Mercury Levels In Rainwater Are Rising In Parts Of North America

Environment





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-Carly-/Flickr. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Mercury levels in parts of the western and central United States' rainwater have been increasing over the past 20 years. However, the East Coast’s rain has seen a decline in these levels. This is despite nationwide cuts in coal emissions and moving away from coal-fired power plants. So what's causing this disparity between the eastern and western states?