Assessing the impact of mining and natural enrichments on heavy metal contamination in Greenland’s rivers
David Janssen
Eidgenössische Anstalt für Wasserversorgung, Abwasserreinigung und Gewässerschutz - EAWAG
Lay summary
Lay Summary
High natural enrichments of metals (e.g. copper, zinc, gold, silver, platinum, lead) are found in Greenland. These metals are of economic interest, and licenses for exploring and extracting these metals are increasing. However, some of these metals can also be toxic, and therefore can be an environmental concern. Previous mining activity in Greenland has led to high localised metal contamination, the impacts of which are still seen decades later. This project will investigate metal concentrations in the rivers of southern Greenland to understand where metal concentrations are high, and if this is due to the naturally high levels of metals or to direct (e.g. mining) and indirect (e.g. climate change) human impacts.
This project will also investigate metal transport from rivers into fjords to understand if metals transported by rivers mix into coastal waters and, eventually, the open ocean, or are trapped and concentrated in coastal sediments. Glacier and sea ice retreat in Greenland, and the Arctic in general, exposes more metal deposits and makes industrial extraction logistically and economically easier. Therefore, it is important to understand the current sources and levels of these metals and to set a baseline from which to investigate future change. Funding from the SPI for this pilot study will help to establish a local baseline, from which longer-term monitoring work can be planned.
