Without stringent emissions reductions, future increases in
ocean mercury levels are likely to be greater than anticipated
Environmental researchers at Harvard University have
published evidence that significant reductions in mercury emissions will be
necessary just to stabilize current levels of the toxic element in the
environment. So much mercury persists in surface reservoirs (soil, air, and
water) from past pollution, going back thousands of years, that it will
continue to persist in the ocean and accumulate in fish for decades to
centuries, they report.