Thursday October 10, 2024
PhysOrg —
Toxic trace elements such as lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium naturally occur in small quantities in coastal seas. However, human activities, such as industry and agriculture, contribute significantly larger amounts.
A new study has examined how climate change already affects the distribution and accumulation of these elements and how it could impact them in the future. One of the findings: Climate-related natural events are releasing more contaminants, which pose a risk to both human and animal health. However, there is still insufficient knowledge about how these contaminants will behave in the future.
The ocean is warming, becoming more acidic, and losing oxygen—these are well-known effects of climate change. What has been less studied is how these changes are affecting contaminants in the seas. The new study, titled “Impacts of Climate Change on the Transport, Fate, and Biogeochemistry of Contaminants in Coastal Marine Ecosystems,” has investigated the interaction of trace elements with climate change. The findings have been published in Communications Earth & Environment.