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Science Library Abstract
Published: 2017
SYNOPSIS

Vegetable and grain crops grown near coal-fired power plants are heavily polluted with mercury.

TITLE

Mercury pollution in vegetables, grains and soils from areas surrounding coal-fired power plants

CITATION

Rui Li, Han Wu, Jing Ding, Weimin Fu, Lijun Gan and Yi Li. Scientific Reports, 2017 May; 7:46545, DOI: 10.1038.

SUMMARY

Coal-fired power plants are the largest sources of mercury released to the environment, and we reported that soil, vegetable, and grain samples collected from field locations within 10 km distance from those power plants had significantly higher mercury concentrations than the samples purchased from a grocery store away from any power plant, with 79% of vegetable samples and 67% of grain samples exceeded the upper limit of allowable mercury level.

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