What is mercury?
Mercury is an element (Hg on the periodic table) found naturally in the environment. Mercury emissions in the air can come from both natural and man-made sources. Utility power plants (mainly coal-fired) are the largest man-made source, because mercury that naturally exists in coal is released into the air when coal is burned to make electricity. The use of energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) reduces power demand, which helps reduce mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants. Coal-fired power generation accounts for roughly 40% of the mercury emissions in the U.S. For more information on all sources of mercury, visit www.epa.gov/mercury. For more information about CFLs, visit www.energystar.gov/cfls.
