Two new studies produced by the United Nations Environment Programme say parts of Africa, Asia and South America could see increases in mercury emissions, according to a release.
According to the “Global Mercury Assessment 2013” and “Mercury: Time to Act,” most of the increase may come from using the toxic metal in small-scale gold mining and burning coal to generate electricity.
There are methods for reducing mercury emissions during gold extraction and other means of generating electricity, but the reports note socio-economic conditions and low awareness of risks associated with mercury as barriers to adopting those techniques.
Image: Global mercury transport (Credit: UNEP)
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