Rise in cremations linked to toxic levels of mercury in air

RISING mercury levels in the air, due to more cremations being carried out during the pandemic, is being investigated in a Government-backed project to assess the risk to the public.

The extra cremations as a result of coronavirus deaths are thought to have caused a significant rise in deadly mercury being released into our skies since last February.

The toxic metal, which can cause birth defects, kidney disease and MS, is commonly used by dentists in fillings.

Now the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has handed researchers £564,000 to assess the danger to the public.

The UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology won the contract and will carry out a four-year study to monitor the risk.

Around 80 per cent of Britons choose to be cremated, recent figures show – around 470,000 a year.

And roughly 590kg of mercury is released into the air every year.

One crematoria source, who has worked throughout the pandemic, said: “We’ve always known the mercury in fillings is poisonous.

“But levels are closely monitored and we have strict guidelines on when and for how long we can carry out cremations. Since the laws have relaxed this monitoring has effectively gone out the window because we have never had to deal with so many dead bodies.

“We just don’t know what impact the increased mercury emissions are going to have.

“The bottom line is mercury is a very poisonous substance and we are releasing more of it than ever before,

nationwide, because of the pandemic.”

In 2020, 604,000 people died in England and Wales. It is the highest annual number of deaths since the Second World War and has been driven by the toll from Covid-19.

A Defra spokesman said: “It is important we take steps to respond to the wider environmental impacts of the pandemic.

“This research will assess any changes in mercury levels as a result of longer opening hours for crematoria.

“The results will form a valuable part of future policy development.”