Experts say mercury levels near coal-fired power stations in Victoria and NSW have skyrocketed since the facilities opened despite assurances from their operators, and have urged the federal government to curb emissions of the lethal substance.
The 20 university researchers say Australia should follow the example of 107 countries including China, the United States and those in the European Union that have ratified a global agreement to limit mercury pollution.
The agreement, known as the United Nations Minamata Convention on Mercury, came into effect in 2017. Australia signed the deal but has not officially adopted it, which would require it to control mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants and other sources.
Mercury is a naturally occurring element that can be dangerous if released into the environment. It can be found in cosmetics, fluorescent light bulbs and emissions from industrial activity among other sources.
Australian National University expert Larissa Schneider said complying with the convention "would require power stations to spend millions of dollars retro-fitting modern devices to control emissions from their plants".
"Despite statements by some power station operators that the amount of mercury released by their plants is not of concern, our work in the Latrobe Valley in Victoria shows that mercury in the environment has increased by six times since places like Hazelwood, Yallourn and Lay Yang began operations," she said.
The researchers took core samples of sediment in lakes to determine both historical and current mercury levels. In earlier similar research around the Liddell and Bayswater coal plants in the NSW Hunter Valley it found mercury had increased four-fold since 1957, before the plants were built.
The group, Mercury Australia Network, was launched at the Australian National University on Thursday. It hopes to help Australia ratify the Minamata agreement by researching the presence, use and effects of mercury.
The researchers say Australia has one of the oldest and least efficient fleets of coal-fired power stations in the world, exposing communities to "dangerous" mercury and other pollutants that can contribute to asthma, respiratory disease and premature death.
Dr Schneider said research into mercury in Australia was scarce compared to other countries "and a lack of information on the cycle of mercury has resulted in scant regulations in this country".
"In one sense, Australia is fortunate in that it hasn’t faced a major catastrophe due to mercury, like the United States and the United Kingdom have, but do we really want to wait for something serious to happen here before we tighten regulations on this dangerous heavy metal?" she said.
The UN says global mercury emissions into the atmosphere rose by around 20 per cent between 2010 and 2015.
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Yet another reason to get rid of coal.
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| Global mercury emissions by sector Source: EPA |
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