BOULDER, Colo.—A study finds that forest fires in southwestern Colorado may have contributed to the toxic mercury found in fish in Vallecito Reservoir near Durango.
University of Colorado researchers have been studying mercury mobility for 18 months with the Mountain Studies Institute in Silverton.
A news release from CU says coal-fired power plants in the Four Corners region are thought to be the main source of mercury in La Plata and Montezuma counties.
CU engineering professor Joseph Ryan says the mercury would be harmless if large fires didn’t cause mercury to be released form the soil and converted to methylmercury, a toxic substance.
The National Science Foundation recently awarded a $690,000 grant to help the project expand.
