Greenland Ice Core Reveals History Of Pollution In The Arctic

Greenland Ice Core Reveals History Of Pollution In The Arctic

www.sciencedaily.com

Coal burning, primarily in North America and Europe, contaminated the Arctic and potentially affected human health and ecosystems in and around Earth's polar regions, according to new research.

Detailed measurements from a Greenland ice core showed pollutants from burning coal--the toxic heavy metals cadmium, thallium and lead--were much higher than expected. The catch, however, was the pollutants weren't higher at the times when researchers expected peaks.

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Wow. This throws a massive spanner in the works for current climate models.

"But it turns out pollution in southern Greenland was higher 100 years ago when North American and European economies ran on coal, before the advent of cleaner, more efficient coal burning technologies and the switch to oil and gas-based economies," McConnell said.

In fact, the research showed pollutants were two to five times higher at the beginning of the previous century than today. Pollution levels in the early 1900s also represented a 10-fold increase from preindustrial levels.

I don't know whether this makes it worse or better in that we are seeing far delayed climate change, and in 100 years we are in deep poop. Or the connection really is less than current widom.


www.sciencedaily.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Maybe more coal based pollutants were released in the 1900's than now but more toxic, carcinogenic and teratogenic chemicals are released now that weren't even synthesized until the 60's.

reply to post by arius


Quite possibly. Anyone who is lived in a northern Chinese city in winter knows how much pollution and smog is created from burning coal in open fires or stoves. I started smoking there because at least that way I was inhaling through a filter.