LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Birth defects are more likely to occur in Appalachian counties with mountaintop removal coal mining than in other counties in the region, according to a recent study.
The study, published last month in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Research, suggests that birth defects could result from air and water pollution created by mountaintop removal, including mercury, lead and arsenic, which have been shown to pose risks to fetal development.
