Mercury Pollution An Interdisciplinary Overview

About this book

Using mercury pollution as an example, this book illustrates the interdisciplinary approach required for solving environmental problems. It explains the details of the natural cycling of mercury in and on the earth and discusses how humans have dramatically disrupted its exchange among the earth's soil, air, and water. The chapters discuss history, media, and politics in relation to mercury and contain links to established websites with specific resources for readers.

Also included are smaller case studies, such as the Minamata tragedy, fish consumption, and international treaties.

Contents

Introduction: Crossing Boundaries. Natural History of a Contaminant. Dangerous Attractions: Mercury in Human History. Mercury in the Environment through Sculpture, Film, and Theatre. Writing as Environmental Stewardship. A Sociological perspective: Is Tuna Safe? Mercury by the Numbers. Mercury in the Media. Fact or Fiction? Engaged Scholarship: Environmental Service. Environmental Politics. Conclusion: Through Your Eyes.

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Biography

Michael C. Newman is currently the A. Marshall Acuff, Jr. Professor of Marine Science at the College of William and Mary's School of Marine Science where he also served as Dean of Graduate Studies from 1999 to 2002. Previously, he was a faculty member at the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. His research interests include quantitative ecotoxicology, environmental statistics, risk assessment, population effects of contaminants, metal chemistry, and bioaccumulation and biomagnifications modeling.