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Quicksilver, Slow Death is a unique chapter in terms of the toxic substance analyzed: mercury.

Mercury is a natural element found in almost any living organism whereas the other substances

under scrutiny in Slow Death by Rubber Duck are chemically manufactured. Mercury cannot be

created nor destroyed. Co-author Bruce Lourie, a highly accomplished environmental activist,

volunteers as the guinea pig for this toxin. For years, he has actively lobbied for mercury use

regulations in Canada. Bruceǯs main point is adamant: if society has not managed to restrict

mercury use, one of the oldest and most studied chemicals, whatǯs to be done about complex

synthetic toxins? This chapter, much like the others, reveals important facts and a play-by-play of

Bruceǯs experiment to demonstrate its effect on the human body.

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The facts stir up a scary question: Will we ever learn? Mercury has captured the attention of

societies throughout the time for its odd properties and beautiful silver color. For example, some

cultures believed it held mystical powers and used it to ward off evil spirits. Ancient Romans and

Spanish Conquistadors discovered its ability to combine with precious metals and used it in mining.

The consistency between the many historical anecdotes is reports of mental illness, sickness and

death.

Studies have proven that the majority of environmental contamination comes from the disposal of

consumer products containing mercury over the years. The pollution of the worldǯs bio-diversity

can be attributed to two event: Biomagnifications and bioaccumulation. Bio-magnification refers to

the increasing amount of persistent toxic substances at upper levels of the food chain (with humans

at the top). As we mentioned earlier, mercury cannot be destroyed. Through its travels in bodies of

water, microorganisms can alter it: this process is called methylation. Methylation converts
mercury to a different organic form of mercury. This form is much more absorbable by living

organisms. As a consequence, bioaccumulation in animals, birds and humans is increasing.

Nonetheless, humans have continued to use this toxin well into the 1990ǯs in consumer products

like paints, agricultural fungicide and even dental fillings.

The use of mercury is sluggishly being regulated by important authorities, but not fast enough to

prevent major disasters. Most infamous is the incident of Minamata, a small Japanese town ravaged

by mercury poisoning in the 1950ǯs. It was discovered that the source of the ailment was a local

manufacturer of poly-vinyl plastics dumping mercury-laced toxic waste in the bay where the locals

went fishing. The basic signs of mercury poisoning began, notably tremors, tunnel vision, irritability

and more. As the pollution amplified, severe consequences of mercury poisoning became apparent:

brain damage, birth deformities, stillborns, kidney problems, liver failure, cancer and heart disease.

This incident gave mercury poisoning a new name: DzMinamata diseasedz. An important side effect of

this incident was the townǯs inability to use its primary food source due to high level of toxicity. The

cause was scientifically proven by medical research. Yet, the Japanese government ignored the

evidence and the suffering continued for years after. Similar incidents were to occur in the near

future and closer to home before international regulations slowly begun taking place.

To this day, most lakes in North America have fish advisories against eating specific types fish, of

which 80% are attributed to mercury contamination. The facts revealed by Bruce are not to prevent

fish from being eaten, as they are an important part of our societyǯs diets and livelihood. The lesson

is rather to be vigilant about which fish is consumed. Unfortunately, many communities around the

world do not have the option of choosing other food sources and depend on bodies of water and the

food they provide for survival. These communities are slowly being poisoned.


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The experiment was simple but not very hopeful at first. Bruce was to analyze the change in his

level of mercury after seven meals and snacks of tuna over a two-day period. Tuna was chosen as it

is a large fish and high up in the oceanǯs food chain. Therefore, this type of fish is a victim of

biomagnifications and likely to contain high levels of mercury. Already a big fan of fish, Bruce knew

is mercury levels were above average and did not anticipate much variation. In an attempt to

reduce his mercury to the average (less than 1 Ɋg/L), he cut fish from his diet. However, his level

remained above average (3.53 Ɋg/L).

After three snacks/meals, Bruce was already noticing a change in character. Normally a jolly fellow,

he had become easily irritated. His test confirmed that he had doubled his mercury levels (7.55

Ɋg/L) over the course of 24 hrs. He noted that the Dzsafe leveldz set by the Environmental Protections

Agengy and the US government is 5.8 Ɋg/L. After seven snacks/meals, his mercury levels had been

measured at 8.63 Ɋg/L. Over the course of 48 hours, Bruce had been able to more than double the

levels of mercury. Evidently, Bruceǯs anticipations were proven wrong.

In conclusion, the abundant medical studies on the effect of mercury on health have led to stronger

regulations, mainly in Europe and the US, for the use of mercury in consumer products. However,

there are still many industrial processes that emit dangerous amount of mercury into our

environment, which guarantees that mercury levels are still increasing. The worldǯs view on

mercury is changing at a very slow pace but enough to offer a glimpse of hope for the restrictions of

complex synthetic chemicals.