Methyl mercury is a toxic compound that accumulates in the food chain and poses an ecological and a human health threat. Gustin and fellow university researcher George Taylor began studying mercury-contaminated tailings at the Carson River site in 1993. Their task was to determine what factors make mercury travel from contaminated soil and water to the air. Elemental mercury is constantly released into the atmosphere from contaminated areas. Because it is liquid, it continuously evaporates.
Temperature is an important factor that controls the rate at which mercury becomes airborne.
If it gets hotter, water evaporates faster. Mercury acts the same way. And the hotter it gets, the more mercury goes out into the air. We also found that light is a factor. When light shines on these tailings, more mercury is released.