Throughout the environment, it cycles into various forms. Mercury endures several complex physical and chemical modifications. Elemental mercury is used for the following purposes:

? Produce chlorine gas
? Utilized in the production of caustic soda
? Thermometers
? Dental fillings
? Batteries

Generally, the mercury content of the environment is elemental mercury. It is more prone to remain airborne. For the most part, a good percentage of mercury in nature is affixed to other elements (in example: oxygen, chlorine, or sulfur, and in the form of inorganic mercury components.

With inorganic mercury, it can produce salts that are naturally white crystals or powders. In the realm of personal consumer products, mercury salts are contained in some antiseptic creams, ointments and certain skin lightening creams. Since inorganic mercury compounds are found to be more soluble and reactive, they can transform into airborne particles or gases that plummet to the ground or into the water. For the most part, the particles have a rapid absorption rate into soil or at the bottom of any body of water into the sediment.

Alternatively, when inorganic mercury is mixed with carbon, the by-product is an organic mercury compound. The most prevalent form is methylmercury which is produced primarily by microscopic organisms in the soil and water.

In the atmosphere, mercury is derives and release via natural processes (in example: hot springs, evaporation from bodies of both water and soil, deep-sea vents, erosion, surface volcanic eruptions, and underwater volcanoes.