Florida State University News
Researchers find Greenland glacial meltwaters rich in mercury
May 24, 2021 | 11:00 am | SHARE:
An aerial view of Nuup Kangerlua (fjord) and the glaciers that feed meltwater into it. This fjord receives approximately 20 cubic kilometers of meltwater from the ice sheet every year (equivalent to 8 million Olympic sized swimming pools of water). Photo courtesy of Jade Hatton/University of Bristol.
New research shows that concentrations of the toxic element mercury in rivers and fjords connected to the Greenland Ice Sheet are comparable to rivers in industrial China, an unexpected finding that is raising questions about the effects of glacial melting in an area that is a major exporter of seafood.