Sources and Levels of Mercury in Terrestrial and Fresh Water Resources Related to Feeding Areas for Reindeer at Svalbard

Svalbard has been known to be the fate of long-range transported pollutants, such as mercury, a highly toxic element that can be transported large distances due to its high volatility and persistence in the atmosphere. Due to climate change and increasing temperatures, permafrost is thawing, and this can potentially release large quantities of mercury into the environment. This can increase the mercury levels that terrestrial animals are exposed to in Svalbard. The aims of this study were to compare sources of mercury uptake for the Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhincus) and to quantify mercury released from permafrost thawing during summer using gold-traps. To study sources of mercury for the Svalbard reindeer, samples of moss, vascular plants, soil, and water were taken from two different valleys, Bjørndalen and Colesdalen. To study mercury released from permafrost thawing during the summer, soil and water samples were taken in July and August from Foxdalen, and gold-wires were buried in the ground to capture the remobilization of mercury during the same period. All samples were analyzed for mercury using the DMA-80 instrument, and for elemental composition using ICP-MS analysis.