Purchase alkaline batteries with no added mercury. Button batteries, used in watches, cameras, and calculators, are recyclable. Return these to a retail outlet that collects them, or to a household hazardous waste collection program. Don't dump antifreeze down your drain. Contact your county solid waste office for information on proper disposal of anti-freeze.
Mercury attaches to particles of organic material or sediment and falls to the river or lake bottom.
Bacteria and other microorganisms consume the mercury and convert it to a fat-soluble form. Bacteria that contain mercury are eaten by small animals on the riverbed and the mercury enters their fatty tissues. Small fish eat the small animals. Larger fish eat the smaller fish and the mercury builds up in their tissues. The older the fish, the more mercury it contains.