ABSTRACT
This chapter evaluates anthropogenic sources of mercury and dioxin, surveys background concentrations, and estimates the extent and pathways of human exposure to these chemicals in the US for the purpose of determining the greatest sources of mercury and dioxin in the environment. The most important sources of mercury include commercial and consumer products such as paint and electrical equipment, fossil fuel combustion, smelting, and municipal waste incineration. Industrial processing of commercial products and consumer use of mercury-containing products are two of the largest sources of mercury emissions. Municipal solid waste incineration is perceived by some to be a major source of human exposure to mercury. Mercury concentrations in precipitation, air, vegetation, water, soil, particulates, and deposition have been documented in the literature. These data show that background concentrations of mercury in environmental media are an important source of human exposure to mercury. Human exposure to mercury occurs primarily via indirect pathways such as food ingestion, rather than direct pathways.
