Large amounts of mercury discovered in Greenland's glaciers

Scientists were alarmed at the amount of dissolved mercury they found in rivers and fjords. The heavy metal raises concerns for the health of indigenous communities. And with global warming, the problem may get worse.

Date 18.06.2021



Researchers went to southwest Greenland three times and found alarming numbers of dissolved mercury
in the water


When British environmental geochemist Jon Hawkings arrived in Greenland for the first time in 2012, he was impressed.

"It's mind-blowing: You look onto the horizon and it's just ice and it goes on for 150, 200 kilometers at least."

He went to the Arctic with a group of international scientists. Their goal was to investigate the relationship between nutrients entering coastal ecosystems from glacial meltwater. But the group's research took an unexpected turn.

The scientists analyzed samples from meltwater rivers and fjords and found concentrations of dissolved mercury among the highest ever recorded.

More:
https://www.dw.com/en/large-amounts-of-mercury-discovered-in-greenlands-glaciers/a-57953809