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Read the Following Scenario and Answer the Question Below

question 17

Multiple Choice

Read the following scenario and answer the question below.
Mercury is a heavy metal that occurs naturally in minerals and rocks. Release of mercury from natural sources has been relatively constant over time. However, anthropogenic release of mercury has increased significantly in recent years primarily due to increased fossil fuel mining and combustion. Mercury that is released into the air eventually ends up in soils or surface water. Once in water, microbes convert mercury into methyl mercury, which is absorbed quickly and concentrated in the tissues of predatory fish such as shark and swordfish. Large fish typically concentrate more mercury than small fish.
People who eat fish with high methyl mercury concentrations can show tremors, deafness, muscle incoordination, and attention deficits. Pregnant women and children are especially sensitive to methyl mercury's toxic effects. Learning disabilities and developmental delays are common in children who have been exposed to significant levels of methyl mercury.
-The ____________ registers and regulates pesticides in the United States.

Definitions:

Fixed Costs

Costs that do not vary with the level of production or sales, such as rent, salaries, and insurance premiums.

Research And Development

Research and development (R&D) refer to the activities companies undertake to innovate and introduce new products and services.

Opportunity Costs

The cost of an alternative that is foregone to pursue a certain action, representing the benefits that could have been received from the chosen alternative.

Accelerated Depreciation

Any method that shifts depreciation forward in an asset’s life. Accelerated methods increase early charges and reduce those that come later, keeping total depreciation constant.