BIOGEOCHEMICAL HAZARDS OF A THAWING ARCTIC

Arctic permafrost degradation is introducing biogeochemical hazards into the local and global environment. Known paleo-ecological hazards that may cause uncertain ecosystem impacts in the present include methanogenic bacteria, viruses, bacteria, and pathogens. These emergent species join a variety of modern biogeochemical hazards in the Arctic, including banned pesticides like DDT, mercury, and nuclear materials previously sequestered in permafrost. The preservation of frozen permafrost is critical to mitigating a punctuated release of these compounds into the local environment, however, adaptation and remediation may be more prudent in a warming world. This talk will identify the types of hazards presented by permafrost degradation, the pathways of exposure, and the socio-environmental impacts of chemical mobilization through the environment.