Recent climate change in the Arctic and its impact on contaminant pathways and interpretation of temporal trend data

The potential effects of phytoplankton on the occurrence of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water from Lake Taihu, China

Seasonal distribution of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their possible interactions with phytoplankton species in water from Lake Taihu were investigated. OCP concentrations ranged from 69.95 to 223.08 ng L(-1) in winter and from 80.95 to 376.03 ng L(-1) in summer, while PAHs ranged from 45.40 to 232.74 ng L(-1) in winter and 49.53 to 197.72 ng L(-1) in summer. Such physicochemical and biological parameters as the larger amounts of pollutants taken up by phytoplankton, the increased atmospheric wet deposition, the discharge of wastewater, and the resuspension of polluted sediments in summer time were responsible for the higher residues of both OCPs and PAHs than in winter. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) between phytoplankton biomass and micropollutants indicated high affinity of OCPs to Bacillariophyta and Cryptophyta and PAHs to Cyanophyta and Chlorophyta, documenting the ecological effects of phytoplankton on the biogeochemical processes of OCPs and PAHs and thus should be further investigated especially in hyper-eutrophic lakes.

Early land use and centennial scale changes in lake-water organic carbon prior to contemporary monitoring

Organic carbon concentrations have increased in surface waters across parts of Europe and North America during the past decades, but the main drivers causing this phenomenon are still debated. A lack of observations beyond the last few decades inhibits a better mechanistic understanding of this process and thus a reliable prediction of future changes. Here we present past lake-water organic carbon trends inferred from sediment records across central Sweden that allow us to assess the observed increase on a centennial to millennial time scale. Our data show the recent increase in lake-water carbon but also that this increase was preceded by a landscape-wide, long-term decrease beginning already A.D. 1450-1600. Geochemical and biological proxies reveal that these dynamics coincided with an intensification of human catchment disturbance that decreased over the past century. Catchment disturbance was driven by the expansion and later cessation of widespread summer forest grazing and farming across central Scandinavia. Our findings demonstrate that early land use strongly affected past organic carbon dynamics and suggest that the influence of historical landscape utilization on contemporary changes in lake-water carbon levels has thus far been underestimated. We propose that past changes in land use are also a strong contributing factor in ongoing organic carbon trends in other regions that underwent similar comprehensive changes due to early cultivation and grazing over centuries to millennia.

Impacts of the Minamata convention on mercury emissions and global deposition from coal-fired power generation in Asia

We explore implications of the United Nations Minamata Convention on Mercury for emissions from Asian coal-fired power generation, and resulting changes to deposition worldwide by 2050. We use engineering analysis, document analysis, and interviews to construct plausible technology scenarios consistent with the Convention. We translate these scenarios into emissions projections for 2050, and use the GEOS-Chem model to calculate global mercury deposition. Where technology requirements in the Convention are flexibly defined, under a global energy and development scenario that relies heavily on coal, we project ∼90 and 150 Mg·y(-1) of avoided power sector emissions for China and India, respectively, in 2050, compared to a scenario in which only current technologies are used. Benefits of this avoided emissions growth are primarily captured regionally, with projected changes in annual average gross deposition over China and India ∼2 and 13 μg·m(-2) lower, respectively, than the current technology case. Stricter, but technologically feasible, mercury control requirements in both countries could lead to a combined additional 170 Mg·y(-1) avoided emissions. Assuming only current technologies but a global transition away from coal avoids 6% and 36% more emissions than this strict technology scenario under heavy coal use for China and India, respectively.

Changes in trophic position affect rates of contaminant decline at two seabird colonies in the Canadian Arctic

Some Arctic food web structures are being affected by climate change with potential consequences for long-term trends of environmental contaminants. We examined the effects of changes in trophic position of an Arctic-breeding seabird, the thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia), on declining rates of six major organochlorines (hexachlorobenzene, heptachlor epoxide, oxychlordane, dieldrin, p,p'-DDE and Σ69PCB) at two breeding colonies in the Canadian Arctic, one in northern Hudson Bay and one in the high Arctic. As a result of a change in diet, murres breeding in Hudson Bay lowered their trophic position during 1993-2013. After adjusting for the change in trophic position using egg δ(15)N values, the rates of decline in concentrations of all six organochlorines were reduced in the Hudson Bay murre eggs. In contrast, the murres at the high Arctic colony experienced an increase in trophic position which resulted in an increase in the rates of decline for all adjusted concentrations, except for p,p'-DDE and Σ69PCB which remained relatively unchanged. This suggests that the dramatic reduction in emissions of these compounds during the 1970s/1980s had a greater influence on the time trends than changes in diet at the high Arctic colony. Linkages between climate change and food web processes are complex, and may have serious consequences for our understanding of contaminant temporal trends. Valid trends can be deduced only when these factors have been taken into account.

