Mercury rising
A landmark study from Harvard University predicts mercury levels in the Pacific Ocean will rise 50 per cent by 2050 if emission rates continue as expected. Mercury rapidly accumulates up the food chain in the sea to potentially dangerous levels in larger fish such as tuna. Previous studies show that 75 per cent of the mercury people are exposed to comes from eating marine fish and shell fish.
Sunderland et al., 2009. Mercury sources, distribution, and bioavailability in the North Pacific Ocean: Insights from data and models, Global Biogeochemical Cycles. 23, GB2010.
About the author
Dr. Justine Butler
Justine joined Viva! in 2005 after graduating from Bristol University with a PhD in molecular biology. After working as a campaigner, then researcher and writer, she is now Viva!’s head of research and her work focuses on animals, the environment and health. Justine’s scientific training helps her research and write both in-depth scientific reports, such as White Lies and the Meat Report, as well as easy-to-read factsheets and myth-busting articles for consumer magazines and updates on the latest research. Justine also recently wrote the Vegan for the Planet guide for Viva!’s Vegan Now campaign.
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