A study sponsored by Greenpeace shows that 21 percent of women of childbearing age have mercury levels in their hair that exceed federal health standards.

The study is ongoing but Greenpeace says it is evidence that coal-fired power plants and other sources continue to pollute the environment. The plants release mercury into the air, which ends up in water and is absorbed by fish. Humans are affected by eating contaminated fish.

A prior study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that 12 percent of women of childbearing age had mercury levels exceeding federal standards.

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Excess Mercury Levels Increasing (The Washington Post 10/21)
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