Mercury Air Releases Trend
This graph shows the trend in the pounds of mercury and mercury compounds released to air by facilities that reported to TRI.
From 2007 to 2019:
- Releases of mercury and mercury compounds to air decreased by 73%.
- Electric utilities drove the decline in mercury air emissions, with a 91% reduction (-86,000 pounds).
From 2018 to 2019:
- Releases of mercury and mercury compounds to air decreased by 6%.
- The primary metals sector, which includes iron and steel manufacturers and smelting operations, accounted for 37% of the air emissions of mercury and mercury compounds reported to TRI for 2019.
This page was published in January 2021 and uses the 2019 TRI National Analysis dataset made public in TRI Explorer in October 2020.