DINA CAPPIELLO WASHINGTON A study of mercury contamination has found the toxic substance in every fish tested at nearly 300 streams across the US.

DINA CAPPIELLO
WASHINGTON

A study of mercury contamination has found the toxic substance in every fish tested at nearly 300 streams across the US.

The finding underscores how widespread mercury pollution has become.

The government study, released yesterday by the US Geological Survey, tested thousands of fish from 291 streams nationwide from 1998 to 2005.

While all fish had traces of mercury contamination, only about a quarter had levels exceeding what the Environmental Protection Agency says is safe for people eating an average amount of fish.

Mercury can damage the nervous system and cause learning disabilities in babies and young children.

The main source of mercury to most of the streams is emissions from coal-fired power plants.

Meanwhile, another environmental study released in the US indicates that plastic does decompose in the oceans when exposed to rain and sun - giving rise to yet another source of global contamination.

Environmentalists have long denounced plastic as a long-lasting pollutant that does not break down. - AP