Melting Arctic Ice Releases Stored Toxic Chemicals

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/07/melting-arctic-ice-releases-stored-toxic-chemicals.php

by Stephen Messenger, Porto Alegre, Brazil on 07.25.11

As if the threat of rising sea-levels due to rising global temperatures weren't enough cause for concern, new research suggests that as arctic ice melts, it may be releasing much more than just water. According to researchers studying the melting polar caps, as snow cover dwindles as a result of climate change, toxic chemicals stored in the ice from decades of pollution are being 'remobilized' back into the atmosphere -- potentially exposing humans and wildlife to substances known to cause illness and death, for decades to come.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which include such nasty compounds as DTD, lindane, and chlordane, were once commonly used in the agriculture industry as pesticides -- though scientists soon learned that these chemicals have grave consequences on human and environmental health. Ten years ago, POPs were largely banned worldwide, but the chemicals proved resilient and capable of long-range transport, which is why POPs can be detected even in places where they've never been used.

Ultimately, a significant amount of the POPs ended up in the cold, arctic regions where icy temperatures effectively 'trapped' the chemicals -- preventing them from being spread into the environment. But now, say researcher from Canada, Norway, and China, as that regions of the world experiences warming associated with climate change, those toxins are being released.

th top picks
Atlanta Green Franchise Opportunity
Atlanta, GA (nationwide opportunities)
Clean Air Lawn Care
Product Catalog Manager
Lawrenceville, GA
Conservation Mart
Bookkeeper Office Manager
Brooklyn, NY (None)
Urban Arborists
Campaigns/Organizing Internship
Boston, MA
Corporate Accountability International
Business Services Operations...
Cerritos, CA
Time Warner Cable
Full-Time Solar Sales
Metairie, LA (Baton Rouge/Northshore)
South Coast Solar, LLC
See more jobsPost your job here
Powered by JobThreadGet your own job board
Melting Arctic Ice Releases Stored Toxic Chemicals
by Stephen Messenger, Porto Alegre, Brazil on 07.25.11
Travel & Nature

toxins-in-ice.jpg Photo: Andy Tinkham / cc

As if the threat of rising sea-levels due to rising global temperatures weren't enough cause for concern, new research suggests that as arctic ice melts, it may be releasing much more than just water. According to researchers studying the melting polar caps, as snow cover dwindles as a result of climate change, toxic chemicals stored in the ice from decades of pollution are being 'remobilized' back into the atmosphere -- potentially exposing humans and wildlife to substances known to cause illness and death, for decades to come.

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which include such nasty compounds as DTD, lindane, and chlordane, were once commonly used in the agriculture industry as pesticides -- though scientists soon learned that these chemicals have grave consequences on human and environmental health. Ten years ago, POPs were largely banned worldwide, but the chemicals proved resilient and capable of long-range transport, which is why POPs can be detected even in places where they've never been used.

Ultimately, a significant amount of the POPs ended up in the cold, arctic regions where icy temperatures effectively 'trapped' the chemicals -- preventing them from being spread into the environment. But now, say researcher from Canada, Norway, and China, as that regions of the world experiences warming associated with climate change, those toxins are being released.

"Our results indicate that a wide range of POPs have been remobilized into the Arctic atmosphere over the past two decades as a result of climate change, confirming that Arctic warming could undermine global efforts to reduce environmental and human exposure to these toxic chemicals," write the team of scientists, as reported by The New York Times.

[.....]


Eventually, Dachs said, atmospheric circulation patterns could carry the newly liberated POPs to other parts of the globe.

..