Joan O. Grimalt
Research Professor at the CSIC, Department of Environmental Chemistry at the Institute of Environmental Diagnosis and Water Studies (IDAEA-CSIC)
Is the article of good quality?
“Yes”.
How does it fit in with the existing evidence?
“It is a timely review, based on literature data, of the risk of mercury mobilisation through various processes linked to climate change. In fact, back in 2015 we already pointed out that the warming of mountain ranges would lead to the re-emission of organic pollutants that had been trapped by low temperatures; as temperatures rise, these would return to the air and create an additional source of pollution. This was published in the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, volume 15, pages 6069–6085 (2015). It did not concern mercury but organochlorine compounds; however, the mechanism by which they were reintroduced into the environment was the same.”
What are the implications?
“It highlights yet another potential problem arising from climate change.”
What is the risk associated with the link between climate change and the mercury cycle?
“As the article states, climate change may lead to increased mercury poisoning amongst the population.”
Are there any significant limitations that need to be taken into account?
“I believe the statement ‘Warm ocean temperatures can reduce the solubility of mercury by increasing kinetic energy, forcing dissolved gaseous mercury out of the ocean into the air’ is highly speculative. At higher temperatures, more mercury will also dissolve; incidentally, mercury is highly insoluble in water and is generally associated with suspended particles in it.”