RALEIGH, N.C., Oct. 6 (UPI) — In a surprise finding, U.S. researchers say fish located near coal-fired power plants have lower levels of mercury than fish that live farther away.
North Carolina State University researchers say the result may be linked to high levels of another element, selenium, found near coal-fired facilities, which can present problems of its own, a release by the school said.
"We found that fish in lakes located at least 30 kilometers (18 miles) from a coal-fired power plant had mercury levels more than three times higher than fish of the same species in lakes that are within 10 km (6 miles) of a plant," Dana Sackett, a doctoral student at N.C. State, said. "This information will inform health and wildlife officials who make determinations about fish consumption advisories and wildlife management decisions."
The results were unexpected since coal-fired power plants are the leading source of mercury air emissions in the world and a significant amount of that mercury is expected to settle out of the air within 6 miles of a plant's smokestacks.
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