Atmospheric transport of persistent organic pollutants to and from the Arctic under present-day and future climate

The long-term atmospheric cycling and fate of persistent organic pollutants under the influence of a changing climate is a concern. A GCM's realization of present-day (1970-1999) and future (2070-2099) climate, the latter under a medium scenario of greenhouse gas emissions, is used to study meridional transports and their correlations with the Arctic and North Atlantic Oscillations (AO and NAO). Regions of import and export maxima into the Arctic are identified along the Arctic Circle. It is found that, under future climate conditions, the net export of PCB153 out of the Arctic will increase. The meridional net flux pattern of this substance is expected to become independent of AO and NAO. For DDT, a trend of decreasing net Arctic import will reverse to an increasing trend 100 years after peak emission, which is partly due to more frequent AO and NAO positive phases. It is concluded that the long-term accumulation trends in the Arctic of other persistent pollutants, including so-called emerging pollutants, are subject to the substances' specific behavior and fate in the environment and need to be studied specifically.

Comparing mercury concentrations across a thirty year time span in anadromous and non-anadromous Arctic charr from Labrador, Canada

Anadromous and non-anadromous Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) from multiple sample sites in Labrador, Canada were used to investigate possible differences in total mercury concentration ([THg]) between 1977-78 and 2007-09. The mean [THg] of anadromous Arctic charr was 0.03 μg/g wet weight (ww) in 1977-78 and 0.04 μg/g ww in 2007-09, while mean concentrations in non-anadromous conspecifics were 0.18 μg/g ww in 1977-78 and 0.14 μg/g ww in 2007-09. After correcting for the effects of fish age and fork-length, there was no widespread difference in the mean [THg] of anadromous or non-anadromous fish between the two time periods. However, at individual sites sampled during both time periods, [THg] increased, decreased, or did not change. The mean age of sampled fish declined from 9.0 years in 1977-78 to 8.2 years in 2007-09 for anadromous fish, and from 11.7 years to 10.5 years in non-anadromous Arctic charr. Similarly, mean fork-lengths decreased from 450 mm to 417 mm in anadromous and from 402 mm to 335 mm in non-anadromous fish between 1977-78 and 2007-09. The mean annual temperature at four Labrador weather stations increased by 1.6°C to 2.9°C between the two sampling periods. The lack of an overall trend in anadromous or non-anadromous Arctic charr [THg] despite warming temperatures that favour increased mercury methylation suggests that regional changes in climate-driven factors have had limited impacts on mercury exposure in Labrador freshwater or marine fish.

Mercury in the marine environment of the Canadian Arctic: review of recent findings

This review summarizes data and information which have been generated on mercury (Hg) in the marine environment of the Canadian Arctic since the previous Canadian Arctic Contaminants Assessment Report (CACAR) was released in 2003. Much new information has been collected on Hg concentrations in marine water, snow and ice in the Canadian Arctic. The first measurements of methylation rates in Arctic seawater indicate that the water column is an important site for Hg methylation. Arctic marine waters were also found to be a substantial source of gaseous Hg to the atmosphere during the ice-free season. High Hg concentrations have been found in marine snow as a result of deposition following atmospheric mercury depletion events, although much of this Hg is photoreduced and re-emitted back to the atmosphere. The most extensive sampling of marine sediments in the Canadian Arctic was carried out in Hudson Bay where sediment total Hg (THg) concentrations were low compared with other marine regions in the circumpolar Arctic. Mass balance models have been developed to provide quantitative estimates of THg fluxes into and out of the Arctic Ocean and Hudson Bay. Several recent studies on Hg biomagnification have improved our understanding of trophic transfer of Hg through marine food webs. Over the past several decades, Hg concentrations have increased in some marine biota, while other populations showed no temporal change. Marine biota also exhibited considerable geographic variation in Hg concentrations with ringed seals, beluga and polar bears from the Beaufort Sea region having higher Hg concentrations compared with other parts of the Canadian Arctic. The drivers of these variable patterns of Hg bioaccumulation, both regionally and temporally, within the Canadian Arctic remain unclear. Further research is needed to identify the underlying processes including the interplay between biogeochemical and food web processes and climate change.

