Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Contaminants in our Water

In class today we discussed the many contaminants or pollutants in our drinking water. Please choose one of the four that is listed in todays powerpoint, do some research and share what you have learned.

104 comments:

  1. DDT stands for Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane. It causes effects on the nervous system, kidneys, liver, and immune system in test animals. In humans DDT has been known to harm the nervous system and mimics hormones, disrupting the endocrine system in one's body. It also has effects on reproductive systems, berth defects, and can cause cancer. DDT was used during World War II to control typhus, which is a disease transmitted by lice and fleas, and causes prostration, headache, and reddish spots on the body. It has also been used to fight mosquito transmitted malaria and then was used as an agricultural insecticide. It was the first synthetic pesticide, and though it seemed like a good idea at first it created widespread environmental concern. It is fat soluble and is found in many fatty foods such as dairy and meat products. There are 47 countries in the world that still permit the import and use of DDT. It is toxic to fish and birds. It has been known to lead to serious problems for wildlife populations. DDT is banned or restricted in over 38 countries.

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  2. Mercury
    Mercury is the only common metal which is liquid at ordinary temperatures.
    Mercury has a number of effects on humans
    Some are:
    Disruption of the nervous system
    Damage to brain functions
    DNA damage and chromosomal damage
    Allergic reactions, resulting in skin rashes, tiredness and headaches
    Negative reproductive effects, such as sperm damage, birth defects and miscarriages
    The effects that mercury has on animals are kidneys damage, stomach disruption, damage to intestines, reproductive failure and DNA alteration

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  3. Mercury is a natural element and is in many of the foods we eat. It is also in the air, water, and soil. Here in Colorado our coal has a lot of mercury in it because we use the lowest grade. When this coal is burned it is released into the atmosphere and later in to the environment. Coal burning power plants are the largest human caused polutants in the Unighted States. Coal bruning power plants are putting off 40% of the mercury emmisions in the US. When the human body is exposed to mercury for to long some of the sidefects are it can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system of people of all ages. Back in the olden days when they made hats out of beaver pelts, they used a bat of mercury to be able to mold the hat. The people that molded these hats had their hands in the mercury almost all day. eventualy the mercury would go to the central nervous system and the brain and would start to break down both of these slownly but shurly causing the person to not be able to feel any thing and go insane. This was called mad haters desiese. Now the EPA is encouraging the public to buy mercury free products.

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  4. MERCURY-
    Mercury can affect humans in various severe ways:
    they affect the nervous system
    they affect brain functions

    bad reproductive effects
    may cause shaking of the hands, eyelids, lips, tongue, or jaw


    used in barometers, thermometers, pesticides, pharmaceutical preparations, reflecting surfaces of mirrors, and dental fillings, in certain switches, lamps.

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  5. PCBs, also known as polychlorinated biphenyls, are found in fish. They are also found in old electrical transformers, landfills, circut brakers, and in flurescent light ballasts, as well as other electriacal equipment containing electric insulation fluid. Even though PCBs were banned in 1977, old electrical equipment may still contain it, and when they fail the contaminent will flow towards the nearest bay by stormwater. They are also relased into the atmosphere and from there fall on to the cities, forests and even rivers, as well as other bodies of water. How are fish contaminated? Well, the contaminents build up at the bottom of streams, lakes, ect. Small bottom-feeding organisms then eat the from the bottom and the life cycle continues. Bigger fish eat those little organisms, then bigger fish eat those fish, and bigger fish, and so on. But then to humans, who also eat the fish, sometimes the contaminated ones. PCBs have known to cause cancer in animals, as well as effects the nerves, immune, and reproductive systems. In humans on the other hand, there are potential cancerous and non-cancerous effects. Women who eat the contaminated fish are the biggest worries though. The toxins can have an effect on developing fetuses, as well as low birth weight. In short to crystalize, this contaminate shouldn't be just tossed aside. It very harmful and should be disposed of properly.

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  6. Mercury is a element in alot of the foods we eat. It can guve us bad long term effects after a while of eating it. So i think food companies need to try to get a way of not having it in our foods we eat so we can not get problems later on in life and for the next generations and than the next.

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  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  8. Mercury:
    In Colorado we burn the lowest grade of coal which means that we are releasing a lot of mercury into the air. This ends up in or food/drinks and we breathe it. When humans are exposed to mercury for long periods of time it can affect the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and the immune system. This is still a problem but, along time ago it was much worse. There were these people called the mad hatters and they would make hats out of leather and other materials. In order to soften up the material they would boil it in mercury and after words, would not wash their hands. They would be around it all day breathing it putting their hands in it ect. They would then get very sick and would go crazy. This is how they got their name the mad hatters. We have learned since then and mercury can make us very sick or die.

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  9. TCE or Trichloroethylene is a human made, non-flammable, colorless liquid. This chemical can get into your body by contact with skin, inhalation, and ingestion. The long term affects of exposure to TCE can lead to cancer, and kidney and liver failure. Also breathing in amounts of it can cause headaches, lung irritation, dizziness, poor
    coordination and difficulty concentrating. When in contact with your skin it causes irritation and rashes and when ingested can lead to kidney damage. This chemical is great for cleaning but when it comes to health this chemical should either be used in small amounts or not at all.

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  10. Mercury is the only metal that exists in nature as a liquid. Also is found naturally in air, water, and soil. Mercury is also found in coal so when we burn it is released into our atmosphere and when it rains the rain has a little mercury in it. The effects that mercury has on us and other animals are death, reduced reproduction, slower growth, and abnormal behavior. Mercury has a bad effect on us and other animals we need to slow the use of mercury and coal so we can live longer and happier.

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  11. TCE - Trichloroethylene
    TCE is a colourless liquid used for cleaning metal parts. it can be found in paint removers and spot removers and can stay in groundwater for a long time. Drinking or breathing TCE can cause harmfull effect on your nervous system, liver and lungs. it can also cause abnormal heartbeat, coma, and possibly death.

