Mercury Pollution in Massachusetts' Waters

Photo: Supe87, Under license from Shutterstock.com from Supe87, Under license Photo: ToXIC WATERWAYS Mercury Pollution in Massachusetts’ Waters Lauren Randall Environment Massachusetts Research & Policy Center December 2011 Executive Summary Coal-fired power plants are the single larg- Human Services advises that all chil- est source of mercury pollution in the Unit- dren under twelve, pregnant women, ed States. Emissions from these plants even- women who may become pregnant, tually make their way into Massachusetts’ and nursing mothers not consume any waterways, contaminating fish and wildlife. fish from Massachusetts’ waterways. Many of Massachusetts’ waterways are under advisory because of mercury contami- Mercury pollution threatens public nation. Eating contaminated fish is the main health source of human exposure to mercury. • Eating contaminated fish is the main Mercury pollution poses enormous public source of human exposure to mercury. health threats. Mercury exposure during • Mercury is a potent neurotoxicant. In critical periods of brain development can the first two years of a child’s life, mer- contribute to irreversible deficits in verbal cury exposure can lead to irreversible skills, damage to attention and motor con- deficits in attention and motor control, trol, and reduced IQ. damage to verbal skills, and reduced IQ. • While adults are at lower risk of neu- In 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection rological impairment than children, Agency (EPA) developed and proposed the evidence shows that a low-level dose first national standards limiting mercury and of mercury from fish consumption in other toxic air pollution from existing coal- adults can lead to defects similar to and oil-fired power plants. Implementing those found in children, as well as fertil- these standards will reduce mercury in our ity and cardiovascular problems. waterways and fish, and protect public health. • One in 10 women of childbearing age in the United States has enough mercury In Massachusetts and throughout in her blood to put her child at risk of the United States, mercury developmental damage should she be- contamination is widespread come pregnant. • In 2010, two- thirds of all airborne mercu- New EPA standards will limit ry pollution came from the smokestacks mercury pollution from power of coal-fired power plants. Mercury emit- plants and protect public health ted into the air falls with rain or snow into waterways, where it builds up in fish. Dis- • Under the authority of the Clean Air Act, tributed over a wide area, just fractions EPA has developed the first national of an ounce of mercury can contaminate standard limiting releases of mercury local and regional water bodies, making and other toxic air pollutants from ex- resident fish unsafe to eat. isting coal- and oil-fired power plants. • Overall, more U.S. waters are closed to As proposed, this standard will require fishing because of mercury contami- power plant owners to cut overall emis- nation than because of any other toxic sions of mercury by more than 90 per- contamination problem. cent, compared to emissions from a • One hundred and twenty-four water- plant without pollution controls. ways in Massachusetts have advisories • Similar pollution standards affecting for mercury pollution. other industries have successfully re- • With the exception of a five-ounce duced mercury contamination of fish in serving of trout and salmon per week local waterways. from the Quabbin and Wachusett reservoirs, Massachusetts Health and Mercury Pollution setts to limit their consumption of certain from Power Plants fish species in Massachusetts’ waterways Contaminates Waterways due to mercury contamination. Coal-fired power plants are the largest Additionally, with the exception of a five- source of airborne mercury emissions in ounce serving of trout and salmon per America. In 2010, two-thirds of all airborne week from the Quabbin and Wachusett mercury pollution came from the smoke- reservoirs, Massachusetts Health and Hu- stacks of these power plants.1 man Services advises that all children under twelve, pregnant women, women who Mercury emitted into the air by coal-fired may become pregnant, and nursing moth- power plants falls with rain or snow into ers not consume any fish from Massachu- waterways. Once mercury is in waterways, setts’ waterways.6 it is often converted into methylmercury, an organic form of mercury that builds up In addition to the advisories that cover in fish and accumulates up the food chain. fish caught in Massachusetts’ waters, the Distributed over a wide area, just fractions U.S. EPA and FDA have issued a national of an ounce of mercury can contaminate advisory for women of childbearing age local and regional water bodies, making and