Environment
There's Toxic Mercury Lurking in San Francisco's Fog
The city’s iconic fog is carrying the toxic element onto land and into the ecosystem.
Karl, the iconic fog that regularly blankets San Francisco, is somewhat of a personality among locals. He’s accumulated more than 100,000 Twitter fans over the past six years. He’s witty, sarcastic—and although he runs counter to the image of sunny California, Karl remains a charming and recognizable part of SF.
The latest news from researchers behind the FogNet project at the University of California, Santa Cruz, may just ruin Karl’s reputation. It turns out, San Francisco’s fog has been pulling toxic mercury from the ocean and distributing it onto the city’s coast. Fog, in essence, is made up of tiny droplets of water floating in the air, which is very effective in absorbing gases from the atmosphere.