Significant increase in mercury transportation via rivers observed since the Industrial Revolution, according to recent research.
Pumping Up the Poison: How Rolling Back EPA Regulations Could Harm Human Health and the Environment
The surge in mercury levels in the world's rivers over the last two centuries, primarily due to industrial activities, makes it necessary to strengthen regulations to halt toxic substances from contaminating waterways. This alarming spike in mercury levels is detailed in a new research paper published in Science, causing environmental policy experts to stress the importance of maintaining protective measures.
Industrial processes such as coal combustion, mining, and manufacturing have significantly elevated mercury pollution, disrupting its natural movement in rivers, and causing a sharp rise in mercury concentrations since the 1850s. Scientists pay close attention to neurotoxins like mercury due to its potential to accumulate in water bodies and fish, posing a health risk for people living nearby.
Researchers used process-based models to estimate the historical mercury emissions in waterways and found that between 1845 and 1859, the average river cycle carried roughly 390 megagrams of mercury per year. Today, waterways transport around 1,000 megagrams per year, which equates to a 585 megagram per year increase in the last two centuries. These findings have been confirmed by analyzing global historic sediment cores.
John Holdren, a professor of environmental science and policy and former science adviser to President Barack Obama, stated, "The findings of the report are not at all surprising. It just adds one more data point to the clear evidence that many human environmental impacts far exceed the scale of natural influences."
However, proposed rollbacks on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations that tightened emissions standards for toxic metals like mercury could soon put Americans at risk of increased mercury levels in U.S. waterways. Over two dozen policy announcements aiming to deregulate emissions standards, including revising the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), were introduced by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin earlier this year.
Critics argue that these revisions to MATS will allow more mercury into the air and water, despite the known harm to children's brain development, and arsenic's link to cancer and birth defects.
What You Should Know:
- Proposed EPA rollbacks could lead to more mercury emissions, increasing health risks and pollution in waterways. Mercury is a neurotoxin that can affect brain development in children and lead to heart disease, neurological disorders, and other health problems in adults.
- MATS regulations, which set limits on mercury and arsenic pollution, have been identified as a key target for rollback. These modifications to MATS may result in more hazardous air pollutants being emitted by coal- and oil-fired power plants.
- The original MATS rule slashed mercury emissions by approximately 90% compared to pre-MATS levels. Rolling back or weakening these standards could lead to increased pollution in rivers, lakes, and coastal waters, threatening aquatic ecosystems and communities relying on fishing or freshwater resources.
- Reducing the effectiveness of public health-focused regulations like MATS could result in additional cases of cancer, lung disease, and heart attacks.
- The eastern U.S., which has numerous industrial sites with potential mercury-contaminated waste discharges, may be particularly at risk. Mercury contamination is already occurring in Minnesota, where residents have been advised to restrict fish consumption from affected bodies of water.
The rollbacks are a part of a broader push for deregulation, with proponents pointing to reduced industry costs and energy independence as advantages. However, critics warn of increased health risks and environmental harm. Environmental groups and public health advocates are likely to challenge the changes in court.
In essence, the proposed EPA rollbacks on mercury emissions regulations could have far-reaching consequences for human health and the environment. It is crucial to prioritize the protection of public and aquatic health by maintaining stringent regulations, backed by substantial scientific evidence. Ignoring mercury and other hazardous substances would be an irresponsible move that puts our health and environment at risk.
- Critics warn that the proposed EPA rollbacks on mercury emissions regulations could lead to increased health risks and environmental harm.
- The MATS regulations, which set limits on mercury and arsenic pollution, are key targets for the EPA rollbacks, potentially allowing more mercury into the air and water.
- By rolling back or weakening MATS standards, there is a risk of increased pollution in rivers, lakes, and coastal waters, threatening aquatic ecosystems and communities relying on fishing or freshwater resources.
- Ignoring mercury and other hazardous substances could result in additional cases of cancer, lung disease, and heart attacks, as well as neurological disorders in children.
- Proponents of the rollbacks argue for reduced industry costs and energy independence, but these could come at the expense of public health and the environment.
- Environmental groups and public health advocates are likely to challenge the changes in court, stressing the importance of prioritizing the protection of public and aquatic health, backed by substantial scientific evidence.