children. The FDA recommends that resident fish unsafe to eat.2 women of childbearing age and children limit their intake of fish, including store- A 2007 study in Bioscience found mercu- bought fish and canned tuna, to two av- ry hot spots in the northeastern United erage meals per week. This adds up to States and southeastern Canada near lo- twelve ounces of fish per week for an adult cal sources of mercury pollution, like coal- woman.7 fired power plants. These hot spots caused significantly elevated levels of mercury in Throughout the U.S., species that tend to fish and birds tested in the region.3 have high levels of mercury include larger freshwater fish and saltwater species such Overall, more U.S. waters are closed to as tuna, swordfish and shark.8 fishing because of mercury contamination than because of any other toxic contami- Mercury Pollution nation problem.4 In Massachusetts, mer- Threatens Public Health cury contamination is a serious problem. According to Massachusetts Health and Eating contaminated fish is the main Human Services, one hundred and twen- source of human exposure to mercury. ty-four waterways in Massachusetts have People who eat contaminated fish end up advisories for mercury pollution.5 As out- with mercury that builds up in their bodies. lined in Table 1, these advisories instruct children under twelve, pregnant women, The most sensitive populations to mercury women who may become pregnant, nurs- exposure are women of childbearing age, ing mothers, and all citizens of Massachu- and unborn and young children. Unborn and young children are especially sensi- as Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for tive to contaminants because their organs Power Plants—limiting releases of mer- and systems are not yet fully developed.9 cury and other toxic air pollutants from existing coal- and oil-fired power plants. As In the first two years of a child’s life, mercu- proposed in March 2011, this standard will ry exposure can lead to irreversible deficits require power plant owners to cut overall in attention and motor control, damage to emissions of mercury by more than 90 per- verbal skills, and reduced IQ.10 Addition- cent, compared to emissions from a plant ally, when children exposed to mercury without pollution controls. Emissions of in the womb are monitored at ages 7 and mercury can be reduced using widely 14, these impairments still exist, which available, proven pollution control tech- suggests that the effects of even low-level nologies, like activated carbon injection. mercury exposure may be irreversible.11 One in 10 women of childbearing age in Slightly more than half of all coal-fired the United States has enough mercury power plants already deploy some of the in her blood to put her child at risk of de- pollution control equipment capable of velopmental damage should she become delivering the performance necessary to pregnant.12 meet the new standard.17 The remaining coal-fired power plants will have to clean While adults are at lower risk of neurologi- up. For the first time, all power plants will cal impairment than children, evidence have to operate on a level playing field shows that a low-level dose of mercury across the country. from fish consumption in adults can lead to defects similar to those found in chil- Similar standards affecting incinerators, dren,13 as well as fertility and cardiovas- power plants and other industries have cular problems.14 A study by scientists been implemented in some states. These in Finland found that middle-aged men actions have successfully reduced mer- with high levels of mercury in their blood- cury emissions—resulting in significant stream, due to increased fish consumption, declines in mercury contamination of fish have a 60 percent increased risk of heart in local waterways.18 A national standard attacks and other coronary events, and a will reduce mercury pollution and fish 70 percent increased risk of cardiovascular contamination nationwide, benefiting death compared to men with lower blood everyone. Studies show that when local mercury levels.15 sources of mercury pollution are limited, concentration levels in waterways rapidly Additionally, researchers at Mt. Sinai decrease. School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital and The proposed Mercury and Air Toxics Stan- the Albert Einstein College of Medicine dards represent a commonsense step that estimate that mercury pollution costs the will improve Massachusetts’ waterways nation $8.7 billion annually in diminished and protect public health. EPA should fi- intelligence of the population and result- nalize the public health safeguard as pro- ing lost productivity.16 posed. New Pollution Standards are Needed to Protect Public Health Under the authority of the Clean

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