Consider the following statements regarding mercury pollution:Gold mining activity is a source of me

Question

Consider the following statements regarding mercury pollution:Gold mining activity is a source of mercury pollution in the world.Coal-based thermal power plants cause mercury pollution.There is no known safe level of exposure to mercury.How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

Statement 1 is correct: Artisanal gold mining currently contributes more than 35 percent of all global mercury emissions created by people.Statement 2 is correct: Mercury is emitted in the combustion process of coal and other fossil fuels. Coal has much higher mercury concentrations than other fossil fuels, which explains why coal-fired power plants often emit larger quantities of mercury pollution than do power plants that burn other fossil fuels.Statement 3 is correct: Mercury is a highly toxic element; there is no known safe level of exposure. Ideally, neither children nor adults should have any mercury in their bodies because it provides no physiological benefit.