Methylmercury production and export in permafrost peatland catchments of the Taiga Plains

Lauren Thompson, University of Alberta

Ongoing permafrost thaw in northern peatland catchments may increase the production and downstream delivery of neurotoxic methylmercury across the terrestrial-aquatic continuum. Peatlands in boreal-Arctic regions have large stocks of mercury in frozen soils, accumulated through atmospheric deposition of natural and human-emitted mercury over thousands of years. Permafrost thaw in peatlands may shift environmental conditions to facilitate microbial production of methylmercury (methylation). However, the degree to which mercury is methylated post-thaw and exported downstream remains uncertain in northwestern Canada and poses a potential hazard for uptake by aquatic food webs.

This event is part of the Wetland Knowledge Exchange’s monthly webinar series.