23.5: Mercury Pollution
Reducing Health Risks Due to Mercury Pollution Other Information:
More than five million women of childbearing age have high levels of toxic mercury in their blood and more than 630,000 newborns
are born every year at risk. The EPA estimates that every year, more than one child in six could be at risk for developmental
disorders because of mercury exposure in the mother's womb. Since the primary sources of mercury in fish are power plant emissions
that contaminate our water, regulation of utility emissions is essential to protecting the health of our children. Barack
Obama introduced two pieces of legislation to significantly reduce the amount of mercury that is deposited in oceans, lakes,
and rivers, which in turn would reduce the amount of mercury in fish.
Indicator(s):
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