CWA: Mercury

New Hampshire

updated November 2006

NH Zero Mercury Campaign Endorsers

Appalachian Mountain Club
Audubon Society of NH
Aurum Foundation
Autism Society of NH
Avis Goodwin Community Health Ctr
Citizens for a Future NH
Clean Water Action
Conservation Law Foundation
Health Care Without Harm
Health First, Franklin
NH Citizens for Health Freedom
NH Green Party
NH Pediatric Society
NH PIRG
NH Pure Water Coalition
NH Sierra Club
NH Wildlife Federation

Zero Mercury Campaign

Given the serious health effects of mercury, the New Hampshire Zero Mercury Campaign includes a diverse coalition of environmental and public health organizations that are working together to urge the New England Governors Council and the New Hampshire state government to:

Create New Hampshire State and New England Regional Zero Mercury Plans which result in virtual elimination of use and release of mercury by 2010.
Implement protective and effective warnings on contaminated fish that truly protect developing children.
For products containing mercury: implement a ban on disposal, require producer take-back, and phase out non-essential mercury use.
Eliminate mercury emissions from power plants and industry.

Mercury is a very dangerous neurotoxin; even exposures to low levels can permanently damage the brain and nervous system and cause behavioral changes. People are most commonly exposed to mercury by eating contaminated fish, and New Hampshire has a fish consumption advisory for all freshwater in the state.

According to a 2000 study by the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 12 women of childbearing age is at risk of having newborns with neurological problems due to mercury exposure.

The Path of Mercury

When products containing mercury are burned (1, 2), mercury is released into the atmosphere. The mercury then settles into water where it is absorbed by fish (3) that may be ingested by humans (4, 5)

Mercury contamination overview

An Overview of Mercury contamination in New England, Alan VanArsdale, USEPA-OEME, N. Chelmsford, MA

Mercury impacts NH's children

State of NH Fish Consumption Advisory for Freshwater Fish, Ocean Fish & Shellfish

Click Here to view a brochure from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services on mercury and other pollutants found in fish in the state.

CWA Press Release: Consumers Uninformed about Mercury Risk from Fish

Mercury impacts NH wildlife

The Effects of Mercury on Common Loons in New Hampshire, Harry Vogel, Executive Director, Loon Preservation Committee of the Audubon Society of New Hampshire Evers, D.C. 2001.

Assessing the potential impacts of methylmercury on the Common Loon in southern New Hampshire - Report BRI 2001-04. BioDiversity Research Institute, Falmouth, Maine. (pdf)

Mercury Connections: The extent and effects of mercury pollution in northeastern North America (pdf)

Mercury in NH's Freshwater Fish

Volunteer Sampling Program for Mercury in Fish

The current focus of the New Hampshire Zero Mercury Campaign is to pass mercury products legislation, implement strong pollution control standards for in-state coal fired power plants, and to prevent mercury exposure by promoting effective health warnings.
Mercury products legislation

The DES Waste Management Division's Pollution Prevention Program lists a summary of mercury legislation passed in NH.

NH Home Page | Newsletters