Contamination of Antarctic snow by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons dominated by combustion sources in the polar region
- 1 January 2010
- journal article
- research article
- Published by CSIRO Publishing in Environmental Chemistry
- Vol. 7 (6), 504-513
- https://doi.org/10.1071/en10066
Abstract
Environmental context Is long-range transport from populated and industrialised areas to blame for pollution of remote regions? We report that, for the world's most remote region, Antarctica, and one prominent class of global pollutants, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, long-range transport from other continents has not contributed significantly to recent snow contamination. Rather, the major sources are regional scientific stations and ocean transport, mostly tourism. Abstract Firn samples attributed to the period between 2002 and 2005 were collected from a snow pit on the Ekström Shelf Ice in the Weddell Sea (70°43.8′S, 8°25.1′W). Low-volume meltwater samples (5 mL) were extracted by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and analysed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The recovery of the analytical method for the 4–6 ring PAHs was low. PAH concentrations in snow were found within the range of 26–197 ng L–1. The most prevailing substances were determined to be naphthalene, 1- and 2-methylnaphthalene, acenaphthylene, acenaphthene and phenanthrene, with naphthalene accounting for an overall mean of 82% of total PAH. Potential emission sources of PAHs in snow were studied using back-trajectory statistics and available emission data of combustion sources in and around Antarctica. The distance to the sources (ships and research stations) in this region was found to control the snow PAH concentrations. There was no indication for intercontinental transport or marine sources.Keywords
This publication has 51 references indexed in Scilit:
- Continental scale Antarctic deposition of sulphur and black carbon from anthropogenic and volcanic sourcesAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2010
- Characteristics of atmospheric transport into the Antarctic troposphereJournal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 2010
- Chlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the fat tissue of seabirds from King George Island, AntarcticaMarine Pollution Bulletin, 2009
- Persistent organic pollutants in soils and sediments from James Ross Island, AntarcticaEnvironmental Pollution, 2008
- Aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments in Admiralty Bay, King George Island, AntarcticaAntarctic Science, 2004
- Aromatic hydrocarbons on surface waters of Admiralty Bay, King George Island, AntarcticaMarine Pollution Bulletin, 1996
- Pahs in Atmospheric Particulate in the Area of Italian Scientific Base in AntarcticaWater Science & Technology, 1993
- Natural and anthropogenic hydrocarbons in the Antarctic marine environmentMarine Pollution Bulletin, 1992
- Heavy metal and sulphur emissions to the atmosphere from human activities in AntarcticaAtmospheric Environment (1967), 1989
- Problems in the identification of anthropogenic hydrocarbons against natural background levels in the AntarcticAntarctic Science, 1989