Mercury pollution remains acute in Europe

Mercury pollution remains a significant threat to human health and the environment in Europe. In fact, there is so much mercury around that there is need for concerted action, and not only in Europe but also across much of the planet.

So warns the European Environment Agency in its new report “Mercury in Europe’s environment – A priority for European and global action.”

The main cause of mercury pollution on the continent is the continued burning of coal. The heavy metal occurs naturally in deposits of coal within the earth’s crust. The burning of coal, however, releases mercury, which is then washed in copious quantities by the rain into streams, rivers, lakes and seas, here to accumulate over time.

In water, mercury becomes highly toxic. Much of it is then absorbed by aquatic animals such as fish. Animals and people who consume mercury-tainted fish absorb much of the mercury in turn, exposing themselves unwittingly to the risk of mercury poisoning, which can lead to severe cognitive and neurologic impairment, especially in infants.

The use of mercury in household products and industrial processes is widely banned within the EU, yet coal-fired plants continue to spew large quantities of the toxic element into the air. According to the most recent monitoring data, well over a third of the 111,000 surface water bodies within the EU fail to meet mercury levels set to protect fish-eating birds and mammals. Not only that but once it’s been released into the environment, mercury can stay there for thousands of years, contaminating the air, soil and water.

“The current levels of mercury in the atmosphere are up to 500% above natural levels. In the oceans, the concentrations of mercury are about 200% above natural levels,” the EEA explains. “Current emissions of mercury in Europe are mostly limited to combustion of solid fuels, including coal, lignite and wood, the report says,” it adds. “However, globally mercury emissions are much higher, due to emissions from additional sources such as small-scale gold mining and industrial processes.”

Making matters worse is the fact that not even immediate global action would cause mercury pollution to decline to pre-industrial levels, so highly contaminated much of the planet already is with the toxic element. That is why, the EEA says, “it is important to follow food safety advice that maximises the health benefits of eating fish while minimising exposure to mercury.”

In addition, the agency counsels, “consumers should pay attention to properly disposing of materials that contain mercury, such as some light bulbs and batteries, and consider alternatives to solid fuel burning for heating.”