The world has been put on notice by experts warning of a “giant mercury bomb” read to explode.
A new study by boffins from the University of Southern California – Dornsife – has made the bold claim that the area deep in the Arctic permafrost is threatening to put all of us in danger. Lead by study co-author and professor of Earth Sciences and Environmental Studies, Josh West, the group of experts took samples from the top three metres of permafrost in the Yukon River.
And pairing it with satellite data, they found that there are “significant” amounts of mercury being released, and it happens when the riverbanks erode.
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The report explains that while the environmental mercury released from melting permafrost doesn’t pose an acute toxic threat today, its effects build over time, and exposure increases as the metal accumulates in the food chain, especially through fish and game that humans consume on a daily basis.
The experts state: “There could be this giant mercury bomb in the Arctic waiting to explode. Because of the way it behaves chemically, a lot of mercury pollution ends up in the Arctic.
“Permafrost has accumulated so much mercury that it could dwarf the amount in the oceans, soils, atmosphere and biosphere combined.
(Image: Getty Images)
“The rivers are reburying a considerable amount of the mercury. To really get a handle on how much of a threat the mercury poses, we have to understand both the erosion and reburial processes.
“Decades of exposure, especially with increasing levels as more mercury is released, could take a huge toll on the environment and the health of those living in these areas.”
They also explain how the mercury is absorbed by plans which then die and become part of the soil – making the eroding river beds made of the soil highly dangerous to humans.
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