Utoo Radio and Other Sources - August 15 2024 - A California-led research team has found evidence that climate change-induced permafrost melting is releasing long-sequestered mercury deposits into Alaska's Yukon River. The team says that poses an environmental and public health hazard to about 5 million people living in the Arctic zone.

The metal, stored in permafrost for millennia, moves from air to ground to water, causing a northbound buildup of mercury.

The researchers found that the river can quickly mobilize large amounts of sediment containing mercury, which could be a reliable gauge for mercury content.

The risks stand to increase over time and will primarily impact fish and game consumption. Mercury deposits may also fluctuate, as the river both mobilizes and redeposits them onto sandbars and beaches.