November 21, 2010-by the Associated Press in the Louisville Courier Journal. A map of Indiana in the report shows hundreds of red dots at river and stream sites across the state where sampling found mercury-contaminated fish. In 2005, coal-fired power plants were responsible for 58 percent of all mercury emissions into Indiana’s air. The other largest contributors were steel mills and cement plants. Photo:John Blair
Photo © 2006 John Blair
One in eight fish taken from Indiana waterways and analyzed over a five-year period was tainted with the toxic metal mercury, according to federal scientists who last year reported that precipitation falling near southeastern Indiana’s coal-fired power plants harbors some of the nation’s highest concentrations of atmospheric mercury.
The study led by U.S. Geological Survey hydrologist Martin Risch also showed that mercury contamination in both surface water and fish across Indiana routinely exceeds levels recommended to protect humans and animals.
Risch said the front cover of the mercury report includes photographs of an eagle and a boy holding a big fish.
“The young person needs to be told how many big fish he can eat to protect his health,” Risch said.
Mercury released by coal-fired plants, metals industries and other sources enters the food chain and can accumulate in fish species that humans eat. Women who eat tainted fish during pregnancy or while breast-feeding can unknowingly lower their child’s intelligence because mercury is a potent neurotoxin that harms the developing brain and can cause other problems. (MORE)
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