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  12. DDT: Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane
    DDT kills things because it attacks the nervous system of that thing therefore making them "as mad as a hater". This was originally used in world war 2 to keep the typhus away. DDT also attacks the liver to make a liver failure. If you consume more than you should it could lead to birth defects, reproductive affects, or cancer. DDT is a soluble that is very high in fat and is mostly located in meat or dairy products. There are 203 cased where DDT was the main cause of what happened to the person. DDT is very dangerous if too much is consumed.

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  13. DDT is a very deadly pesticde. If it is consumed it can give you cancer, birth defects and reproductive effects. It can be consumed in residuos in food. The ecological effect is killing birds and fish and it can ruin the enviroment especially in developing countries

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  14. Mercury:

    What is it?
    Mercury is a “naturally occurring element that is found in the air, water, and soil.” Mercury can exist in many different forms such as, “elemental or metallic mercury, inorganic mercury compounds, and organic mercury compounds.”

    Where does it come from?
    One of many elements found in the earth’s crust is mercury. Mercury is also produced when coal is burned and is released into the environment.

    Who uses it?
    Small amounts of mercury are produced for chemical and pharmaceutical applications.
    What are the health risks/effects?
    If someone consumes methylmercury, which can be formed from certain microorganisms that can change mercury into methylmercury, through consumption of fish, shellfish, and animals that eat fish, humans can become very sick, or die. If pregnant women eat fish that had methylmercury, the child may have neurodevelopment problems.

    Other interesting facts:
    Mercury can be found in many thermometers, chemical pesticides, and batteries.
    Mercury is classified as a “Transition metal.”
    Mercury was named after the Roman god Mercury.

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  15. DDT stands for Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and kills by attacking the nervous system. The properties of DDT was discovered by Paul Müller, a Swiss scientist, in 1942 and used in World War two. Though many people and a lot of time has been put into completely figuring out DDT no one knows why or how it affects your nervous system. Most recently DDT was used to kill bugs and is still used in Africa so the bugs can't spread diseases. In much of the rest of the world it is not used any more because it was killing the animals that would eat the bugs that were killed.

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  16. TCE's
    What is it?
    TCE stands for trichloroethylene. It is non-flammable, and colorless. The main use for TCE's is to clean the grease off of metal. Some of the other places where it can be found is in typewriter correction fluid, paint removers, glue, and spot removers. It is man-made
    Where did it come from?
    It mostly comes from evaporation in the air when we use it.
    How much is too much?
    5 ppb in water
    What does it do to me?
    If you breathe it in, you can get headaches, dizziness, you might have a hard time concentrating, breathing and become clumsy. And eventually damage to internal organs. If you drink it, you might have liver and kidney
    damage, harm immune system functions and if you are pregnant, the fetus' development can be damaged.

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  17. TCE means Trichoroethylene is a man made chemical that is not found in the encironment. when TCE go into the rvers, lakes, streams, and puddies is is soke up by the planes. we eat the food that we grow and thats one of the way to get TCE in our body. It may cause cancer if you have do to mush or liver, lung,kidney and blood falerd . some test can tell if you are exposed to the the camiale. TCE can make you very sick it realy depened on how much you are exposed of. Breathing, drinking it , and lf the camial shoke in the skin it will affect you health magerly. the government are leming the amout of cerson camigle can go to the river or other water place.

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  18. Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is found in air, water, or soil. It is found in two different forms: elemental or metallic mercury, inorganic mercury compounds, and organic mercury compounds. It is found in the Earth's crust and is referred to as a liquid metal. It is used in products like thermometers, switches, and some light bulbs. More specifically, it is found in coal, so when burned in power plants, can be very environmentally unsafe. When exposed, mercury can reach land, hurting humans so much as to create high levels that hurt our hearts, brains, lungs, kidneys, and immune systems. In addition, it can leak and attack the ocean, harming marine life as each predator attacks a lower fish on the food chain, creating a cycle. Fish also can affect their ecosystems. The EPA (that you Mr. Boyce!) and the FDA have worked hard to end mercury's disastrous effects.

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  19. TCE, or Trichloroethylene is not normally found in the environment. It is not flammable and is colorless, has a sweet odor, and a sweet burning taste. It is used as a cleaner to remove grease or metal parts but, it can also be found in glues, paint removers, typewriter correction fluid, and spot removers. Breathing in high levels my cause headaches, lung irritation, dizziness, poor coordination and difficulty concentrating. Breathing in very high levels for long periods of time may cause nerve, kidney, and liver damage.

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  20. Mercury:
    Mercury is a liquid metal That is used in thermometers, switches and light bulbs. Mercury is found in many rocks, including coal. When the coal is burned, mercury is released into the environment. Coal-burning power plants are the largest human-caused source of mercury to the air in the United States producing over 40% of all human-caused mercury emissions. Because we use the lowest grade of coal in Colorado, we release a lot of mercury into the air. The mercury in the air then, ends up in rivers and lakes causing the fish to have a build up in mercury. Research shows that if a young child or a baby is exposed to too much mercury, it may harm the developing nervous system of the kid, making the child less able to think and learn. If someone is exposed to mercury in high amounts, it may cause harm to the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system.

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  21. TCE is a nonflammable, colorless liquid with a sweet odor. It is mainly used as a solvent to remove grease from metal parts. It is also an ingredient in adhesives, paint removers, and spot removers. It is believed to not occur naturally in the environment but is found in the atmosphere and in underground water sources due to the manufacture, use, and disposal of it. TCE affects us if we breathe in small amounts by causing dizziness, lung irritation, headaches, poor coordination and having trouble concentrating. Breathing it in large amounts may cause death, nerve damage and other long term conditions.

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  22. Polychlorinated Biphenyls, AKA PCBs, is a toxin that has been known to cause cancer, damage the immune, nervous and reproductive system. PCBs doesn't come in direct contact with humans, rather it sits in the bottom of rivers building up in the fish's tissue, then when a human eats a contaminated fish they are exposed the PCBs.

