Climate change could increase levels of mercury – one of the world's most toxic metals – in fish by up to seven times current levels, according to a study by Swedish scientists. As the planet warms and rainfall increases, more organic material flows into the sea, which encourages the growth of bacteria. The study, published today in Nature Communications, shows that increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are causing an increased uptake of mercury, with some species becoming less able to detoxify it. The paper, published in Science Advances, said levels of mercury had risen by between 200% and 500% since the Industrial Revolution and that warmer oceans are increasing the level of the toxin in sea creatures.
Climate change could increase levels of mercury – one of the world's most toxic metals – in fish by up to seven times current levels, according to a study by Swedish scientists. As the planet warms and rainfall increases, more organic material flows into the sea, which encourages the growth of bacteria. This bacteria reacts with mercury to form methylmercury, which then enters the food chain via fish. The paper, published in Science Advances, said levels of mercury had risen by between 200% and 500% since the Industrial Revolution and that warmer oceans are increasing the level of the toxin in sea creatures.