AUGUSTA – Mercury emissions in Maine have been reduced by nearly 50 percent since 1992, but mercury continues to pose serious health and environmental risks, according to a new report prepared for the Legislature.

Emissions from sources within the state totaled 1,467 pounds last year, down from 2,786 pounds in 1992.

More than half of the 2001 total came from commercial and industrial boilers that burn oil and wood. The second-largest contribution was from so-called “area sources,” including home heating units, wood stoves, burn barrels and use or disposal of consumer products.

A naturally occurring element, mercury has been linked to ecological, immune system and cardiological problems. The Legislature in recent years has tackled a series of initiatives to regulate the disposal of mercury.

The new 65-page report, prepared by the Department of Environmental Protection, describes progress and challenges in addressing the problem of mercury in Maine.

The report found that 10 to 20 percent of women of childbearing age have too much mercury in their blood for a developing fetus.

The report also indicated that mercury is jeopardizing the sustainability of Maine’s loon population.

Efforts developed during the past five years to target mercury pollution have produced measurable results, the report said.

Because much of the mercury that makes its way to Maine originates outside the Northeast, the state first had to identify sources it could control or eliminate through local efforts, said DEP Commissioner Martha Kirkpatrick.

“In many cases, simply imposing new regulations or requiring additional technology wasn’t going to do the job,” Kirkpatrick said. “We had to think more creatively about pollution prevention, about technical assistance, about education and partnerships with a variety of industrial sectors.

“All of that collectively amounted to a critical first step. But we still have a long road ahead,” she said.

The next steps, she said, will be to seek reductions from major emission sources and to look at ways to minimize the impacts of consumer choices and lifestyles.

“With direction from the Legislature, we have focused on getting mercury out of the products we use, the cars we drive and the waste we produce,” Kirkpatrick said.