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  23. Mercury is the only metal that exists in nature as a liquid. Also is found in the air, water, and soil. Mercury is also found in coal so when we burned it is released into our atmosphere which then effects the precipition. The effects that mercury has on us and other animals are death, reduced reproduction, slower growth, and abnormal behavior. Mercury, I think, is one of the most dangerouse for thoes reasons.

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  24. Trichloroethylene is used as a solvent to clean grease off of metal parts. It is also an ingredient in adhesives, paint removers, typewriter correction fluids, and spot removers. It is a colorless nonflameable liquid with a sweet odor. It is believed as not a natural ocurrance in the enviorment. Long term exposure can cause nerve, liver, and kidney damage. Also just breathing in high levels of TCE may cause things that mess with your head like headaches, trouble concentrating, dizziness, poor coordination, and it can also cause liver irritation.

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  25. TCE also called trichloroethlene is a non flammable, colorless liquid. TCE is used in dry cleaners but also can clean the grease off of metal parts. This chemical also is used in glues and paint removers. Fortunatly TCE is not found in our environment. TCE can cause long term effect like liver and kidney damage. This chemical mostly comes from evaporation in the air. Don't let TCE touch your skin because it can give you rashes and skin irritation. This colorless liquid is not good for our health and should be used in smaller amounts.

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  26. Mercury:
    Mercury exists in the air, water, and in the soil; and is the only metal that is originally a liquid. Humans can't create or destroy mercury. The burning of coal accounts for 40% of the human-caused mercury emissions. Mercury can harm the brain, heart, and other major parts of the human body. Mercury in the atmosphere eventually ends up in the water and therefor in the fish. Mammals and birds that eat fish are highly exposed to mercury which can lead to death, abnormal behavior, and reduced reproduction. Mercury effects the majority of living things on our planet, which makes it one of the most dangerous types of water contamination.

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  27. TCE:
    TCE is the abbreviation for trichloroethylene. TCE is a poisonous liquid that does not have a specific color or it is colorless. It is a degreasing solvent for fats, oils, and waxes. If TCE ends up in the body some of the effects may be, cancer, liver, kidney, and reproductive effects.

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  28. Mercury:
    Mercury is found in three main places in the world: the air, water and soil. Since it is an element that originates in the earth's crust, we humans cannot destroy it. It is used to make many things that we use everyday such as thermometers, switches and even some light bulbs. A very big problem with mercury is that it is also found in coal, meaning that when we burn it, we release bits of mercury into the air. It can cause damage to the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system, as well as break down the nervous system when exposed. In class, we talked about how people exposed to Mercury became "mad-hatters" from un-intentionally ingesting and inhaling Mercury. It is very abundant which causes people to understand that it is a very dangerous element.

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  29. TCE is a harmful non-organic chemical that is mostly used for removing grease from metals. It enters the environment mostly through the evaporation of TCE when removing grease from metals and when we use household products that have TCE. TCE can harm you in many ways. It gets in your body by either inhaling air with TCE vapor, ingesting the it, and coming into contact with TCE. When high amounts of TCE enter your body it can cause cancer, headaches, less concentration, clumsiness, and dizziness. It can also effect fetal development within pregnant women and harm kidneys and your liver when drunk. TCE is a very harmful chemical.

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  30. I found out that Mercury exists in several forms like elemental or metallic mercury, inorganic mercury compounds, and organic mercury compounds. I found out that man can not create nor distroy it. Mercury is a liquid metal and it is also called quicksilver. The most commen places that mercury is found is thermometers, switches, and some light bulbs.
    I learned that coal has high amounts of mercury in it.

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  31. I looked up the pesticide DDT and found that it stands for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane. The pesticide's insecticidal properties were found around 1939 to 1942 by the Swiss chemist, Paul Hermann Müller. DDT was used in the later years of World War II for controlling the troop's typhus and malaria (because it gets rid of mosquitoes). After that it was used for agricultural reasons and it supposedly helped the production. DDT does not have a color, but does have a little bit of an odor. It doesn't really dissolve very well in water but does dissolve pretty well in fats and oils. The pesticide is very dangerous to our environment and is easily absorbed by soil and organisms and is hydrophobic. It is very dangerous to animals and water animals. It is particularly dangerous for birds, and it makes their eggshells thinner than they are so that some of them break before they hatch. This causes uneven population of birds. The main reason it was considered useful was to get rid of mosquitoes and other insects, because it is also very dangerous to them.

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  32. I looked up Mercury and found out that it has been polluting or planet and water for decades. It is a really harsh chemical.I also discovered mercury comes in many different states of matter from solid metals to liquid water and gas polluting the air. I don't know if there is any real way we can stop this.

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  33. I researched Mercury. Mercury is an element in the earths crust that cannot be created or destroyed by humans. Mercury gets in the air and water because we burn coal that has high levels of mercury. Small microorganisms change this mercury in the water in to methylmercury that is a highly toxic type of mercury that can build up in fish, shellfish, and other animals that eat fish. This is the reason some mammals are endangered, because they eat fish and this methylmercury builds up in them which could result in death, reduced reproduction, slower growth and development, and abnormal behavior. Other effects of mercury on humans include harm to the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system of people of all ages. Mercucy is all around us everyday and we should try to reduce these high levels by using alternative energy sources or burning cleaner coal or natural gas.

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  34. Mercury


    Mercury gets in water and air because when we burn coal it is released into the air. Humans can't create or destroy mercury. When it is in its pure form it is liquid, which is also known as quicksilver. If mercury gets into the bloodstream of a developing baby then it can mess uo their nercous system and they will have learning disabilities. Microorganisms can turn it inro methylmercury which can cause fish shellfish and the animals that eat these animals to be greatly affected.

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  35. I researched DDT and here is what i found.
    DDt was first used in 1874 and ever since then it has been a controversial pesticide. DDT is used to kill insects but it is banned in the U.S. after it started to kill larger birds of prey. DDt is still used in many places and is used mainly to kill masquetos. The EPA allows 2ppb but any amount of DDt is harmful. It can cause breast cancer to humans and it hurts other animalsw in the enviroment too. DDT is poison, and it is in our water!

