Include overseas mercury emissions.
A Chicago Tribune article does not mention that offshore mercury emissions can be important worldwide sources of the pollutant, especially in remote areas.
An article published in the Chicago Tribune discusses a recent regulatory push to limit mercury pollution from power plants.
The article was well-written and thorough. However, one important point was omitted. Mercury emissions from other countries can be important sources of pollution to the United States and vice versa.
The article is correct in stating that mercury can fall close to its source. Regions near sources of mercury emissions are likely to see clear results from reductions in domestic mercury emissions. However, mercury can also travel long distances in the atmosphere. More remote locations – such as places at high elevations or in the northern latitudes – that are far from industrial sources receive most of their mercury from global sources (Lindberg 2007). Even these remote regions can have fish with elevated concentrations of mercury.
The article would have benefited by explaining that mercury inputs to more remote regions likely require global reductions in mercury emissions.
Citation:
Lindberg, SE, R Bullock, R Ebinghaus, DR Engstrom, X B Feng, WF Fitzgerald, N Pirrone, E Prestbo and C Seigneur. 2007. A synthesis of progress and uncertainties in attributing the sources of mercury in deposition. Ambio 36:19-32.
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