Description: |
A highly toxic form of mercury could jump by 300 to 600 percent in zooplankton - tiny animals at the base of the marine food chain - if land runoff increases by 15 to 30 percent. And such an increase is possible due to climate change, according to the pioneering study. Climate change is expected to increase precipitation in many areas in the Northern Hemisphere, leading to more runoff. That means a greater discharge of mercury and organic carbon to coastal ecosystems. [Source: Rutgers University]
|
|