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  36. Lexi Mercier Per1
    DDT
    I learned that DDT was used in WWII to control typhus (a disease from fleas and lice) but since then it has been used to control malaria (a disease from mosquito's).But DDT is dangerous to animals and our environment so there are restrictions on it's use.

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  37. PCB
    This week I learned that PCB is a contaminant. It is used in many things that we have used in previous years and even in present day. Things such as Adhesives and tapes,oil-based paint, caulking, plastics, carbonless copy paper, and floor finish. The allowable amount of PCB is 500 ppt. Some harsh effects than can be caused are cancer,chemical acne, reduced birth weight, reduced IQ and test performance.This contaminant is not good and could ruin a life if the intake is too high.

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  38. Mercruy is an elemant that is found in soil, the air and water. Mercury is released into the atmosphere through the burning of coal and then sinks into the land or water. Because of this, most fish and other sea creatures have mercury in their skin. This is one of the main ways that humans are exposed to mercury. High amounts of mercury in the body can damage the nervous system and lead to the disabilities of learning. Mercury can also be exposed in the activation of gold mines and waste.

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  39. Mercury can be found in water, soil, and in the air. It is also an element that occurs naturally. Mercury is in a lot of different rocks including coal. The largest source of mercury is in coal power plants. Mercury like mass and matter cannot be destroyed nor created. Exposure to this element is highly toxic. It can harm the brain, lungs, and heart. Mercury can also do damage to the nervous system. Fish and shellfish get mercury in their systems. This means it is harmful to eat a large amount of fish if women are pregnant. Animals that eat fish are more exposed to mercury than others.

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  40. Mercury is very harmful to our health. When we burn coal we are releasing mercury into our atmosphere. Water is the universal solvent, therefore it takes that mercury and dissolves it. This causes the fish and other animals to have a content of mercury which eventually gets to us by eating the fish. It's scary that you have several effects from mercury. Your heart can get affected which that is one of the things that keep you alive. It damages your nervous system which makes you not think as fast. The weird thing about it is that when the fish ate exposed to mercury they don't get harmed as much as some other things that can kill them. Therefore how do we know they have been exposed to mercury?

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  41. DDT stands for dichlorodiphenyltrichlorethane, its one of the most well known synthetic pesticides. The first synthesized in 1874. DDT's insecticidal properties were not discovered until 1939 and it was great success in the second half of world war 2 to control malania and typhus among civilians and troops. It was resulted in a large public outcry that eventually led to DDT being banned in the US in 1972. DDT was subsequently banned for agricultural use worldwide under the stockholm convention but its limited use in disease vector control continues to this day and remains contrversial. The US ban on DDT is cited by scientists as a major factor in the comeback of the bald eagle.

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  42. I reasearched the pesticide DDT. I found that it stands for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane. The swiss chemist Paul Mueller dicver that DDT was a insecticidle chemical sometime around 1939-1942. This chemical was used in the later years of World War II for controlling the troop's typhus and malaria. DDT gets rid of Mosquitos. DDT has an odor but not color. The pesticide is very dangerous to our environment and is easily absorbed by soil and organisms. It is very dangerous to animals and water animals. It is particularly dangerous for birds, and it makes their eggshells thinner than they are so that some of them break before they hatch.

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  43. Mercury and a human's health:
    Mercury can impact a human's health in a few different ways. Mercury attacks the nervous system, causing random spaztic attacks that your body can't control. Mercury is a by-product of coal-burning power plants. It is realeased into the atmosphere, then falls back to Earth, comtaminating mainly water sources. The safe amount of mercury in water is 1 ppm. People are exposed to mercury when eating some foods, mainly fish, or drinking water exposed to mercury. Mercury can cause many symptoms to the human body, things like mood swings, depression, and/or loss of self control. It can cause breathing problems, oral problems, and neurological problems as well.

    Mercury and the planet:
    Mercury is found in most coal. When the coal is mined and used in coal-burning powerplants, which release the mercury into the air, then the mercury falls back down to the Earth, infecting the water supply. When the bugs in the water drink it, they get poisoned. Then the fish eat the bugs, then people eat the fish. Mercury can also be absorbed into skin, or breathed in. Mercury is released when a volcanoe errupts, when humans burn fossils fuels, or forest fire smoke. This is how mercury gets into the environment, and can affect people and our water supply.

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  44. DDT stands for Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane. DDT attacks the nervous system of living things that come into contact with it or is consumed by that living thing. DDT is a pesticide used to kill and treat maleria (a disease which comes from mosquitos) as well as a weapon used during World War Two. if consumed or absorbed through contact, DDT can cause cancer, liver failure, heart computations, and birth/reproductice deffects in offspring.

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  45. Mercury is a liquid metal that can be found in many of the foods we eat every day. When we burn coal mercury gets into our air and water. When mercury gets into our system it can cause death, slower growth, abnormal behavior, and death to us and animals. Because it is released when we burn coal it is very dangerous and we are exposed to it everyday. Also even though their is very little of it in our food it can still be harmful. The more we eat the more we get in our system and the more dangerous it becomes to us. So we need to find new energy sources so we don't have to burn as much coal, and ways to either prevent mercury getting into our bodies or find a way to keep mercury our of the food we eat, that's when mercury won't be as dangerous to us and humans.

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  46. Mercury is found in air, water, and soil. We can not create or destroy it. Mercury can be fund in thermometers, switches and some light bulbs. Mercury is found on many things like rocks and soil. When burn coal at coal-burning power plants, it is released into the atmosphere. When you spill or break mercury products, it also goes into the environment. The mercury in the air gets in the water; a very high toxic form of mercury, methylmercury, gets into fish and shellfish and whomever eat them. The EPA issues how often we should eat commercially caught fish and shell fish. We do not want people to never eat fish and shellfish fore are a health part of our diet; we should just eat fish that have low methylmercury in them. People who are exposed to any form at a young age can have problem of being able to think and learn. Animals that eat fish are also exposed to mercury and it can kill them among other things. The EPA issues regulations that require reducing mercury into the air. Overall, mercury can be very dangerous.

