Michigan Targets Mercury Pollution to Reduce Risk of Birth Defects
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is currently in the process of developing a set of guidelines for power companies in an effort to reduce airborne mercury emissions by 90 percent in nine years, thus decreasing the risk of mercury health hazards in fetuses and children.
The plan will require electricity generators to invest finances in an attempt to develop mercury reduction technology, which would ultimately mean higher costs for customers. But many believe that reducing the serious risks of birth defects caused by mercury exposure would be worth the extra cost.
What is mercury?
Mercury, a naturally occurring element, has proven useful in a number of products including mechanical switches, fluorescent light bulbs, thermometers, tooth fillings, and more. However, it is a dangerous toxin that can cause serious harm to the nervous system, prompting a national campaign targeting mercury pollution.
While mercury is harmless when embedded in coal, it becomes a serious issue when it’s emitted into the atmosphere. Eventually, the vapors—colorless and odorless—settle into waters and transforms into a bacteria that is absorbed by small sea creatures. The toxin continues to travel up the food chain and grows highly potent.
Mercury birth defects
Humans ingest mercury when they eat tainted fish, which could lead to a series of health problems. However, children are the most affected by the toxin. Experts strongly discourage pregnant women to consume seafood that may contain potent levels of mercury that could lead to neurological development problems in children including mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and even death.
“I don’t want our children getting sick or having disabilities that could have been avoided if we’d been willing to pay more for electricity,” said executive director of the Association for Children’s Mental Health Amy Winans.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, approximately six percent of women have hazardous levels of mercury in their bloodstream during childbearing age. Furthermore, scientific data has estimated that about 60,000 to 300,000 babies are born every year at the risk of severe neurological damage from exposure to mercury.
“The problem is that once mothers get mercury in their body, it takes six to 12 months to get it out,” said Dr. William Weil, a retired pediatrics professor at Michigan State University. “If they get pregnant in the meantime, that mercury gets transmitted to the fetus…where the brain is still in its development and very susceptible to mercury damage.”
For the last two decades, The Department of Community Health in Michigan has issued periodic mercury consumption alerts regarding the seafood caught in the great lakes area. The state will also continue their efforts to cutback the rate of mercury emissions to decrease the risks caused by mercury exposure.