUILPS UP IN THE ENVIRONMENT
• There are different forms of mercury. For example, bacteria in the
water changes mercury into a more toxic or harmful form.
• This form of mercury builds up or bioaccumulates as it moves
through the food chain. As bigger fish eat smaller species, they
absorb more mercury As a result, game fish (which are the top of the
food chain) contain some of the highest mercury levels.
• Game fish with mercury might not be safe to eat. But you can do
catch and release fishing, swimming, and other activities in the
water. If possible, try not to swallow the water.
• Mercury is a neurotoxin, which means it's a poison that acts on the
nervous system. It can affect brain and kidney functions.
WHEN I FLY, I SEE FISH ADVISORY SIGNS WARNING
PEOPLE NOT TO EAT CERTAIN TYPES OF FISH.
Learn more abc
fish advisories:
Draw your own
fish advisory sign.
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Herring
Lobster,
American and spiny
Mullet
Oyster
Pacific chub
mackerel
Perch, freshwater
and ocean
Pickerel
Plaice
Pollock
Salmon
Sardine
Scallop
Shad
Shrimp
Skate
Smelt
Sole
Squid
Tilapia
Trout, freshwater
Tuna, canned light
(includes skipjack)
Whitefish
Whiting
Bluefish
Buffalofish
Carp
Chilean sea bass/
Patagonian toothfish
Grouper
Halibut
Mahi mahi/dolphinfish
Monkfish
Rockfish
Sablefish
Sheepshead
Snapper
Spanish mackerel
Striped bass (ocean)
Tilefish
(Atlantic Ocean)
Tuna, albacore/
white tuna, canned
and fresh/frozen
Tuna, yellowfin
Weakfish/seatrout
White croaker/
Pacific croaker
Choices to Avoid
HIGHEST MERCURY LEVELS
King mackerel
Marlin
Orange roughy
Sacramento blackfish
Shark
Swordfish
Tilefish
(Gulf of Mexico)
Tuna, bigeye
Create a poster or drawing to show the different types of fish
and seafood that are safe to eat in moderation and which
ones should be avoided.
CHOOSING FISH TO EAT
Compare this list with the fish and seafood you eat regularly. It is important to know the
types of fish and seafood that may contain high levels of mercury.
Perch
Tilefish
Tilapia
American lobster
¦\BV
Anchovy
Atlantic croaker
Atlantic mackerel
Black sea bass
Butterfish
Catfish
Clam
Cod
Crab
Crawfish
Flounder
Haddock
Hake
Oyster
Trout
Crawfish
Salmon
Pacific chub mackerel
Whiting
Mahi mahi
Marlin
Spanish mackerel
Bigeye tuna
Yellowfin
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r '±> STAY SAFE: PROTECT YOURSELF
FROM MERCURY
For some tribal nations and other communities, eating certain kinds of fish is an
important cultural practice with a long and rich history.
Eating fish can be a healthy source of nutrients and protein. However, some fish
contain more mercury than others. The good news is you can learn to protect yourself
and your community from mercury by checking local fish advisories.
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM MERCURY, WHILE STILL
EATING CERTAIN TYPES OF FISH
PON'T EAT, OR LIMIT YOUR INTAKE
OF, CERTAIN FISH THAT HAVE
UNSAFE MERCURY LEVELS.
WITH AN APULT, VISIT
THIS WEBPAGE TO:
1. LEARN MORE
ABOUT WHICH FISH
ARE AFFECTEP BY
MERCURY
2. LEARN TO BEST
CHOOSE WHICH FISH
TO EAT, ANP HOW
OFTEN TO EAT THEM.
SHARE WHAT YOU
LEARN ABOUT
MERCURY WITH
YOUR FAMILY ANP
FRIENPS.
5
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WAyS MERCURY CAN AFFECT LIVING THINGS
Because mercury can travel far, it gets into the bodies of animals
ranging from salamanders to polar bears. Animals can absorb mercury-
through water, air, and soil or from eating certain plants. Mercury can
harm an animal's ability to reproduce and take care of their young.
For example, mercury has harmful effects on birds:
Certain birds, such as
mallard ducks, lay fewer eggs
Loons lay fewer eggs and
feed their chicks less •.'•J >*•
Egret chicks get tired and
are less motivated to hunt
Fill in the blanks using what you learned from reading this page and
page 3:
1) Mercury is a , which means it's a poison that harms
the nervous system.
2) Bioaccumulation is a process in which substances (such as
mercury or pesticides) build up in living things.
3) Animals can absorb mercury through water, air and or from
eating certain plants.
4) Mercury can harm an animal's ability to reproduce and take care
of its .
5) Mercury can cause chicks to get tired and be less
motivated to hunt.
6
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ALL LIVING THINGS ARE INTERCONNECTEP
When mercury gets in our environment, it affects all living things.
We are all interconnected. These relationships between people, plants,
animals, and other forms of life are called food webs. Tribal communities
have a tradition of understanding and respecting the food web.
All communities should have the right to live in a healthy environment.
Food web activity
Draw a line from each animal or plant to the animal that eats it. (Many
animals might eat the same foods.) For instance, the Fallon Paiute
Shoshone Tribe of Nevada and California eat fish, waterfowl, wild
plants, and small game as part of their traditional cultural practice.
Mercury pollution can affect this important way of life.
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PROTECT YOUR WATERSHED
We all live in a watershed. A watershed is an area of land where all of
the water that is under it, or drains off of it, collects into the same place.
