Arctic contamination

On the basis of calculations made contributions of different groups of emission sources located in the Northern Hemisphere, for instance, to HCB depositions over Europe and the Arctic were evaluated (Figures 12(a) and (b)). The contributions of remote source groups in the contamination of these regions are essential. Contributions of Russian emission sources to the European and Arctic contamination amount to about 19% and 31%, respectively. The relevant sum values of Canada and USA are 7% for the European domain and 17% for the Arctic. 

Khodakovsky, I. K. 1994. Radionuclide sources of arctic contamination. Arctic Research United States, 8, 262—265. 

Health Canada (2003) Canadian Arctic contaminants assessment report — Phase II. Ottawa, Ontario, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development. 

Canada Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (1997) Highlights of the Canadian Arctic Contaminants Assessment Report A Community Reference Manual. 

Barrie, L.A., D. Gregor, B. Hargrave, R. Lake, D. Muir, R. Shearer, B. Tracey, and T. Bidelman. 1992. Arctic contaminants sources, occurrence and pathways. Sci. Total Environ. 122 1-74. 

Arctic Contamination Potential and Joint Arctic Contamination Potential. 132... 

To better quantify the mobility of substances, indicators that can be calculated from the model results have been developed. Indicators for long-range transport potential are the spatial range [26,27], the characteristic travel distance (CTD) [33], the Great Lakes Transport Efficiency (GLTE) [34], and the Arctic contamination potential [35]. In the following two sections, we describe how such indicators have been adapted for transformation products. 

The Arctic contamination potential (AGP) focuses specifically on chemicals that tend to accumulate in Arctic surface media and has therefore been defined as the ratio of the substance mass in Arctic surface media (all media except the atmosphere) divided by the total emissions of substance after 1 (eACP-1) or 10 (eACP-10) years. The emission distribution on the globe is mostly assumed to be proportional to population density. Previously, the Arctic contamination potential has also been defined as the ratio in Arctic surface media divided by the overall mass on the earth (mACP) [36]. In the context of transformation products, the eACP is preferred over the mACP. 

In analogy to persistence and spatial range, the Arctic contamination potential can be extended to include transformation products. The joint Arctic... 

Impact of Transformation Products on Spatial Range and Arctic Contamination Potential of Legacy Pesticides... 

Yu Z, GR Stewart, W Mohn (2000) Apparent contradiction psychrotolerant bacteria from hydrocarbon-contaminated arctic tundra soils that degrade diterpenoids synthesized by trees. Appl Environ Microbiol 66 5148-5154. 

Braddock JE, ML Ruth, PH Catterall, JL Walworth, KA McCarthy (1997) Enhancement and inhibition of microbial activity in hydrocarbon-contaminated arctic soils implications for nutrient-amended bioremediation. Environ Sci Technol 31 2078-2084. 

Fisher NS, Fowler SW, Boisson F, et al. 1999. Radionuclide bioconcentration factors and sediment partition coefficients in Arctic seas subject to contamination from dumped nuclear wastes. Environ Sci Technol33 1979-1982. 

Macdonald RW, Bewers JM. 1996. Contaminants in the arctic marine environment Priorities for protection. ICES J Mar Sci 53 537-563. 

The data in Table 4.4 show the result of global pesticide contamination. These pesticides were never used in the Arctic nevertheless, they were found in humans. It is notable that pesticide concentrations in human blood were several times higher (and in the case of befa-HCH, 17 times higher) in Russia than in Sweden and Norway. 

---