Potential impacts of mercury released from thawing permafrost
Mercury (Hg) is a naturally occurring element that bonds with organic matter and, when converted to methylmercury, is a potent neurotoxicant. Here we estimate potential future releases of Hg from thawing permafrost for low and high greenhouse gas emissions scenarios using a mechanistic model. By 220...
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ftunisfloridatam:oai:digitalcommons.usf.edu:fac_publications-5043 2023-05-15T17:56:48+02:00 Potential impacts of mercury released from thawing permafrost Schaefer, Kevin Elshorbany, Yasin Jafarov, Elchin Schuster, Paul F. Strigel, Robert G. Wickland, Kimberly P. Sunderland, Elsie M. 2020-01-01T08:00:00Z https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/fac_publications/4081 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18398-5 unknown Digital Commons @ University of South Florida https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/fac_publications/4081 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18398-5 USF St. Petersburg campus Faculty Publications text 2020 ftunisfloridatam https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18398-5 2021-10-09T08:18:33Z Mercury (Hg) is a naturally occurring element that bonds with organic matter and, when converted to methylmercury, is a potent neurotoxicant. Here we estimate potential future releases of Hg from thawing permafrost for low and high greenhouse gas emissions scenarios using a mechanistic model. By 2200, the high emissions scenario shows annual permafrost Hg emissions to the atmosphere comparable to current global anthropogenic emissions. By 2100, simulated Hg concentrations in the Yukon River increase by 14% for the low emissions scenario, but double for the high emissions scenario. Fish Hg concentrations do not exceed United States Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for the low emissions scenario by 2300, but for the high emissions scenario, fish in the Yukon River exceed EPA guidelines by 2050. Our results indicate minimal impacts to Hg concentrations in water and fish for the low emissions scenario and high impacts for the high emissions scenario. Text permafrost Yukon river Yukon Digital Commons University of South Florida (USF) Yukon Nature Communications 11 1 |
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Digital Commons University of South Florida (USF) |
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description |
Mercury (Hg) is a naturally occurring element that bonds with organic matter and, when converted to methylmercury, is a potent neurotoxicant. Here we estimate potential future releases of Hg from thawing permafrost for low and high greenhouse gas emissions scenarios using a mechanistic model. By 2200, the high emissions scenario shows annual permafrost Hg emissions to the atmosphere comparable to current global anthropogenic emissions. By 2100, simulated Hg concentrations in the Yukon River increase by 14% for the low emissions scenario, but double for the high emissions scenario. Fish Hg concentrations do not exceed United States Environmental Protection Agency guidelines for the low emissions scenario by 2300, but for the high emissions scenario, fish in the Yukon River exceed EPA guidelines by 2050. Our results indicate minimal impacts to Hg concentrations in water and fish for the low emissions scenario and high impacts for the high emissions scenario. |
format |
Text |
author |
Schaefer, Kevin Elshorbany, Yasin Jafarov, Elchin Schuster, Paul F. Strigel, Robert G. Wickland, Kimberly P. Sunderland, Elsie M. |
spellingShingle |
Schaefer, Kevin Elshorbany, Yasin Jafarov, Elchin Schuster, Paul F. Strigel, Robert G. Wickland, Kimberly P. Sunderland, Elsie M. Potential impacts of mercury released from thawing permafrost |
author_facet |
Schaefer, Kevin Elshorbany, Yasin Jafarov, Elchin Schuster, Paul F. Strigel, Robert G. Wickland, Kimberly P. Sunderland, Elsie M. |
author_sort |
Schaefer, Kevin |
title |
Potential impacts of mercury released from thawing permafrost |
title_short |
Potential impacts of mercury released from thawing permafrost |
title_full |
Potential impacts of mercury released from thawing permafrost |
title_fullStr |
Potential impacts of mercury released from thawing permafrost |
title_full_unstemmed |
Potential impacts of mercury released from thawing permafrost |
title_sort |
potential impacts of mercury released from thawing permafrost |
publisher |
Digital Commons @ University of South Florida |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/fac_publications/4081 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18398-5 |
geographic |
Yukon |
geographic_facet |
Yukon |
genre |
permafrost Yukon river Yukon |
genre_facet |
permafrost Yukon river Yukon |
op_source |
USF St. Petersburg campus Faculty Publications |
op_relation |
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/fac_publications/4081 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18398-5 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18398-5 |
container_title |
Nature Communications |
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11 |
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1 |
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1766165084738945024 |