One contributing factor to the problem is the environmental damage and long-term impact that damage will have to natural resources.

The populations that could be most at risk include pregnant women and people with already weakened immune systems as well as the elderly and the very young.

Several agencies could help investigate the problem and are doing that.

Nursing interventions or preventive measures that could be instituted to address the issue include protocol for history taking as well as education with a focus on pregnant women or women who are considering getting pregnant.

A plan of action should include several questions in the history taking that nurses perform to determine whether the patient has any symptoms of mercury poisoning, and whether the patient is currently pregnant or trying to get pregnant. If so then education...

should be given about the drinking water and fish consumption that can help maintain a low level of mercury in the system.
References

AMD&ART, the Project: 1994-2005 (accessed 9-25-06)

http://www.amdandart.org/projectindex.html

Acid Mine Drainage: Research Looks at Remediation, Manual Provides How-Tos on Site (accessed 9-25-06)

http://www.ruralpa.org/news0303.html acid mine drainage (accessed 9-25-06)

http://www-ucdmag.ucdavis.edu/win00/Feature_Mining.html

Fuel and Ash Management for a Typical Plant, Stepehn Skidd 2006(accessed 9-25-06)

http://72.14.207.104/search?

AMD (accessed 9-25-06)

http://www.leo.lehigh.edu/envirosci/enviroissue/amd/links/scope.html abandoned mine drainage (accessed 9-25-06)

http://www.newsitem.com/scra/html/what_s_a.m.d..html