Deposition history of polychlorinated biphenyls to the lomonosovfonna glacier, Svalbard: A 209 congener analysis

Olga Garmash, Mark H. Hermanson*, Elisabeth Isaksson, Margit Schwikowski, Dmitry Divine, Camilla Teixeira, Derek C.G. Muir

*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningpeer review

61 Citationer (Scopus)

Abstract

A 37 m deep ice core representing 1957-2009 and snow from 2009 to 2010 were collected on the Lomonosovfonna glacier, Svalbard (78.82° N; 17.43° E) and analyzed for 209 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners using high-resolution mass spectrometry. Congener profiles in all samples showed the prevalence of tetra- and pentachlorobiphenyls, dominated in all samples by PCB-44, PCB-52, PCB-70 + PCB-74, PCB-87 + PCB-97, PCB-95, PCB-99, PCB-101, and PCB-110. The ΣPCB flux varied over time, but the peak flux, ∼19 pg cm-2 year-1 from 1957 to 1966, recurred in 1974-1983, 1998-2009, and 2009-2010. The minimum was 5.75 pg cm-2 year -1 in 1989-1998, following a 15 year decline. Peak ΣPCB fluxes here are lower than measured in the Canadian Arctic. The analysis of all 209 congeners revealed that PCB-11 (3,3′-dichlorobiphenyl) was present in all samples, representing 0.9-4.5% of ΣPCB. PCB-11 was not produced in a commercial PCB product, and its source to the Arctic has not been well-characterized; however, our results confirm that the sources to Lomonosovfonna have been active since 1957. The higher fluxes of ΣPCB correspond to periods when average 5 day air mass back trajectories have a frequency of 8-10% and reach 60° N or beyond over northern Europe and western Russia or the North Sea into the U.K.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftEnvironmental Science and Technology
Vol/bind47
Udgave nummer21
Sider (fra-til)12064-12072
Antal sider9
ISSN0013-936X
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 5 nov. 2013

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