Lynn Lau
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Oct 21/02) - Levels of mercury and some persistent organic pollutants are on the rise across the Canadian Arctic, according to a new study released in Finland this month.

The report, entitled Arctic Pollution 2002, was produced by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, a cooperative effort among the eight Arctic rim countries -- Canada, the U.S., Finland, Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Russia and Sweden.

The findings of over 200 scientists were included in the report, which contained sections on persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, radioactivity, human health effects and climate change.

Although mercury emissions from North America and Western Europe have been decreasing since the 1980s, emissions from many developing countries, especially in Asia, are still rising. In the Arctic, that translates into stable or increased levels of mercury in the environment. In ringed seal, beluga and narwhal in Canada, mercury levels increased by two or three times in the past 20 years, the report notes.

Mercury has subtle effects on the health of animals such as peregrine falcons and other birds, fish and marine mammals, and the people who eat them. Epidemiological studies have shown mercury levels in parts of the Arctic are high enough to affect the development of children.

The people most at risk are those who eat a lot of marine mammals and some fish species, such as Inuit of Greenland and Canada.

Wildlife toxicology specialist Susan Sang with the Canadian World Wildlife Fund says the levels of mercury are still low enough in Canada that people needn't be alarmed. But the findings point to a need for more action on the part of governments to reduce mercury emissions and other pollutants, she says.

"The reason we're concerned about it is we want to make sure these levels stay low and make sure that actions are taken to reduce the use of these substances," Sang says.

In another section of the report, a class of chemicals known as brominated flame retardants, has been appearing in the Canadian Arctic. Sang says these chemicals are used in the manufacture of household products from carpets to couches. Although these substances are known to be bio-accumulative and persistent in the environment, there is currently no regulation in place to reduce their use.

"We really don't know very much about these substances," Sang says.

"There are trace amounts found in Arctic wildlife, like seals and beluga, but we don't know exactly what the health effects are."

In May 2001, Canada became the first nation to sign the Stockholm Protocol, an international treaty that bans 12 of the most persistent and toxic pollutants. But so far, other big players like the United States and Russia have not signed on.

The full text of Arctic Pollution 2002 study is available on the Internet at www.amap.no.