Distant drivers or local signals: where do mercury trends in western Arctic belugas originate?

Temporal trends of contaminants are monitored in Arctic higher trophic level species to inform us on the fate, transport and risk of contaminants as well as advise on global emissions. However, monitoring mercury (Hg) trends in species such as belugas challenge us, as their tissue concentrations reflect complex interactions among Hg deposition and methylation, whale physiology, dietary exposure and foraging patterns. The Beaufort Sea beluga population showed significant increases in Hg during the 1990 s; since that time an additional 10 years of data have been collected. During this time of data collection, changes in the Arctic have affected many processes that underlie the Hg cycle. Here, we examine Hg in beluga tissues and investigate factors that could contribute to the observed trends after removing the effect of age and size on Hg concentrations and dietary factors. Finally, we examine available indicators of climate variability (Arctic Oscillation (AO), the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and sea-ice minimum (SIM) concentration) to evaluate their potential to explain beluga Hg trends. Results reveal a decline in Hg concentrations from 2002 to 2012 in the liver of older whales and the muscle of large whales. The temporal increases in Hg in the 1990 s followed by recent declines do not follow trends in Hg emission, and are not easily explained by diet markers highlighting the complexity of feeding, food web dynamics and Hg uptake. Among the regional-scale climate variables the PDO exhibited the most significant relationship with beluga Hg at an eight year lag time. This distant signal points us to consider beluga winter feeding areas. Given that changes in climate will impact ecosystems; it is plausible that these climate variables are important in explaining beluga Hg trends. Such relationships require further investigation of the multiple connections between climate variables and beluga Hg.

Total mercury concentrations in anadromous Northern Dolly Varden from the northwestern Canadian Arctic: a historical baseline study

Previous research has documented the significance of total mercury (THg) as a northern contaminant in general and of fish in particular. While much research has been devoted to documenting both spatial and temporal changes in THg in consumed fish, little effort has been directed at understanding patterns of THg in Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma), a prized subsistence species throughout the western North American Arctic. Here we report historical THg concentrations for anadromous Dolly Varden from 10 populations in the Yukon and Northwest Territories sampled across a range of latitudes (67-69°N) and longitudes (136-141°W) between the years 1988-91. Unadjusted mean THg concentrations ranged from 15 to 254 ng/g wet weight. Length-adjusted THg concentrations were significantly different among sites, but were not related to latitude or longitude. Within and among populations, THg was significantly related to fork-length, age, δ(15)N, and δ(13)C, with the variation in THg found among populations being best explained by size. The data serve as an important baseline against which future changes in THg levels in this important subsistence fishery may be compared to determine the significance of any observed trends.

Spatial, temporal, and source variations of hydrocarbons in marine sediments from Baffin Bay, Eastern Canadian Arctic

