33 Toxic Metals and the Environment

OSPAR Commission. Heavy Metals in Biota and Sediment. OSPAR Commission, 2024

The atmosphere is the site for airborne pollution. Mining coal releases trace amounts of lead, mercury, and arsenic from the earth’s crust. The coal undergoes a cleaning process, and these toxic metals are released in the form of sludge. This cleaning process is flawed, and often toxic metals are burned with the coal. Due to the tall smokestacks found in coal power plants the toxic metals can travel hundreds of miles. This widespread contamination can be devastating to sensitive environments and human health. The toxic metals come down when it rains depositing toxic metals into the hydrosphere and lithosphere.