Morning Read: Quebec fires briefly spiked North Country mercury levels

The Watertown Daily Times is reporting on a recent study showing that those big forest fires in Quebec last summer had a measurable increase in pollution levels in the North Country.

Though the scientists noticed a “significant” increase in mercury levels, because the haze was around for only one day, it is not something that north country residents should worry about, they said.

“In terms of a general public health front, this isn’t a big deal,” [director of Clarkson’s Institute for a Sustainable Environment Phillip] Hopke said.

“The amount that’s being deposited is pretty low, so the amount that’s being deposited into what’s going into the farmers markets is relatively low.”

Read the full article here.

Tags: canada, environment