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But the long-term effects could be devastating, particularly for Arctic communities dependent on hunting and fishing, the researchers said.

The impact is expected to build over time as the metal accumulates in the food chain, especially through fish and game that humans consume.

\"Decades of exposure, especially with increasing levels as more mercury is released, could take a huge toll on the environment and the health of those living in these areas,\" Smith said.

The Arctic is often considered the front line for climate change, with existing research pointing to a plethora of impacts melting at the North Pole will have on the rest of the planet.

The region is melting fasting than predicted, a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences last year found. Days are getting longer as both poles melt, redistributing the mass of water that is contributing to sea level rise, a study published in PNAS in July found.

\"PHOTO:
Mb Photography/Getty Images
PHOTO: Pack Ice breaking in the Arctic
>

A recent study of fossils derived from beneath the Greenland ice shelf indicate that the region was once ice-free and that the ice sheet is not as stable as previously thought, according to a study published earlier this month in Nature.

Melting of the Greenland ice sheet could expose 400 million people to flooding risk, a paper published in Nature in 2019 found.

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