美國公共衛生聯盟於7日舉辦的年會中，來自匹茲堡大學公眾健康研究所的諸位研究人員發表了一份研究報告，表示燃煤發電廠排放的放射物是污染水源及野生魚類的重要因素。
同樣由該研究團隊發表的另一份研究顯示出，供商業用途而捕捉的野生魚類，相較於在靠近先前伊利湖工業區捕捉到的魚，含有高度汞、砷及硒等化學物質。而汞、砷及硒等化學物質正是燃煤污染的標記。
而該研究團隊的第三份研究報告指出，把對雌激素（estrogen）敏感的乳癌細胞，暴露於從佈滿地下水道及工業廢棄物的區域捕捉到的運河鯰（channel catfish）的萃取物中，結果會導致乳癌細胞繁衍。
研究人員要求當地垂釣者捕捉位於匹茲堡3大流域的運河鯰，也就是在亞歷堅尼（Allegheny）、蒙納哥拉（Monongahela）及俄亥俄（Ohio）3條河的交會處。但除此之外，垂釣者也會在匹茲堡上游40哩處、地屬肯他尼區（Kittanning）的亞歷堅尼河捕捉鯰魚。而研究數據顯示，在肯他尼區捕捉的鯰魚，其汞含量比在3大流域的鯰魚高出19倍，且硒含量亦高出3倍之多。
針對該數據得到的結果是，食用從肯他尼區捕捉、高度汞含量的鯰魚，導致神經失調的風險是美國環保署公佈6歲以下孩童可承受風險的8倍、懷孕婦女的6倍，及高出一般大眾5倍左右。 主要調查人員佛茲博士（Dr. Conrad Volz）表示，「針對該結果，我們應該要關切從燃煤發電場附近，抑或是從上游污染更嚴重的區域中捕捉到的鯰魚。」
Emissions from coal-fired power plants are an important source of water pollution and contamination of wild fish, say researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health in a study presented Wednesday at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association.
The same team presented a separate study showing that wild-caught fish sold commercially contained higher levels of mercury, arsenic and selenium than fish caught near former industrial areas of Lake Erie. Mercury, arsenic and selenium are markers for coal-burning pollution.
And in a third study, the same researchers showed that exposing estrogen-sensitive breast cancer cells to extracts of channel catfish caught in areas with heavy sewer and industrial waste causes the cells to multiply.
Researchers asked local anglers to catch channel catfish from the three rivers area of Pittsburgh, where the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers meet.
The anglers also caught catfish from the Allegheny River at Kittanning, 40 miles upstream from Pittsburgh.
Tests showed 19 times more mercury and three times more selenium in the Kittanning-caught fish than in the three rivers area fish.
The risk of developing neurological disorders from eating catfish with such high levels of mercury as those caught near Kittanning is eight times higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's acceptable risk for children under six years of age, six times higher for women of childbearing age, and five times higher for the general population.
"Given these results, we should be concerned about fish caught in areas that are situated close to coal-fired power plants, even if upstream from more heavily polluted areas," said principal investigator Dr. Conrad Volz.
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