The Field Investigation Team - investigates questions concerning Occurrence, Fate and Transport of mercury.

The Field Team will:

• answer the guiding questions listed below;
• prepare and deliver a five minute presentation to the hearing on an inventory and assessment of current sources of mercury pollution to the extent feasible, including both Ramford County and regional sources of mercury pollution.

During the presentation the speaker(s) should focus on the most important concerns of the groups that have hired them. After each presentation members of the Congressional Committee can ask a maximum of THREE QUESTIONS.

1. What is mercury? Include the dictionary definition with examples. Give the scientific explanation of why the chemical is harmful and how the common understanding differs from the scientific understanding of the contaminant.

2. What are the known concentrations of mercury in the air, surface and ground water, soil, and other media in Ramford?  Where are the high concentrations of mercury found in Ramford?  What are the reasons for the relative concentrations?  What are the sources of mercury (e.g. point, non-point, historical) nationally and internationally?  Are there changes in concentration over time?  What is the mercury effect based on activity and concentration in Ramford?

3. Explain the timeline for the human use of mercury, the discovery of its effects and the policy concerning mercury both in Ramford County and elsewhere. Cite case studies concerning policy.

4. How does mercury interact in the environment (i.e. solubility, volatility)?  How do environmental conditions affect the bio-availability of the contaminant?  Is there a domino effect?  Cite specific case studies from research showing the relative importance of environmental interactions.

5. What is the persistence of mercury in the environment?  Where, besides Ramford County, is mercury a serious problem: domestically and internationally?  Discuss case studies of mercury persistence in the environment.

6. How does mercury move in the environment (i.e. in ground and surface water, stuck on small particles, in plants and animals)?  Are some kinds of movement more important than others?  Does the rate of movement affect the severity of the problem?