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Mercury levels in Great Lakes region eyed

HEIDELBERG, N.Y., Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Mercury pollution in the Great Lakes region is greater than previously reported, but additional controls should bring needed improvement, U.S. researchers say.

A study published in the journal Ecotoxicology said despite general declines in mercury levels in the region during the past 40 years, mercury concentrations still exceed human and ecological risk thresholds, especially in inland lakes and rivers.

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"The good news is that efforts to control mercury pollution have been very beneficial," principle investigator David C. Evers of the Biodiversity Research Institute said. "However, as we broaden our investigations, we find that fish and wildlife are affected at lower mercury concentrations and across larger areas, and that impacts can be quite serious."

While atmospheric emissions are the primary source of mercury deposition in the Great Lakes basin, the report said, further planned controls on those emissions "are expected to lower mercury concentrations in the food web, yielding multiple benefits to fish, wildlife, and people in the Great Lakes region."

More than 300,000 mercury measurements were taken to document the impact and trends of mercury pollution on the Great Lakes region, the report said.

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