Thawing Arctic permafrost unleashes ‘Mercury Bomb,’ threatening food chain and communities

As global heating accelerates due to the climate crisis, the Arctic is warming at a rate up to four times faster than the global average, according to a new study.

This rapid warming is causing significant erosion of permafrost in Alaska’s Yukon River, releasing mercury-laden sediment that has been trapped in the frozen ground for thousands of years.

The release of this toxic contaminant is now posing a serious threat to the local food chain and the communities that depend on it, according to the University of Southern California (USC).

Researchers from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences have conducted a new study, which provides a more accurate method for measuring the concentrations of mercury being released from the thawing permafrost into the river. Their work also estimates the total amount of mercury that may still be released in the future.

The findings highlight the risks associated with permafrost loss, which could impact the approximately 5 million people living in the Arctic. Of these, 3.3 million reside in areas where permafrost is expected to degrade or disappear entirely by 2050, potentially leading to widespread environmental and health impacts.