It's too early to make a definitive assessment of the samples taken, but researchers believe that the data will provide important information about the effect of mercury on loons and other fish-eating birds. In Roman mythology, Mercury was the messenger to the other gods, and was himself the god of travel, commerce, and thievery. He was rapidly changeable in character. The behavior of mercury in the environment shows a remarkable resemblance to the behavior and character of the messenger god. Today, large amounts of mercury enter the environment from atmospheric deposition.
Mercury travels far downwind, before raining down on Maine's lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams.
In the atmosphere, mercury is in its less-toxic, inorganic form. But mercury is different from other heavy metals and contaminants because of its ability to change from a non-toxic inorganic form into organic methylmercury, which can then be absorbed across cell walls in animal tissue and once there, accumulate to potentially toxic concentrations. Mercury occurs naturally in volcanoes, bedrock, and the ocean, but researchers studying mercury have determined that mercury deposition today is three to five times higher than before the 1940s, and that global inputs are increasing by 1.5 percent per year. Mercury is primarily generated by coal-fired power plants, waste incinerators, and chemical plants, many of whom are located in the Midwest, making the toxic metal a source of great political debate. The substance is also still used in mining and metal processing and in the manufacture of disinfectants, dental fillings, lightbulbs, some types of batteries, and electric switches.