The risk of mercury poisoning from eating a fish from a river downwind from a coal-burning power plant depends on the type of fish caught and the age and condition of the person consuming it.
People fishing along the banks of the White River as it winds through Indianapolis sometimes pass by ominous signs warning about eating the fish they catch.
One of the risks they have faced is mercury poisoning.
Mercury is a neurotoxic metal that can cause irreparable harm to human health — especially the brain development of young children. It is tied to lower IQ and results in decreased earning potential, as well as higher health costs.
Lost productivity from mercury alone was calculated in 2005 to reach almost $9 billion per year.
One way mercury gets into river fish is with the gases that rise up the smokestacks of coal-burning power plants.
https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/can-you-get-mercury-poisoning-eating-fish