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  47. Mercury cannot be created or destroyed. Mercury is released in coal burning power plants. It is in the air and it is in the water. Since water is a universal solvent it can dissolve the mercury but it is still in the water. Fish and shellfish can be poisoned by it and birds and mammals that eat it could be effected by it too. That's why the EPA is warning people about the risks of eating fish. It could cause women who are pregnat or young children to have a lower IQ level when they are older. Obviously mercury is a very serious thing.

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  48. I decided to choose Mercury for my contaminant. Mercury is a very dangerous sunstance which is found in our waters. Since it is found in the water it can contaminate the fish and any other type of water bearing creatures, thats why when you buy fish you must prepare it before you eat it which will get rid of some of the poisons in the fish. If a pregnant women is exposed to the pioson it can cause their children to have lower iq's. Also other animals that eat fish could also be exposed to mercury.

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  49. I chose mercury for my contaminant. It is the only metal that is in liqude form at room temperature and pressure. It has many effects on humans including nervous system disorder and lower iq's in unborn children. A person can get mercury poisning from eating even fish who have been eating too much high mercury content food. It is also released into the atmosphere by caol burning power plants.

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  50. TCE is a non-natural chemical that is found in many household objects, like glue and paint and spot removers. Usually, it is used to remove grease from substances. Most TCE that is found in the environment gets there through evaporation. One of the most common ways this happens is when TCE is spilled or left in puddles on the street, and then evaporates. One problem about evaporated TCE is that TCE vapor can be inhaled by humans and cause problems with their bodily functions. It can also enter your body by drinking polluted water or by being absorbed through your skin. High levels of TCE cause nerve, kidney and liver damage/failure. Some more minor effects are dizziness, headaches, lack of coordination, lung irritation, lack of concentration, and skin rashes. TCE that was drank or eaten can also caused problems for developing fetuses.

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  51. Mercury
    Name of Element : Mercury
    Symbol of Element : Hg
    Atomic Number of Mercury : 80
    Atomic Mass: 200.59 amu
    Melting Point: -38.87 °C - 234.28 °K
    Boiling Point: 356.58 °C - 629.73 °K
    Number of Protons/Electrons in Mercury : 80
    Number of Neutrons in Mercury : 121
    Crystal Structure: Rhombohedral
    Density @ 293 K: 0.53 g/cm3
    Color of Mercury : white
    The Element Mercury is known as
    A white poisonous element, liquid at room temperature and used in thermometers, vapor lamps, and batteries and in the preparation of chemical pesticides. Mercury is known as a "Transition Metal" which are located in Groups of the Periodic Table. An Element seen as a Transition Metals is malleable and able to conduct electricity and heat.What are the origins of the word Mercury ?
    It was named after the Roman god Mercury. Its symbol (Hg) comes from hydrargyrum from the Greek word hydrargyros meaning 'water' and 'silver'.
    This is very bad for you. if you get enough in you then pretty much your screwed. Mr. Boyce was telling us "your as mad as a hatter" it is said because people used to use mercury to make hats or something like that and it made them go crazy. so pretty much it can kill you or makw you go crazy.

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  52. DDT is a very deadly pestiside. It has horrible effects; it has been proven to make mice, rats, and rabbits unfertile.Another thing that i found quite interesting was that DDT is used to kill mosquitio's but the mosquito's have built a tolerance to it. It also increases tumor size and cancer of the lungs and livers in humans.

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  53. Mercury is an element that is found in air, soil, and water. It is elemental or metallic mercury, inorganic mercury compounds, and organic mercury compounds. Mercury is in the Earths crust.Pure mercury is a liquid metal, sometimes referred to as quicksilver that volatizes readily. It is used to make products like thermometers, switches, and some light bulbs. Mercury is also found in rocks like coal. Mercury can be dangerious and the EPA works with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and with states and tribes, to issue advice to women who may become pregnant, pregnant women, nursing mothers and parents of young children about how often they should eat certain types of commercially-caught fish and shellfish.

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  54. PCBs are a chemical contaminent found in some fish types, as they move up on the food period. PCBs include: old electrical transformers, landfills or waste sites, and more. Although PCBs were banned in 1977, still in use can fail. Fish get PCBs when sediment at the bottom of rivers or streams and other fish's tissues get stuck and then other fish will eat the contaminated fish. DID YOU KNOW THAT PCBS CAN CAUSE CANCER? and like mercury cause nervous system to be distoryed.

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  55. Mercury is an element that is commonly found in water, the air, and soil, however high levels of mercury in water, air or the soil can cause severe health problems. Mercury, which is changed into methyl mercury when added to certain microorganisms, gets into the water, where it can get into fish, shellfish, and animals that eat fish. Since fish is eaten by many humans, it is the main source of exposure of methyl mercury to humans. Mercury can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system when it is exposed in high levels. Although eating fish isn’t a health concern, high levels of methyl mercury have been found in the bloodstreams of unborn babies and children causing a breakdown in their nervous systems.

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  56. Trichloroethylene also known as TCE is a chemical that is not naturally found in nature, a man made chemical. TCe isn't flammable and it is a colorless liquid. TCE is commonly used as a cleaner to remove grease from metal parts. It has also been known to be found in glues, paint removers, and spot removers. TCE is developed when a liquid changes into a vapor, evaporation. When industries use TCE to remove grease from metal, also TCE can enter the air when other products contain TCE are used. TCE mostly affects human when high levels of TCE are breathed in. Some aftereffects of breathing high levels include headaches, lung irritation, and dizziness. As well when breathing very high levels of TCE for long periods of time can cause never, kidney and liver damage. Humans can be affected by TCE through any type of exposure, but the level of TCE usually must be high.

