Mercury and our Society

       On essay 4 I am planning on writing my paper on the dangers of mercury from an environmental and social stand point. Currently, I feel as though there are a lot of people that are either unaware, or underestimate the issue at hand. Through my paper I am hoping to change the minds of those who wish to truly know what is going on and raise awareness and concern. Mercury is a toxin to humans that should not be ignored.

            

     Through my survey findings I have come to find that the majority of people are aware of the issue. Some of my questions however were oriented in the way that questioned what they really know about the issue; for instance, I asked, “Do you know how mercury can be found in food?” Even though 20 of 22 people were aware that Mercury can be found in food they eat only a good 50% think they know how it gets there. Through my paper I wish to express the truth of what really causes Mercury to end up in our food. I also asked who people blame for this occurrence, and I found the results to be as I anticipated. Out of 22 people, 10 blamed corporations, 4 blamed the government, 5 blamed people in general, and 3 blamed themselves.

         

     In all honesty the majority understand that corporations are to blame for most of the pollution in the world. The amount of output of hazardous wastes a lot of companies do is just ridiculous. During my senior year of high school, my forensics teacher was explaining to us her previous job as a chemical engineer and how she worked for a company called Dupant. For her job she had to go from company to company testing the amount of hazardous wastes they are dumping into the environment and how much damage it is causing. If a company was exposing well beyond the legal limit they were fined; however, she explained to us how this didn’t stop the major companies like GM or Coca-Cola who say they do not have time to worry about the waste they are disposing of and just take the fine annually.

        

      The attitude of these companies and certain people are due for a change. It is reckless, irresponsible, and unfair how they are affecting everyone else’s life with their dangerous wastes. What about the person that buys a common national product such as a bottle of water, or maybe a can of tuna? That consumer trusts the market, the corporation, and the people that distribute that product to not affect their health, other than the way stated on the nutrition label. When people consume products there shouldn’t be any unexpected toxins or dangerous substances being found in that product, and unfortunately this is currently happening.

          

     Today Mercury is being found in abnormal amounts in many fish products. It is being said that the average person should watch how much fish they consume in a month, due to the increase of Methylmercury being found in fish products. It is funny because there use to be a time when the public was encouraged to eat fish almost on a daily basis for dietary reasons, but now it is dangerous. The reckless ways of pollution do not need to be controlled, they need to be stopped.