"One out of six women are toxic with mercury. Mercury comes out of coal plants and chlorine plants. I am toxic, I deal with symptoms, children are born with, you know, autism - there is an epidemic in this country. This is like, the air that we breath"

Daphne Zuniga draws attention to the pervasive and concerning presence of mercury toxicity in contemporary society, especially among women. By citing the figure "one out of six women", she raises alarm about how widespread the problem has become, suggesting that mercury exposure is not a rarity but a significant public health issue. Her mention of coal and chlorine plants points directly at industrial activities as the primary source, implicating the burning of fossil fuels and certain manufacturing processes in environmental contamination. The phrase "mercury comes out of coal plants and chlorine plants" underscores the industrial roots of this dilemma, suggesting that our pursuit of energy and chemicals has created unintended health consequences for the population.

Zuniga personalizes the situation by disclosing her own struggles with mercury toxicity, stating, "I am toxic, I deal with symptoms", which grounds the issue in real human experience beyond abstract statistics. This personal account serves to make the subject relatable and urgent, highlighting that such toxicity is not merely a theoretical threat but a challenge that affects actual lives. She expands the scope by referencing children who are "born with, you know, autism", and claims that there is an "epidemic in this country". By connecting mercury exposure with the increase in autism diagnoses, she alludes to a controversial but widely-discussed hypothesis regarding environmental factors and neurodevelopmental disorders. Her use of the term "epidemic" conveys a sense of crisis, implying that the health implications of mercury pollution are escalating rapidly and widely affecting society.

The phrase "the air that we breathe" metaphorically emphasizes the ubiquity of mercury contamination. It is not confined to remote areas or isolated incidents, but has become a pervasive element of daily life, incorporated into the very fundamentals of survival. Zuniga's quote is a passionate call for recognition of mercury’s insidious consequences, a plea for addressing industrial emissions, and a demand for greater accountability and action to protect public health from invisible but profound toxins in our environment.