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  57. DDT stands for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and it is a very dangerous pesticide which will make humans and animals sick or even die depending on how much is consumed. They still use this pesticide in Africa to keep the mosquitoes form giving people malaria but it was banned in the US in 1972. It was also used in WWII to help control malaria also. If humans ingest it over a period of time then they could develop breast cancer or disrupt endocrines in the body.

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  58. Mercury is an element that is obtained by reduction of cinnabar and cinnabar is highly toxic to the human body when ingested.

    When mercury does enter the body it moslty effectss the nervous, digestive, respiratory systems, and the kidneys.

    On January 1st, 2008, a ban on the sale and distribution of mercury took affect.

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  59. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  60. DDT is a toxic chemical used as an insect killer. It is moderately toxic to mammals. DDT affects the nervous system and the liver. Some side affects of moderate intake of DDT are nausea, diarrhea, and irritated eyes, nose, and throat. At higher levels of the chemical, convulsions could occur. Death caused by DDT is rare, but it is still a threat to the world. It had chronic affects on the nervous system, liver, kidneys, and immune system of tested animals. One study conducted on DDT suggested that DDT and miscarriage could possibly be linked, but not necessarily directly. On animals tested, it increased tumor production in the liver and lungs. It is fat-soluble, so it can reside in foods like dairy and meat. Although it has been banned in many countries, residue has been found in the food of those countries. A study conducted in the U.K. in 1996 found traces of DDT in butter, milk, eggs, lamb, potatoes, deep-water fish, and shellfish. Studies show that children under the age of 14 have one-third the level of DDT in their body than those over 45. It has been detected in breast milk, which is passed on to infants. DDT is highly toxic to fish and can make eggshells of birds thinner, causing death to embryo.

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  61. Mercury- it is a naturally occuring element that is found in water and soil. It is an element in the Earths crust and exsposed into the air when coal is burned. Some cool things i learned were that they are used in batteries, pesticides, and in thermometers.

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  62. TCE, also known as Trichlorethylene, is one of the polutants that we discussed in class on Wednesday. TCE is a man made chemical that has a sweet odor and a burning taste. This chemical is colorless and flamiable. You would most likely find it in cleaners to remove grease from metal parts. It could also be found in glue and paint removers. Though TCE may be able to enter the soil when it rains, it cannot build up in plants or animals. The most common ways it will eneter the body is through breathing it in or drinking TCE contaminated water. If it it being exposed to the body for too long, side effects may include headache, lung irritation, dizziness, poor coordination, and poor concentration.

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  63. Mercury is an element on the periodic table with an atomic number of 80. At room temperature it is a liquid. Mercury is highly toxic. Surprisingly traces of it is found in common things we eat, for one is Hershy's chocolate. Mercury can be received by absorbing it through the skin, digesting it, and inhaling it. Some effects of mercury are, emotional changes, muscle weakness, and can have large effects on the nervous system. Mercury is often found in fish, and can cause mental deformities if ingested while pregnant.

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  64. Mercury is the only metal that exists in a liquid state at room temperature but it is also very toxic. The allowable limit for mercury in things we consume is 2 ppb which may only be a tiny bit but it can still kill you. Mercury used to be used by hat makers to shine the hats and make them look nice. The haters would absorbe the mercury threw there skin and it would break down their nervous system. Thats where the term mad as a hater comes from because it would make you crazy.

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  65. PCBs are odorless, tasteless, clear to pale yellow liquids. They have a very low solubility, making them able to very easily to contamine water. And, it is a very stable molocule and is hard to get rid of. To make matters worse though, PCBs can easily penetrate through the skin and latex materials. When humans come in contact of 500ppt of PCBs, the following side effects can occur:
    •Chloracne
    •Rashes
    •Poisoning
    •Possible Liver Damage
    •Fatigue
    •Headache
    •Coughing
    •Unusual skin sores

    Babies who are born from mothers with PCBs may:
    •Have a lower birth weight that what would be normal
    •Have Motor Skill problems
    •Have a decreased short-term memory
    •Have a weakend immune system
    •Have their geneder changed before they are born

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  66. Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature, and, as such is used in many products, including barometers, thermometers, batteries, and light bulbs. if you are exposed to a small amount over a long period, your organs (or developing fetuses) will be damaged. sudden exposure to large amounts will damage the nervous system, potentially causing brain damage.

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  67. Mercury is released from burning coal. 2ppb is the safe limit for Mercury. the cool thing about mercury is that at room tempratur it is a liquid. It has many effects on humans including nervous system disorder and lower iq's in unborn children. A person can get mercury poisning from eating even fish who have been eating too much high mercury content food.

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  68. For my research i looked up DDT which stands for Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane. The reason that this pesticide is so dangerous is because it kills by acting as a nerve poison. This pesticide was discovered by Swiss scientist Paul Muller. DDT is a mixture of isomers which are very dangerous for the nervous system. Not only is this pesticide dangerous to the nervous system but it is also dangerous for the liver, kidneys, and immune systems. As you see above this pesticide DDT is extremely dangerous to the human and depending on how much of it is taken in it can be deadly.

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  69. Mercury
    Mercury is one of the most dangerous chemicals out there. It is also commonly used, in thermometers and also is emmited when coal is burned. When mercury is given off like this, the byproducts settle into lakes and oceans, and also into land. This causes many effects on the ecosystem, as fish and mammals may die or become sick due to the mecury contamination.

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  70. TCE
    -Trichloroethylene
    -Man made chemical that can not be found naturally in the enviornment.
    -doesn't smell bad,not flammable,and is a colorless liquid.
    -The biggest amount comes from evaporation.
    -TCE can get into the rain, and some get evaporated back up, but some also goes underground into the water down there.
    -if you inhale it,it can cause headaches,lung irratation,dizziness,poor cordination,and difficulty concentrating.
    -if ingested can cause liver and kidney damage, harm your immune system functions and damage fetal development in pregant women.
    -if it comes in contact with the skin it could just cause a skin rash.

