Mount Everest's Hidden Price: Pollution's Impact On Water Sources

Increased local tourism and toxic substances transported to glaciers from distant locales can contribute to high concentrations of human-sourced metal pollution in snow and streams around Mount Everest, which is likely degrading the quality of water used by thousands of residents and climbers. Climate change is causing snow and ice to melt, exposing even more garbage that has been covered for decades. All that waste is trashing the natural environment, and it poses a serious health risk to everyone who lives in the Everest watershed.

Pollution on Mount Everest

The climb up Sagarmatha, also known as Mount Everest, is far from being an environmentally-friendly endeavour. The increased local tourism and toxic substances transported to glaciers from distant locales can contribute to high concentrations of human-sourced metal pollution in snow and streams around Mount Everest that is likely degrading the quality of water used by thousands of residents and climbers.

Litter is spilling out of glaciers, and camps are overflowing with piles of human waste. Climate change is causing snow and ice to melt, exposing even more garbage that has been covered for decades. All that waste is trashing the natural environment, and it poses a serious health risk to everyone who lives in the Everest watershed. The Sagarmatha National Park watershed is an important water source for thousands of people living in communities surrounding Mount Everest. The watershed includes the land that directs rainfall and snowmelt from the mountains into streams and rivers.

Water scarcity, the result of receding glaciers due to global warming, as well as water pollution induced by contamination of freshwater with human and animal waste, have led many environmentalists to raise the alarm. Heather Clifford, a doctoral student in the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine, is part of the international team seeking to better understand the effects of climate change on glaciers of the Hindu Kush-Himalaya that provide critical water resources to 1 billion people downstream.

Lohmann said the levels of PFAS in Everest meltwater, although higher than expected from an alpine glacier, would still be within safe drinking water limits in the United States. Still, Miner said she is concerned about possible health risks as more chemicals melt out of glaciers. “The more chemicals and the more plastics we put into the environment, the more they are going to build up and they are going to stay, and they are not going to go away,” Miner said. “And it is going to impact us more and more, in lots of different interlocking ways.”

Human waste and toxic substances

Increased local tourism and toxic substances transported to glaciers from distant locales can contribute to high concentrations of human-sourced metal pollution in snow and streams around Mount Everest that is likely degrading the quality of water used by thousands of residents and climbers. Heather Clifford made the discoveries in a study she conducted after taking part in the 2019 National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition. Clifford, a doctoral student in the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine, is part of the international team seeking to better understand the effects of climate change on glaciers of the Hindu Kush-Himalaya that provide critical water resources to 1 billion people downstream.

Litter is spilling out of glaciers, and camps are overflowing with piles of human waste. Climate change is causing snow and ice to melt, exposing even more garbage that has been covered for decades. All that waste is trashing the natural environment, and it poses a serious health risk to everyone who lives in the Everest watershed. The Sagarmatha National Park watershed is an important water source for thousands of people living in communities surrounding Mount Everest. The watershed includes the land that directs rainfall and snowmelt from the mountains into streams and rivers.

Water scarcity, the result of receding glaciers due to global warming, as well as water pollution induced by contamination of freshwater with human and animal waste, have led many environmentalists to raise the alarm.

Lohmann said the levels of PFAS in Everest meltwater, although higher than expected from an alpine glacier, would still be within safe drinking water limits in the United States. Still, Miner said she is concerned about possible health risks as more chemicals melt out of glaciers. “The more chemicals and the more plastics we put into the environment, the more they are going to build up and they are going to stay, and they are not going to go away,” Miner said. “And it is going to impact us more and more, in lots of different interlocking ways.

PFAS in Everest meltwater

Increased local tourism and toxic substances transported to glaciers from distant locales can contribute to high concentrations of human-sourced metal pollution in snow and streams around Mount Everest that is likely degrading the quality of water used by thousands of residents and climbers. Heather Clifford made the discoveries in a study she conducted after taking part in the 2019 National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition. Clifford, a doctoral student in the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine, is part of the international team seeking to better understand the effects of climate change on glaciers of the Hindu Kush-Himalaya that provide critical water resources to 1 billion people downstream.

Litter is spilling out of glaciers, and camps are overflowing with piles of human waste. Climate change is causing snow and ice to melt, exposing even more garbage that has been covered for decades. All that waste is trashing the natural environment, and it poses a serious health risk to everyone who lives in the Everest watershed. The Sagarmatha National Park watershed is an important water source for thousands of people living in communities surrounding Mount Everest. The watershed includes the land that directs rainfall and snowmelt from the mountains into streams and rivers.

Water scarcity, the result of receding glaciers due to global warming, as well as water pollution induced by contamination of freshwater with human and animal waste, have led many environmentalists to raise the alarm. Miner said she is concerned about possible health risks as more chemicals melt out of glaciers. Lohmann said the levels of PFAS in Everest meltwater, although higher than expected from an alpine glacier, would still be within safe drinking water limits in the United States.

Water pollution and scarcity

Climate change is causing snow and ice to melt, exposing even more garbage that has been covered for decades. All that waste is trashing the natural environment and poses a serious health risk to everyone who lives in the Everest watershed. The receding glaciers due to global warming and the contamination of freshwater with human and animal waste have led to water scarcity.

Forever chemicals, PFAS, and other pollutants have been found around the summit of Everest. These pollutants are concerning as they build up in the environment and impact human health. The levels of PFAS in Everest meltwater are higher than expected from an alpine glacier, but they are still within safe drinking water limits in the United States.

The climb up Sagarmatha (as it is known in Nepali) is far from being an environmentally-friendly endeavour. The overcrowding on the mountain, with traffic jams and litter spilling out of glaciers, contributes to the pollution and degradation of the natural environment. The exposure of waste on the mountain poses a serious health risk to everyone who lives in the Everest watershed.

The issues of water pollution and scarcity on Mount Everest are complex and interconnected. The effects of climate change, local tourism, and global pollution all contribute to the problem. Addressing these issues requires a comprehensive approach that involves environmental protection, sustainable practices, and health and safety measures to protect the thousands of residents and climbers who depend on the watershed for their water supply.

Climate change and glacier melt

Increased local tourism and toxic substances transported to glaciers from distant locales can contribute to high concentrations of human-sourced metal pollution in snow and streams around Mount Everest that is likely degrading the quality of water used by thousands of residents and climbers. Heather Clifford made the discoveries in a study she conducted after taking part in the 2019 National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition. Clifford, a doctoral student in the Climate Change Institute at the University of Maine, is part of the international team seeking to better understand the effects of climate change on glaciers of the Hindu Kush-Himalaya that provide critical water resources to 1 billion people downstream.

Litter is spilling out of glaciers, and camps are overflowing with piles of human waste. Climate change is causing snow and ice to melt, exposing even more garbage that has been covered for decades. All that waste is trashing the natural environment, and it poses a serious health risk to everyone who lives in the Everest watershed. The Sagarmatha National Park watershed is an important water source for thousands of people living in communities surrounding Mount Everest. The watershed includes the land that directs rainfall and snowmelt from the mountains into streams and rivers.

Water scarcity, the result of receding glaciers due to global warming, as well as water pollution induced by contamination of freshwater with human and animal waste, have led many environmentalists to raise the alarm. Miner said she is concerned about possible health risks as more chemicals melt out of glaciers. “The more chemicals and the more plastics we put into the environment, the more they are going to build up and they are going to stay, and they are not going to go away,” Miner said. “And it is going to impact us more and more, in lots of different interlocking ways.” Lohmann said it is especially striking to see this pollution on Everest.

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