Today rivers transport three times more mercury than 1850!

Today rivers transport three times more mercury than 1850!

Karlsruhe, Deutschland - Hand on heart, what is important to us? Clean water! But a current study shows that the situation is more than worrying. Today rivers transport three times as much mercury into the sea as it was 175 years ago. This is a real wake -up call, because the consequences are not for the faint of heart. An international research team has found that around 1,000 tons of mercury are flooded into the oceans annually. This is a significant increase compared to the 390 tons in 1850, which [ka-news.de] (https://www.ka-news.de/nachrichten/schltschaft/fluesse-werren-wehr- Mehr-Mehr-in-ozeane-als-331699) reports.

The main sources for this increase are industrial processes, metal mining and especially small mining, for example in the form of gold search. In recent decades, deforestation in regions such as the Amazon has meant that soil erosion and consequently the mercury entry into rivers have increased significantly. In South America, for example, a large part of the mercury comes from unregulated gold mines and eroded soils.

The health risks

Not only the ecosystems are affected. The mercury connections are considered strong nerve toxins and represent a significant danger to human health. Pregnant women whose unborn children can be damaged by consuming contaminated fish are particularly at risk. The Federal Environment Agency warns of potential for nerve and kidney damage. There is no acute risk to most people in Germany, since the mercury values ​​in the blood and urine are usually low. But when enjoying predatory fish, there can be a danger.

Another interesting detail: The concentrations of mercury in North American rivers rise due to the thawing process of permafrost floors. The increase is not only a problem in overseas - the mercury pollution in rivers through historical entries and contaminated sites is still an issue. There have been progress in Germany, the environmental requirements have achieved positive effects here, but the environmental quality goals compared to historical entries are often exceeded.

a look back and forward

If you look at the development since 1850, it becomes clear that the mercury flow in our rivers has risen similarly to the atmosphere and the seas. In a comparison between the pre-industrial period and today, an increase in the mercury transport can be determined by about 595 tons per year, which corresponds to an increase in two to three times, such as scinexx.de describes.

positive things to report: the mercury entry in the Mediterranean has dropped since 1850, significantly influenced by dams in the North African catchment area of ​​the Nile. These developments show that international agreements such as Minamata Convention and Targeted Environmental Strategies can certainly make progress.

A clear message remains: the protection of our waters and the decline in mercury contamination are essential. This is the only way we can secure the health of people and the stability of our ecosystems in the long term.