"Most people get their mercury through consumption of fish," says Driscoll, who adds "Ninety percent of the mercury that enters the ocean came from the atmosphere," typically from power plant emissions. Gold mining is another big source. And while mercury production domestically has dropped (60 percent reduction since 1990, according to Driscoll) it's still an issue internationally.
Driscoll says along with power plant and gold mining, there are other sources of mercury. Some occurs naturally. Most is generated by humans. And some of what researchers are seeing is mercury that has been pre-released and then deposited (into soil or lake beds) only to be converted into a form that goes back into the atmosphere, kind of like the gift that keeps on giving. A gift that few people want.
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