What is the source of mercury pollution?
Mercury, like many of Earth’s elements, cycles through the natural environment. However, mercury in the environment is believed to have tripled as a result of human activities, such as mining, smelting, burning coal, or disposing of mercury-containing products. Mercury is deposited locally, regionally, and globally, largely from unregulated coal-fired power plant emissions. The federal and state governments acted almost a decade ago to reduce mercury emissions from medical and waste incinerators, however mercury controls for coal fired power plants—the source of about 40% of mercury emissions—has been delayed.
