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Campaigns for Sustainable Energy
Mercury Pollution
Coal-fired electricity plants are the largest source of mercury pollution, releasing 48 tons of mercury each year in the US. This pollution would cease if coal-generated electricity were replaced with wind power.
Mercury is an irreversible toxin that causes serious effects including mental deficiency and is especially damaging to children and the developing fetus. The EPA reports that one sixth of pregnant women in the USA have mercury levels above their safety threshold and that 630,000 US newborns had unsafe levels of mercury in their blood. Mercury Threat to Fetus
Mercury released by coal-fired plants circulates as vapor before settling over a wide range. The mercury tends to accumulate in marine environments, especially in the larger fish that are an important source of food for human consumption. In many ways fish are an ideal food for children and pregnant women, but because of mercury pollution the FDA now recommends against eating several types of fish, and contamination of many other species is a serious concern. Mercury in Fish
Other links to mercury contamination: USGS, United States EPA.
Please send email if you have any questions.
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