McMaster prof offers a closer look at contaminants

Mercury is a metal that's present naturally in soils and rocks, but we also release a lot of it to the atmosphere when we burn fossil fuels and garbage, and in artisanal gold mining. That mercury gets carried in wind for thousands of kilometres and can be deposited in remote areas and concentrated in food webs. We know it can cause effects on the nervous system and reproduction in humans, wildlife and fish, so there is a global focus on reducing the use of this metal in consumer products and its release to the air. There is a brand new global treaty called the Minamata Convention that came into effect in August that will go a long way to reducing human use and release of mercury. We know from previous experience that global actions are critical and very effective at reducing chemical exposures.
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