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  71. PCB's or Polychorinated Biphenyls are chemicals that contaminate water and cause major issues. They come from industrial areas and make their way to rivers and streams. Bottom crawlers eat the PCB in the bottom of the river or stream. Then a fish eats the bottom crawler. If a human eats that fish they then have PCB's in their system. When it's in the human it can cause cancer or reproductive issues. The production of PCB's was banned in 1977 but there are still some in the bottom of streams and rivers.

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  72. What is it? Anything flushed dumped or washed away. Mercury is a natural element that is in the air, water, and soil.
    Where does it come from? It comes from coal. Coal burning power plants put mercury in the air witch gets in the clounds whitch rains and gets in our water.
    What are the health risks? Exposure to mercury can hurt the brain, kedneys,lungs, and imune system.

    Kurtis Werner

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  73. DDT is a insecticide that is used to kill insects by acting as a nerve poisin. The insecticide gets into our water system by runoff and when it is ingested, excessive amounts can cause nerve damage, breast cancer or the toxins disrupt your endocrine system meaning that it messes with your natural hormones.

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  74. Mercury is a very toxic chemical used in barometers, thermometers, pesticides, batteries, mirrors, and dental fillings, and lamps. When mercury enters the body it can effect the nervous system, digestive system, respiratory system, as well as the kidneys. It also can have effects on the brain, heart, lungs, and immune system. Mercury can be found in the air, soil, and water. It is a liquid metal that is commonly found in water causing fish to have it. When we eat the fish we now have mercury in our bodies. It is advised for pregnant women to take caution in the fish they eat because this liquid metal can cause lower iq's of their children. The substance mercury can make you "as mad as a hatter".

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  75. TCE is a non flamable soulvent that is mainly used to remove grease from metal parts, but it is also used in adhesives, paint removers, typewriter correction fluids, and spot removers. TCE can remain in water for a long time and it quickly evaporates into water vapor which means we inhale it constantly. Some of the side effects of breathing in TCE are headaches, lung irritation, dizziness, poor coordination, and difficulty concentrating. Other serious side effects are nausea, liver damage, unconsciousness, impaired heart function, or death.

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  76. Mercury is the only common metal which is liquid at ordinary temperatures. Mercury has a number of effects on humans. Some are: Disruption of the nervous system. Damage to brain functions. DNA damage and chromosomal damage. Allergic reactions, resulting in skin rashes, tiredness and headaches. Negative reproductive effects, such as sperm damage, birth defects and miscarriages. The effects that mercury has on animals are kidneys damage, stomach disruption, damage to intestines, reproductive failure and DNA alteration.

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  77. I learned that Mercury is a liquid metal. I also learned that Mercury can affect your brain.That is why they do not make thermometers with Mercury in them anymore. Back in the olden days people who made hats used Mercury to get the leather to stretch. Over time the hatters would have so much Mercury in their systems it started to affect there brains. So in the end the hatters died because they could not function.

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  78. i learned that there are alot of things that we incounter that are pulluted. like are food can have alot of stuff in it that makes it pulluted, and if the inspecters dont think it has a large amount they will still sell that product.and o leanred that DDT is meant to kill insects. but we dont use larger amounts of it cause the toxics are really harmful to humans. In africa they still use larger amounts because of they miqeuitos that live there. and they carry bad diseases for the people how live there.

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  79. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are a chemical contaminant that can be found in things like electrical transformers and landfills. although PCBs were banned in the US in 1977, many old electrical transformers still contain them. if the transformers were to break, the PCB could leak out and contaminate a body of water. once the water is contaminated, the PCB spreads fairly quickly. bottom feeders in the water come into contact with PCBS through the sediment in the bottom of the water. eventually, these bototm feeders get eaten by fish, which are then captured and eaten by humans. PCBs have been shown to exhibit dangerous effects on humans and other animals, such as cancer and affecting the nervous, immune, endocrine and reproductive systems.

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  80. TCE or Trichloroethylene is a chemical compound that is a chlorinated hydrocarbon and is used commonly as a solvent. It is clear, non-flammable, and smells sweet. Other abbreviations of this contaminant are TCE, Trichlor, Trike, Tricky, and Tri. TCE is used as an anesthetic and has been used on millions of patients. TCE can very easily contaminate drinking water. Side effects of TCE are headaches, lung irritation, dizziness, bad coordination, and loss of concentration.

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  81. DDt stands for Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane. It is a chemical that used to be used as a bug and insect killer, until they found out that is had some nasty side affects. Oe of these side affects is that it made eagle eggs thinner so when they sat on them, they would just crack open. it also effects how the endocrine system in the human body works. It is now banned in 38 countrys.

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  82. DDT used to be called the "miracle bug killer" because it would kill many of the bugs that we find unpleaseant. However we found out that it was effecting the birds and the thickeness of their eaggs, and that is one of the main reasons that the bald eagle ie endangered today. It is banned in 38 countries and proven to cause breast cancer and the endocrine system.

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  83. When Mercury is in our water in high levels it causes many severe effects that can vary from shaking to defects in reproduction. Mercury was once used in thermometers and making hats, but after the discovery that it was this harmful it became prohibited in the United States and many other countries, which is the reason we do not see it around to often today.

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  84. I learned about how aquifer can be contaminated by TCE, DDT and other harmful chemicals. If the PPB is above 4 it is harmful to humans.TCE or Trichloroethylene is a chemical compound that is a chlorinated hydrocarbon.It is used as a solvent because it can disolve thing water can't, but it is disovlved by water so it can't disovle oil in the ocean.

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  85. Every time we did do a lab in a science class with a thermometer the teachers always say to make sure not to break it because of it's harmful affect. It suprises me that its in our air and food and that alot of us have it in our bodys. Fish are the most common way we get it into our systems by which it was first toxic to them. Also it affects your whole body more or less depinding on how much you injest. It affects younger children more than older people but we should keep watching out for how much it contains. It even kills animals that are exposed to enough. At least someone is trying to reduce the amount of mercury in our food, water and air.

