Mercury Capture in North Carolina as a Co-Benefit of Phase II of the Acid Rain Program
Abstract
Mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants pose environmental and public health
concerns in North Carolina. Once converted to methylmercury in aquatic environments,
mercury compounds can bioaccumulate in fish and other species, including humans. In
humans, mercury compounds can function as a neurotoxin to a fetus and impair neurological
development of young children. Recent multi-pollutant strategies are
expected to reduce the amount of mercury emitted from coal-fired power plants in North
Carolina. To test this assumption, this study examines the mercury capture of a similar
piece of existing legislation, the Acid Rain Program. Holding other variables constant,
this study finds that during the Phase II years of the Acid Rain Program, coal-fired
power plants emitted on average 208 fewer pounds of mercury per year compared to the
Phase I
years. These results suggest multi-pollutant strategies can be an effective strategy
to reduce mercury emissions.
Type
Master's projectPermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/67Citation
Quinlan, Paul J. (2006). Mercury Capture in North Carolina as a Co-Benefit of Phase II of the Acid Rain Program.
Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/67.Collections
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