Antarctic mercury accumulation spikes 160% as ice melts

Researchers from China and North America published a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showing that mercury levels on the Antarctic Peninsula have increased by 160 % since the start of the industrial era. Analysis of 16 sediment cores spanning the last two centuries indicates an accumulation rate of about 93 µg per square metre per year, roughly double the global average for continental shelves.

The study links the surge to accelerated glacial retreat and surface erosion caused by climate‑driven warming, which have raised mercury release from the ice by an estimated 550 % since the Industrial Revolution. Once in the ocean, a portion of the metal re‑enters the atmosphere, with re‑emission rates up 350 % over the same period. The findings underscore how melting polar ice can mobilise legacy contaminants, adding a new dimension to global pollution mitigation policies.