Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
therefore expect an enhanced movement of methylmercury to higher trophic levels through
biomagnification.
In the marine environment, the reduced proportion of the Arctic Ocean covered by
ice will increase the amount of particle-bound mercury deposited directly onto the sea
surface and increase the exchange of elemental mercury between surface waters and the
atmosphere. Warmer temperatures are thought to have the potential to alter the balance
of geochemical and microbiological processes. This could increase the rate at which the
large marine reservoir of inorganic mercury may be transformed into biologically available
methylmercury. At the same time, the warmer waters and longer period in which light is
available tophytoplankton(plantplankton)mayverywellincreasethetotalannualprimary
production of new organic carbon and thus enhance the potential for the increased flow of
methylmercury through biomagnification to upper-trophic levels. There is much here that
requires further research. Even the nature of climate warming on AMDE deposition is con-
troversial. On the one hand, warmer temperatures are expected to decrease mercury depos-
ition from this process. However, on the other hand, the increase of exposed sea surface in
spring (due to less sea ice) could increase the amount of AMDE-derived mercury that is
absorbed into the Arctic Ocean. What a tangled web!
If you would like to learn more about the impact of climate warming on contaminant
distribution and behaviour in the Arctic, look at some of the papers referenced in the bibli-
ography. The reviews organised by Robie Macdonald in 2002-2003, by Roland Kallenborn
in 2011, by Gary Stern (for mercury) in 2012 and by Henry Wöhrnschimmel and by Todd
Gouin (both in 2013) provide a solid introduction.
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