News
Scientists Find that Selenium Pollution is Damaging
Thursday, March 4th, 2010
Selenium, one of the pollutants related to mountaintop removal coal mining, poses serious health risks to both aquatic life and human life.
“We’re killing fish right now with selenium pollution from mountaintop removal mining. Toxic levels of selenium were found in 73 of 78 stream samples. The threat is expanding as use of this destructive process expands. Once these ecosystems are polluted, damage to the environment is permanent…I specialize in fish, but that is only one part of the overall picture. Public health is also an issue with mountaintop removal mining. Once in the aquatic environment, waterborne selenium can enter the food chain and reach levels that are toxic to fish and wildlife.”
–Dennis Lemly, professor of biology at Wake Forest University
