Lead Pollution Persists in Arctic Ocean

A joint German-Norwegian study reveals that historical lead emissions from the North Atlantic are continuously entering the Arctic Ocean via ocean currents, with some seabed sediments containing lead levels 15 times higher than natural background levels. Lead contamination disrupts reproduction among benthic organisms, threatening the Arctic food chain and jeopardizing the safety of traditional foods for local Inuit communities. The study indicates that even decades after the phase-out of leaded gasoline, historical pollution continues to impact distant Arctic ecosystems.