Complex and ever changing in its forms and functions, the element mercury follows a convoluted course through the environment and up the food chain. The process is complicated further by the fact that the difference between tolerable natural background levels and harmful effects in the environment is exceptionally small and still not completely understood. Written by recognized national and international authority on chemical risk assessment, Ronald Eisler, Mercury Hazards to Living Organisms explores the biological, physical, and chemical properties of mercury and its compounds. Rich in facts and information, the book provides a fundamental look at the issues.

A synthesis of current scientific reviews, the book documents the significance of mercury concentrations in abiotic materials, plants, invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, elasmobranch, fishes, and birds, as well as humans and other mammals. The author reviews historical and current uses and sources of mercury along with its physical, chemical, biological, and biochemical properties. He summarizes mercury transport and speciation processes and analytical techniques for mercury measurement. The book includes coverage of lethality to wildlife, domestic animals, and humans; administration routes and their effects; and sublethal effects such as cancers, birth defects, and chromosomal aberrations.