As global temperatures continue to rise, the thawing of permafrost in Arctic areas is being accelerated and mercury that has been trapped in the frozen ground is now being released in various forms into surrounding waterways, soil and air.
As global temperatures continue to rise, the thawing of permafrost in Arctic areas is being accelerated and mercury that has been trapped in the frozen ground is now being released in various forms into surrounding waterways, soil and air. According to researchers at the University of New Hampshire, this process can result in the major transformation of the mercury into more mobile and potentially toxic forms that can lead to environmental consequences and health concerns for wildlife, the fishing industry and people in the Arctic and beyond.
In their research, recently published in Geochemical Perspectives Letters, scientists examined mercury reallocation—the movement from previously frozen soils into the surrounding environments—north of the Arctic Circle in Abisko, Sweden. They found that as the landscape changes due to warming temperatures, they see a significant increase in the levels of methylmercury, a neurotoxin, that could have a cascade of effects.
“Our research suggests that Arctic wildlife, such as birds and fish, may be at increased risk of exposure to higher levels of methylmercury that could ultimately impact their reproduction and populations,” said Florencia Fahnestock, a doctoral candidate in Earth sciences and the lead author of the study. “It also has the potential to impact indigenous people if they are eating methylmercury-contaminated wildlife, and possibly the fishing industry, if the mercury is flushed out of the watershed into the ocean.”
Read More at: University of New Hampshire
