According to a summary in Science Daily, mercury emissions in North America dropped 2.8 percent a year between 1990 and 2007. This contributed to an annual drop of 4.3 percent in north Atlantic waters and an overall 20 percent drop in airborne mercury in the same area.
Mercury emissions worldwide are still going up, unfortunately, mainly from coal burning in Asia. But again, it goes to show what good policy and monitoring can accomplish. I'm sure tuna eaters everywhere are thrilled!
Dig into the original scientific paper at Environmental Science and Technology.
