How mercury gets into the sea
Mercury released into the atmosphere by industry enters the sea and from there makes its way into the food chain. Now, an analysis by the University of Basel has revealed how the harmful substance enters seawater in the first place. This is not prima.....»»
Some spiders can transfer mercury contamination to land animals, study shows
Sitting calmly in their webs, many spiders wait for prey to come to them. Arachnids along lakes and rivers eat aquatic insects, such as dragonflies. But, when these insects live in mercury-contaminated waterways, they can pass the metal along to the.....»»
Teen’s death after eating a single chip highlights risks of ultra-spicy foods
The hot pepper linked to teen's death can cause arteries in the brain to spasm. Enlarge (credit: Sarah Dussault/MediaNews Group/The Mercury News via Getty Images) Harris Wolobah, a healthy 14-year-old from Worcester, Mas.....»»
Spain swelters in latest searing heat wave
Spain was sweating Sunday as its latest summer heat wave took hold, the fourth of the season, with the mercury soaring notably in the northeast and the south of the country......»»
Mercury is a simple but elegant new weather app for Apple devices
I’ve always used Apple’s Weather app as it always felt enough for what I needed. But recently, the app has become rather unreliable, as we’ve covered extensively here. To fill this gap, Triple Glazed Studios has now introduced Mercury – a sim.....»»
Researchers estimate anthropogenic mercury emissions from 1500 to 1900
Mercury, toxic to humans, is the only known metallic element that is liquid at standard Earth temperature and pressure and therefore comprises a hazard to children because it is so cool. But many historic human activities have involved the use of mer.....»»
Baghdad zoo animals suffer as mercury hits 50 degrees
A pair of Siberian tigers pant incessantly beside a pond at their zoo enclosure in the scorching summer heat of the Iraqi capital......»»
First BepiColombo flyby of Mercury finds electron rain triggers X-ray auroras
BepiColombo, the joint European Space Agency (ESA) and Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) mission, has revealed how electrons raining down onto the surface of Mercury can trigger high-energy auroras......»»
Scientists use NASA MESSENGER mission data to measure chromium on Mercury
The origin of Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, is mysterious in many ways. It has a metallic core, like Earth, but its core makes up a much larger fraction of its volume—85% compared to 15% for Earth......»»
Fish mercury found to peak in winter and near spawning, then reduce after growing season
The pronounced seasonal changes of warm open-water and cold ice-covered seasons dominate natural cycles in Finnish lakes......»»
How mercury emissions from industry can be greatly reduced
Sulfuric acid is the world's most used chemical. It is an important reagent used in many industries and it is used in the manufacture of everything from paper, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics to batteries, detergents and fertilizers. It is therefore a.....»»
Video: BepiColombo"s third Mercury flyby
Watch Mercury appear from the shadows as the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo spacecraft sped by the planet's night side during its 19 June 2023 close flyby, and enjoy a special flyover of geologically rich terrain......»»
BepiColombo’s third Mercury flyby gives us a glimpse at the Sun’s closest neighbor
Despite being an icon in pop culture, our Sun’s closest neighboring planet, Mercury, has had a fairly boring life when it comes to space exploration. … The post BepiColombo’s third Mercury flyby gives us a glimpse at the Sun’s clo.....»»
How inequality shapes the experience of a heatwave
When the mercury rises, does your anxiety rise with it? If so, you are not alone. According to the UK's Office for National Statistics, three-quarters of British people are worried about climate change and 43% claim to experience anxiety about the st.....»»
European BepiColombo spacecraft makes its third Mercury flyby today
BepiColombo is set to enter the orbit of Mercury in 2025, but in the meantime, it will be making several flybys of the planet, including a close approach today......»»
How microbes may help mitigate mercury absorption
New research by a team at Pennsylvania State University suggests that microbes in the human gut could be harnessed to help the body absorb useful nutritional metals—like iron, which is critical for red blood cells—and block or even remove the abs.....»»
Despite major progress nationally, two mercury emissions hotspots remain
Missing from partisan political debates over regulations affecting the energy sector is the stunning success of the federal government's signature environmental laws. A prime example: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rules aimed at reducing.....»»
How a better understanding of mercury transformation can make ecosystems safer
A new study at Umeå University provides insight into how mercury transforms into its more toxic form, methylmercury, with the help of small sulfur-containing substances known as thiols......»»
How global flows of toxic mercury impact human health
Almost half of mercury exposure comes from mercury embedded in global trade, according to an analysis of the global flows of the toxic metal. Mercury is a neurotoxin that harms human health in even very small doses......»»
China has its own secret space plane, and it just landed
A lot has changed since the last Space Age. Unlike the days of Sputnik, Vostok, Mercury, and Apollo, the current era is not defined by two superpowers constantly vying for dominance and one-upmanship. More than ever, international cooperation is the.....»»
Indigenous people living near oil fields in the Peruvian Amazon have high levels of metals in their urine
Indigenous communities living near oil exploration sites in the Peruvian Amazon have high levels of mercury, cadmium and lead in their bodies. This is the conclusion of a study led by Cristina O'Callaghan Gordo, a researcher at the Barcelona Institut.....»»