Ocean Sentry
Nearly half of lakes and reservoirs nationwide contain fish with potentially harmful levels of the toxic metal mercury, according to a federal study released Tuesday.
The Environmental Protection Agency found mercury — a pollutant primarily released from coal-fired power plants — and polychlorinated biphenyls in all fish samples it collected from 500 lakes and reservoirs from 2000-2003. At 49 percent of those lakes and reservoirs, mercury concentrations exceeded levels that the EPA says are safe for people eating average amounts of fish.
Mercury consumed by eating fish can damage the nervous system and cause learning disabilities in developing fetuses and young children.
The study is the latest to highlight how widespread mercury pollution has become…. Read Full Article by Dina Cappiello
