Study: Centuries-old mercury pollution threatens Arctic wildlife

Mercury from coal combustion and gold mining can remain in the air for about a year but when it enters the ocean, it can stay for 300 years.

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June 12 (UPI) -- Mercury concentrations in Arctic wildlife are on the rise despite reductions in mercury release, according to a new study published Thursday.

Researchers from Aarhus University and the University of Copenhagen found that ocean currents may be transporting centuries-old mercury pollution to the Arctic, the study published in the journal Nature Communications said.

"We've monitored mercury in Arctic animals for over 40 years. Despite declining global emissions since the 1970s, we see no corresponding decrease in Arctic concentrations -- on the contrary," said Professor Rune Dietz from Aarhus University said in a statement.

Mercury from coal combustion and gold mining can remain in the air for about a year but when it enters the ocean, it can stay for 300 years.

Researchers have looked at more than 700 environmental samples from animals across Greenland over the past 40 years which has led them to identify regional differences that go alongside current patterns.

"These isotope signatures act like fingerprints, revealing the sources and transport pathways of mercury," Senior Researcher Jens Sondergaard from Aarhus University explained.

Mercury disrupts the normal function of nervous systems in polar bears and toothed whales. The concentrations are higher by 20-30 times before industrialization. It creates serious health risks to native marine mammals.

"Transport of mercury from major sources like China to Greenland via ocean currents can take up to 150 years," said Rune Dietz. "This helps explain the lack of decline in Arctic mercury levels."

The "GreenPath" project team is continuing its work on the study of mercury pollution across the Arctic.

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