Did you know a raindrop that lands on top of a mountain can end up in
the ocean? It is important to clean up pollution everywhere so our water
stays clean.
Fill in the blanks with the names of the features within the watershed.
mining marsh trash cloud
chemicals river stream pesticides
groundwater rain wildfire ocean
8
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WATER IS LIFE
Mercury and other pollutants can affect your watershed. Water comes in
many forms. Below are just a few examples.
• Wetlands: An area of land covered by salt or freshwater or a mix of the two. This
water can be either seasonal or permanent. Some wetlands include marshes, bogs
and swamps.
• Springs: An area where water flows out of the ground, both seasonally and
permanently. Springs are especially important in the desert as a water source for
animals.
• Aquifer: An underground area where water fills cracks, stones and sand.
• Tributary: A river or stream flowing into a larger river or lake.
• Bayou: A slow-moving creek or a swampy section of a river or a lake, often found in
the southeastern part of the United States.
Draw or write about your favorite body of
water and how you can help protect it.
J I
VO you LIVE NEAR A WATER
BODY? WHAT TYPES OF
ANIMALS VO YOU SEE THERE?
9
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% PROTECTING PEOPLE AN(7 NATURE "CDA
FROM POLLUTION
In the 1960s and 1970s, concerned citizens started the environmental movement.
They were worried about pollution in the water they drank and the air they breathed.
They wanted the federal government to do something about it. This led to the birth
of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency which helps protect people and the
environment from mercury and other pollution.
Today we've made progress in cleaning up the environment. But with climate
change and other issues, there's a lot more work to do. You can help by reducing,
reusing, and recycling.
Reduce: Creating less trash
Example: Replacing plastic water bottles with refillable containers
Reuse: Finding new uses for something, instead of throwing it away
Example: Using recycled bags for groceries
Recycle: Turning something that could be trash into something useful
Example: Recycling aluminum cans and other reusable materials
Draw or paste pictures of things you can reduce, reuse and recycle.
J
n
10
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VO you WANT TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT?
EPA protects our land, water and air and the people who work
there do many jobs. They make sure environmental laws are
followed. They clean up pollution like mercury educate people about
the environment and much more. Protecting human health and the
environment requires diverse people with different skills.
What are you good at? Circle the person with the job you'd like to have
and write why you think it would be a cool job!
PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONAL
CREATES PROGRAMS THAT
PROTECT PEOPLE'S HEALTH.
/ r
INVESTIGATOR
MAKES SURE PEOPLE PO NOT
BREAK LAWS THAT PROTECT
THE ENVIRONMENT.
COMMUNICATOR
WRITES ANP SPEAKS TO
PEOPLE ABOUT EPA.
4 $ »;
LAWYER
STUPIES ANP INTERPRETS
LAWS THAT PROTECT THE
ENVIRONMENT.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST
STUPIES PEOPLE'S HEALTH
ANP THE ENVIRONMENT.
EPUCATOR
TEACHES KIPS, TEACHERS
ANP PARENTS ABOUT THE
ENVIRONMENT.
11
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HOW POLLUTION AFFECTS COMMUNITIES
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RESOURCES
LEARN ABOUT THESE RESOURCES WITH AN APULT IN YOUR LIFE.
Mercury Resources
Health Effects of Exposures to Mercury
epa.aov/mercurv/health-effects-exposures-mercurv
EPA Mercury
epa.aov/mercurv
Teacher Resources - Mercury, My Community, and Me
superfund.oreaonstate.edu/teacher-resources-mercurv-my-communitv-and-me
Mercury Contamination of Aquatic Environments
usas.aov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/mercurv-contamination-aquatic-
environments
Don't Mess with Mercury — A mercury spill prevention initiative for schools
atsdr.cdc.aov/dontmesswithmercurv
Choose Fish and Shellfish Wisely
epa.aov/choose-fish-and-shellfish-wisely
Advice about Eating Fish
fda.aov/food/consumers/advice-about-eatina-fish
Environmental Education Resources
EPA Environmental Education
epa.aov/students
EPA Environmental Justice
epa.aov/environmentaljustice
EPA EJScreen: Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool
epa.aov/ei screen
How's My Waterway EPA
mywaterway.epa.aov
We All Live in a Watershed
neefusa.ora/nature/water/lesson-l-watershed-basics
Resources for Students and Educators about Nonpoint Source (NPS) Pollution
epa.aov/nps/resources-students-and-educators-about-nonpoint-source
-nps-pollution
Search for Superfund Sites Where You Live
epa.aov/superfund/search-superfund-sites-where-vou-live
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
epa.aov/recycle
13
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DEFINITIONS
Bioaccumulation: (Bio-life/accumulation-build-up) Substances, like mercury,
that move up the food chain and build-up in wildlife
Contamination: the process of making something dirty or polluted
Ecosystem: a biological community of organisms that live and interact with
each other in a specific environment
Mercury: a naturally occurring heavy metal that is released into the
environment by human activity
Metallic Mercury (or Elemental Mercury): the shiny, silver-gray metal found
in thermometers, barometers, thermostats and other electrical switches. See
"Don't Mess with Mercury" resource on page 12
Neurotoxin: A substance that is known or suspected to be poisonous to
nerve tissue
Toxic: poisonous or harmful
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SPREAP YOUR WINGS!
Write or draw a
picture of something
you've learned.
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United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Publication No. 909F23001
August 2023
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