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Magico-Religious Mercury Use in Caribbean and Latino Communities: Pollution, Persistence, and Politics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 July 2005

Arnold P. Wendroff
Arnold P. Wendroff
Affiliation:
Mercury Poisoning Project, Brooklyn, New York
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Abstract

Elemental mercury is put to magico-religious uses, most problematically the sprinkling of mercury on floors of homes in Caribbean and Latino communities. Indoor mercury spills are persistent and release toxic levels of mercury vapor over long periods of time. Surveys in these communities have demonstrated widespread and large-scale mercury sales for ritualistic use, elevated mercury vapor levels in public hallways, increased amounts of mercury in wastewater, and elevated urine mercury levels in Latino children. Yet no clear connection has been drawn between ritualistic mercury use and these elevated levels, nor has any pathology been associated with such use. Social, political, and economic factors have acted to preclude advocacy for these affected communities, whose members are largely unaware of their mercury exposure (frequently secondhand) and of its adverse health effects. Without the political mandate to act, environmental agencies have not allocated the resources necessary for environmental professionals to assess and respond to this latent environmental health disaster. Steps to investigate and respond to this impending public health emergency are suggested, as presently there is no coordinated plan for assessing and remediating the tens of thousands of dwellings around the country likely to be contaminated with actionable levels of mercury vapor.

Type
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Information
Environmental Practice , Volume 7 , Issue 2 , June 2005 , pp. 87 - 96
Copyright
© 2005 National Association of Environmental Professionals

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