“Researchers link seasonal fluctuations in toxin with elephant seal fur
“FRISCO — So much mercury has accumulated in the ocean food chain that, when northern California sea lions molt their fur, the toxic substance can traced in the water.
“Mercury is one of those toxins that just keeps building up. It never really goes away, but just changes form. That’s a real problem in the marine environment, because the most toxic variation, methyl mercury, is readily absorbed and accumulates in the bodies of marine organisms.
“In a process known as “biomagnification,” the toxin becomes more and more concentrated as it passes up the food chain. Thus, mercury concentrations in top predators can be 1 million to 10 million times higher than the levels found in seawater.” Sourced through Scoop.it from: summitcountyvoice.com
GR: Mercury is increasing in freshwater and seawater across most of the planet.