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  86. Mercury can be called quicksilver or hydrargyrum.
    It is the only metal that is a metal.It is also a heavy meta, if you put a coin in a cup of it the coin would sit on top of it. If it gets in you it destroys your nervous system.

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  87. Can be called quicksilver also, in the periodic table as Hg, it is a heavy metal, this is silver/black color. Melting point at -38.8 degrees celcius. and boiling point of 356.73 degrees celcius.

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  88. Mercury is the only element that is both a metal and a liquid at room tempratures. the element is in most things we eat and drink. It causes problems with the brain and nervous system. Mercury caused the " mad hatters" who worked with mercury to clean and purify thier work. It it injected with the malaria vaccination in order to control the disease from killing you. Though the sideaffects can be disasterous. Its not proven that the vaccination can cause mental problems but there are more than a few mysterious cases that claim it does.

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  89. Mercury is a element that can be found in water, air, and soil. Humans can not destroy or create mercury. Mercury is found in coal. When coal is burned, mercury is then put into the environment. Mercury in the air settles into the water. After it's in the water, it gets into fish, shellfish, and animals that eat fish. Humans are exposed to the mercury by eating these fish or animals. Being exposed to high levels of mercury can harm the brain, heart kidneys, lungs, and immune system .

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  90. Jackson was here and this post means he completed the blog entry!

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  91. Where does it come from?
    -TCE (Trichloroethylene) is used by dry cleaning businesses and in manufacturing processes.

    What is it?
    -nonflammable, colorless liquid with a somewhat sweet odor and a sweet, burning taste.

    What it does:
    -dissolves oils -> but dissolves in water.

    What is "too much"?
    -5ppb is okay.

    Where is it commonly found?
    -in margarine and meat products.
    -an ingredient in adhesives, paint removers, typewriter correction fluids, and spot removers.

    Results of exposion to TCE:
    -Breathing: headaches, lung irritation, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, impared heart function, unconsciousness, and death.
    -Drinking: nausea, unconsciousness, impared heart function, liver damage, reproductive damage.
    -Liver, kidney, or lung cancer.

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  92. DDT stands for Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane.
    It is synthetic chemical know around the u.s. for being a pesticide. It's known beacuse at is helpful to killing living things that destroy and kill plants and animals its alos dangerous to humans and the enviorment we live in. Also, It also has effects on reproductive systems and cause cancer.

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  93. DDT is a pesticide most commonly used to kill insects but can have other-no so good-effects towards humans and animals. For humans it can cause nerve damage and for animals like the bald eagle it can thin their eggs causing them to break when sat apon, which is why DDT is banned in over 37 countries.

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  94. DDT stands for Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and kills by attacking the nervous system. The properties of DDT was discovered by Paul Müller, a Swiss scientist, in 1942 and used in World War II. Most recently DDT was used to kill bugs and is still used in Africa so the bugs can't spread diseases. In much of the rest of the world it is not used any more because it was killing the animals that would eat the bugs that were killed.

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  95. TCE stands for trichloroethylene. TCE is a colorless and heavy liquid solvent that is used to clean electronic components. Trichloroethylene is very commonly found in groundwater. It is mostly used to clean grease off of metals (as a cleaning solvent). TCE has been linked to cancer. TCE is found in some food products and is dangeroud to humans.

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  96. Mercury is a natural element and is in many of the foods we eat. It is also in the air, water, and soil. Here in Colorado our coal has a lot of mercury in it because we use the lowest grade. When this coal is burned it is released into the atmosphere and later in to the environment. Coal burning power plants are the largest human caused polutants in the Unighted States. Coal bruning power plants are putting off 40% of the mercury emmisions in the US. When the human body is exposed to mercury for to long some of the sidefects are it can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system of people of all ages. Back in the olden days when they made hats out of beaver pelts, they used a bat of mercury to be able to mold the hat. The people that molded these hats had their hands in the mercury almost all day. eventualy the mercury would go to the central nervous system and the brain and would start to break down both of these slownly but shurly causing the person to not be able to feel any thing and go insane. This was called mad haters desiese. Now the EPA is encouraging the public to buy mercury free products.

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  97. I did TCE or Trichloroethylene. I found out that it causes many harmful thing such as: death, head aches, dissiness, and cancer. It is colorless. I have found out that it is used by manufacturs and dry cleaning businesses and in cleaning suplies.

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  98. Trichlorethylene is harmful to us humans and it can gives us head akes and even cancer which can even lead to death. I also learned it is a colorless liquid solevent and is used to clean elecricle apliances and tools like computers.

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  99. Mercury is a harmful element in chich 65% of it is released becasue of coal fired power plants. Mercury is toxic and radioactive and causes brain and nerve disfunctions. It can also cause cancer when exposed to it. Becasue mercury is released by coal power plants it gets into water supplies and can cause these proplems to people just from drinking water, a risky problem that musct be addressed.

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  100. MErcury is the only metal that can be shown as a liquid. It can also be shown in the air, water and soil.Mercury is found in rain and in coal after it is burned. Mercury is a bad thing that produces reduced reproduction, slower growth, abnormal behavior and even death. If we are careful witht eh way we use mercury, we can perserve our world longer.

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  101. DDT is a white, crystalline, water-insolube solid usually derived from chloral by reaction with chlorobenzene in the presence of fuming sulfuric acid: used as an insecticide and as a scabicide and pedicule: agricultural use prohibited in the U.S. since 1973.

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  102. Mercury is the only metal on Earth that is liquid at ordinary temperatures.It shows up in Colorado because the coal that we burn is very high in mercury content. The effects that mercury has on humans and other animals are things like death, reproduction problems, slower growth, and abnormal behavior. It can also cause cancer.

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  103. The amount Of DDT increased enormously on a worldwide basic after WWII because of its effectiveness against misquotes that spread
    malaria.But the problems started to come out when many insects developed resistance to DDT and DDT had a high toxicity toward fish.

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