Climate change may alter mercury pollution

Small-scale artisanal gold mining, in which mercury is used to separate gold from rock deposits, has moved ahead of coal-fired power generation as the largest worldwide source of releases.  Artisanal gold mining releases mercury to the air, water, and soil.  Power plant releases are almost entirely atmospheric, but mercury in the air gets deposited to the earth’s surface.  Mercury in water is taken up by microorganisms, resulting in the formation of methylmercury, a neuro-toxin that bioaccumulates in the food chain. 
The researchers found that higher temperatures and weaker air circulation patterns caused by climate change will likely have significant impacts on the atmospheric lifetime and patterns of mercury deposition.  In most climate change scenarios, storms will be less frequent but more intense.  This will result in larger amounts of mercury being released through erosion and ending up in rivers, lakes, and oceans, say the researchers.
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