American scientists from the University of California have assessed the reserves of mercury in the Arctic permafrost. According to them, the amount of toxic metal stored in it exceeds the total content of the rest of the Earth’s soil, oceans, atmosphere and biosphere. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Environmental Research Letters (ERL).
As the Arctic warms four times faster than the global average due to climate change, mercury stored in permafrost for thousands of years is seeping into rivers and the environment.
The toxin is estimated to pose a threat to both the environment and the health of 5 million people living in the Arctic, more than 3 million of whom live in areas where permafrost is expected to disappear completely by 2050.
The team analyzed soil samples from three meters of permafrost in two areas of Alaska. They found that mercury levels in the sediments were consistent with higher estimates from previous studies, confirming that the samples provide a reliable indicator of mercury levels and provide insight into the hidden dangers of permafrost.
The researchers hope their improved estimates will help them more accurately assess the size of the “mercury bomb” in the Arctic and then find a way to defuse it.
Earlier scientists I learnedclimate change increases mercury pollution.