Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Tom Carper (D-Del.) recently introduced the bipartisan Comprehensive National Mercury Monitoring Act to create a new comprehensive program to measure mercury levels across the United States.
“Mercury is one of the most persistent and dangerous pollutants that threatens our health and environment today,” Collins said. “This powerful toxin affects the senses, the brain, spinal cord, kidneys and liver. It poses significant risks to children and pregnant women, causing an elevated risk of birth defects and problems with motor skills. While mercury exposure has gone down as mercury emissions in the United States have declined, levels remain unacceptably high. Our legislation would build on existing environmental monitoring efforts to create a comprehensive nationwide mercury monitoring network to provide sound mercury measurements that we sorely need.”
Approximately 410,000 children born in the U.S. each year are believed to be exposed to levels of mercury in the womb that are high enough to impair neurological development.
The Comprehensive National Mercury Monitoring Act would create mercury monitoring sites across the U.S. to measure mercury levels in the air, water and living organisms.
“Mercury pollution presents a serious health risk to millions of Americans every day,” Carper said. “The scary truth is that mercury is making its way into our waterways, our oceans, and our food, including seafood. Eating mercury-laden seafood often can lead to severe health effects, like kidney failure and neurological damage. Most at risk are pregnant mothers and their unborn children – because developing brains are the most sensitive to mercury impacts.