Recorded presentation

Jon Heinrich, Bureau of Air Management, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, P. O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707, 608-267-7547, Jon.Heinrich@dnr.state.wi.us

The health impacts of mercury on developing children can be devastating: exposure to even low levels of mercury before birth can cause serious neurological damage to the developing child. Specific symptoms may include poor performance on tests of attention, fine motor function, language, visual-spatial abilities (e.g., drawing), and memory. Air-borne mercury deposits into lakes, streams, and other water bodies and is converted into methylmercury- a potent neurotoxin. Fish bioaccumulate methylmercury and serve as the main route of human exposure to methylmercury.

Several states have taken initiatives to reduce mercury exposures in the environment by regulating atmospheric mercury emissions from incinerators and power plants, and removing mercury from batteries, paint, and thermometers. These efforts have proven successful in demonstrating that regulatory efforts to reduce local and regional mercury emissions can translate into benefits for areas with high levels of methylmercury contamination

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn about the tools available to reduce mercury emissions from power plants. Participants will learn how past regulatory practices proved successful in removing harmful pollutants from the environment

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation