In a project called Metaalicus, researchers at ORNL hope to learn once and for all what happens to fish mercury concentrations when there is a change in the levels of mercury released into the environment. Despite massive amounts of scientific information published on mercury contamination, there remain very basic questions about the environmental behavior and effects of mercury. A critical question is whether a reduction in atmospheric mercury deposition will reduce mercury concentrations in fish. Proposed controls on industrial emissions of mercury could cost billions of dollars per year, yet it's not known precisely what effect the new controls will have on mercury in fish. This study, which will take place in the Experimental Lakes Area in Northwestern Ontario, is expected to be conducted over five years.
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