Pollution triples mercury levels in ocean surface waters, study finds
Source: The Guardian, Date: , 2014
The amount of mercury near the surface of many of the
world’s oceans has tripled as the result of our polluting activities, a new
study has found, with potentially damaging implications for marine life as the
result of the accumulation of the toxic metal. Mercury is accumulating in the
surface layers of the seas faster than in the deep ocean, as we pour the
element into the atmosphere and seas from a variety of sources, including
mines, coal-fired power plants and sewage. Mercury is toxic to humans and
marine life, and accumulates in our bodies over time as we are exposed to
sources of it.