Congress requested the study be conducted prior to the establishment of the new, more stringent levels for mercury emissions from coal-burning power plants. This report concludes that children of women that consume large amounts of fish and seafood during pregnancy may be at special risk of brain and nerve damage resulting in neurological problems, including learning disabilities. No effective national education campaign exists for focusing on a factual and realistic evaluation of the dangers in consuming certain types of fish and seafood, particularly in regards to that consumed by children under 12 years old and by women of childbearing age. Mercury is a basic chemical element of which there is a fixed amount on earth. It is a heavy, silvery-white liquid that vaporizes quickly at ambient temperatures.
Most mercury occurring in the atmosphere is in the form of elemental vapor.