Consequently, the productive season for flora and fauna remains short as well. The low temperatures also slow recycling and decomposition processes; increasing the risks of pollution (Prowse et al. In Iceland, for instance, environmental pressures are in most cases highly local and not intensive; pollution is primarily caused by lack of wastewater treatment. On the other hand, general atmospheric circulation patterns transport air pollutants to the Arctic from lower latitudes. Moreover, Arctic ecosystems are strongly affected by climate change, with warming estimated to be greaterthan the global average (IPCC 2018).