Heat rises on mercury issue

The Indiana Student Public Interest Research Group organized a postcard drive Thursday at the Wright Quad formal lounge to advocate mercury awareness. The informational event was part of their Mercury Awareness Week.\nWendy Freeman, a graduate student with the School of Public Affairs and Environmental Sciences, was on-hand to inform students of the dangers of mercury pollution and to gain support for their cause.\nCurrent levels of mercury pollution do not pose a major threat to adults. However, unborn fetuses exposed to those same levels have been prone to brain damage, developmental problems, impaired motor functions and vision and memory problems.\n"Mothers exposed to mercury themselves are not at risk. The umbilical chord contains a higher concentration of mercury, which is then transferred to the fetus's blood stream," Freeman said. \nThe most common way mercury enters the body is by consuming fish that live in mercury-rich waters, Campaign Coordinator Lauren Fischer said. Coal-fired power plants emit mercury along with other substances as by-products of their energy production. \nMercury enters the air, then the water supplies and eventually affects aquatic life.\nTuna poses the largest threat for women of child-bearing age, Fischer said.\nWhile tuna itself is healthy, the mercury contained in the fish is harmful. \n"We recommend that women of child-bearing age, (those aged) 15 to 50 years, consume only one can of tuna a month. The effects of mercury pollution last up to 15 years. Any woman thinking of bearing children should take that into account," Fischer said.\nINPIRG set up the event to gain support for their position by having participants sign postcards they will be sending to the Environmental Protection Agency. The group also offered the opportunity to record a video postcard -- videotaping students' opinions on the issue. \n"The government should hold responsible the businesses and industries that cause the problem. If you know this stuff is happening, you got to do something about it," said Denairo Equihua-Spann, a grassroots intern for INPIRG. \nFischer, speaking on behalf of INPIRG, said they were concerned about proposed legislation that will lower the current standards of restricting mercury pollution within the coal-burning industry. \nThis would help raise the already harmful levels of mercury. \nINPIRG wants the EPA to order coal-burning power plants to lower their levels of mercury emissions consistent with current technological capabilities, Fischer said.\n"A lot of people in college will be having children in five to seven years and they should be worried about the developmental problems (caused by mercury) in their children," Freeman said. \nFor more information, visit www.mercurypolicy.com. \n-- Contact staff writer Dallas Moorhead at dmoorhea@indiana.edu.