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Mercury pollution is a global problem with local consequences: Emissions from coal-fired power plants and other sources travel around the world through the atmosphere, eventually settling in oceans and waterways, where the pollutant gradually accumulates in fish. In a new study, MIT researchers report that global action on reducing mercury emissions will lead to twice the economic benefits for the US, compared to domestic action, by 2050.
However, those in the US who consume locally caught freshwater fish, rather than seafood from the global market, will benefit more from domestic rather than international mercury regulations. The researchers say these findings reflect the US commercial fish market, 90 percent of which is sourced from Pacific and Atlantic Ocean basins--regions that are heavily influenced by emissions from non-US sources, including China.Image credit: MIT