With declining sea ice conditions in Arctic regions owing to changing climate, the large prospective reservoirs of oil and gas in Baffin Bay and Davis Strait are increasingly accessible, and the interest in offshore exploration and shipping through these regions has increased. Both of these activities are associated with the risk of hydrocarbon releases into the marine ecosystem. However, hydrocarbons are also present naturally in marine environments, in some cases deriving from oil seeps. We have analyzed hydrocarbon concentrations in eleven sediment cores collected from northern Baffin Bay during 2008 and 2009 Amundsen expeditions and have examined the hydrocarbon compositions in both pre- and post-industrial periods (i.e., before and after 1900) to assess the sources of hydrocarbons, and their temporal and spatial variabilities. Concentrations of ΣPAHs ranged from 341 to 2693 ng g(-1) dw, with concentrations in cores from sites within the North Water (NOW) Polynya generally higher. Individual PAH concentrations did not exceed concentrations of concern for marine aquatic life, with one exception found in a core collected within the NOW (one of the seven sediment core samples). Hydrocarbon biomarkers, including alkane profiles, OEP (odd-to-even preference), and TAR (terrigenous/aquatic ratios) values indicated that organic carbon at all sites is derived from both terrigenous higher plants and marine algae, the former being of greater significance at coastal sites, and the latter at the deepest sites at the southern boundary of the NOW. Biomarker ratios and chemical profiles indicate that petrogenic sources dominate over combustion sources, and thus long-range atmospheric transport is less significant than inputs from weathering. Present-day and historic pre-1900 hydrocarbon concentrations exhibited less than an order of magnitude difference for most compounds at all sites. The dataset presented here provides a baseline record of hydrocarbon concentrations in Baffin Bay sediments in advance of offshore exploration and increased shipping activities.

The positive relationship between ocean acidification and pollution

Ocean acidification and pollution coexist to exert combined effects on the functions and services of marine ecosystems. Ocean acidification can increase the biotoxicity of heavy metals by altering their speciation and bioavailability. Marine pollutants, such as heavy metals and oils, could decrease the photosynthesis rate and increase the respiration rate of marine organisms as a result of biotoxicity and eutrophication, facilitating ocean acidification to varying degrees. Here we review the complex interactions between ocean acidification and pollution in the context of linkage of multiple stressors to marine ecosystems. The synthesized information shows that pollution-affected respiration acidifies coastal oceans more than the uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide. Coastal regions are more vulnerable to the negative impact of ocean acidification due to large influxes of pollutants from terrestrial ecosystems. Ocean acidification and pollution facilitate each other, and thus coastal environmental protection from pollution has a large potential for mitigating acidification risk.

Application of brown bear (Ursus arctos) records for retrospective assessment of mercury

Because mercury (Hg) is released into the atmosphere, wildlife living in habitats located far from point sources of metal may still be at risk. Mercury accumulation, previously considered a risk for aquatic ecosystems, is also found in many wildlife terrestrial species. The aim of the present study was to examine total Hg concentrations in the brown bear (Ursus arctos) by measurement of metal in hair from museum collections in Iran. Another objective of this investigation was to characterize the risk of Hg exposure in bears in several parts of Iran. Brown bear (Ursus arctos) hair samples (n = 35) were collected from 14 provinces in Iran for analysis of Hg contamination, performed using an advanced mercury analyzer (model Leco 254 AMA, USA) according to ASTM standard D-6722. Total Hg levels in Iranian bears from all areas ranged from 115.81 to 505.82 μg/kg, with a mean of 193.39 ng/g. Mercury concentrations in brown bear hair from different provinces in Iran were as follows in descending order: Khorasan Razavi > Esfahan > Khozestan > Yazd > Lorestan > Charmahalva Bakhtiari > Bushehr > Mazandaran > Markazi > Tehran > Ardebil > Gilan > East Azerbaijan. The highest content of Hg was found in the south (206.62 ± 31.95 ng/g), whereas the lowest levels were detected in the west (167.71 ± 32.97 ng/g). Overall total Hg content in bear hair was below harmful levels for this species. A decreasing trend was noted in the period 1986-2006, which may be mainly due to reduction of global Hg emissions. Data suggest that food habits and habitat are two important factors that influence Hg accumulation in bears.

Perfluoroalkyl substance concentrations in a terrestrial raptor: relationships to environmental conditions and individual traits

Accumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in wildlife may be influenced by the physical and biotic environment, and concentrations vary greatly among areas, seasons, and individuals. Different hypotheses about sources of variation in perfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) concentrations were examined in eggs (n = 107) of tawny owls (Strix aluco) collected over a 24-yr period (1986-2009) in Norway. Predictor variables included the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), temperature, snow, food availability (vole abundance), and individual traits such as age, body condition, and clutch size. Concentrations of both perfluoro-octane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs) varied several fold in the population, both inter- and intra-annually. Moreover, individuals laid eggs with several times higher or lower PFAS concentrations within few years (1 yr-5 yr). After controlling for temporal trends (i.e., declining PFOS and increasing PFCA concentrations), both PFOS and PFCAs were positively associated to the winter NAO in the previous year (NAOy - 1 ), suggesting that atmospheric transport may be affecting the input of PFASs to the local ecosystem. Perfluoro-octane sulfonate was negatively related to temperature, but the pattern was complex as there was an interaction between temperature and the feeding conditions. The PFOS accumulation was highest in years with high vole abundance and low to medium temperatures. For PFCAs, there was an interaction between NAOy - 1 and feeding conditions, suggesting that strong air transport toward Norway and high consumption of voles led to a moderate increase in PFCA accumulation. The individual traits, however, had very little impact on the concentrations of PFASs in the eggs. The present study thus suggests that annual variation in environmental conditions influences the concentrations of PFASs in a terrestrial raptor such as the tawny owl.

Distribution and transfer pattern of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) among the selected environmental media of Ny-Ålesund, the Arctic: As a case study

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) were analyzed in multi-environmental samples collected from Ny-Ålesund, the Arctic to explore their legacy and transfer patterns. PCBs were ubiquitously in the environmental media, within the ranges of 1.73-6.27 and 9.18-141.1 pg m(-3) in vapor and aerosol, 2.76-10.8, 3.09-8.32, 22.5-56.3, 35.4-51.4 and 31.8-39.6 ng g(-1) (dry weight) in soil, sediment, plant, bird guano and reindeer faeces, respectively. The spatial distribution patterns exhibited a general southward decline in soil and sediment from the bay entrance to the inner bay. The concentration ratios of plants to soil inferred that no distinguished selective adsorption of PCBs congeners by plants existed and PCBs were mainly attributed to the air deposition on plant surface. The fugacity ratios among vapor, aerosol and soil indicted that the equilibrium status has not been reached and the net transferring direction was air-soil.

Effects of seasonal climatic variability on several toxic contaminants in urban lakes: Implications for the impacts of climate change

Climate change is supposed to have influences on water quality and ecosystem. However, only few studies have assessed the effect of climate change on environmental toxic contaminants in urban lakes. In this research, response of several toxic contaminants in twelve urban lakes in Beijing, China, to the seasonal variations in climatic factors was studied. Fluorides, volatile phenols, arsenic, selenium, and other water quality parameters were analyzed monthly from 2009 to 2012. Multivariate statistical methods including principle component analysis, cluster analysis, and multiple regression analysis were performed to study the relationship between contaminants and climatic factors including temperature, precipitation, wind speed, and sunshine duration. Fluoride and arsenic concentrations in most urban lakes exhibited a significant positive correlation with temperature/precipitation, which is mainly caused by rainfall induced diffuse pollution. A negative correlation was observed between volatile phenols and temperature/precipitation, and this could be explained by their enhanced volatilization and biodegradation rates caused by higher temperature. Selenium did not show a significant response to climatic factor variations, which was attributed to low selenium contents in the lakes and soils. Moreover, the response degrees of contaminants to climatic variations differ among lakes with different contamination levels. On average, temperature/precipitation contributed to 8%, 15%, and 12% of the variations in volatile phenols, arsenic, and fluorides, respectively. Beijing is undergoing increased temperature and heavy rainfall frequency during the past five decades. This study suggests that water quality related to fluoride and arsenic concentrations of most urban lakes in Beijing is becoming worse under this climate change trend.

Changes in food web structure alter trends of mercury uptake at two seabird colonies in the Canadian Arctic

Arctic ecosystems are changing in response to climate change and some Arctic food web structures are being affected in ways which may have potential consequences for the biomagnification of environmental contaminants. Here, we examined how a shift in diet of an Arctic seabird resulted in a change of trophic position and how that change affected exposure to mercury over time. The thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia), which breeds in the eastern Canadian Arctic, has been monitored for diet and environmental contaminants at two colonies, one in northern Hudson Bay and one in the high Arctic. As a result of a change in diet, murres breeding in Hudson Bay lowered their trophic position which, in turn, should affect their mercury exposure over time. After adjusting mercury concentrations in murre eggs for trophic position, the temporal trend of mercury in Hudson Bay murre eggs changed from nonsignificant to a significantly increasing trend. Valid trends can be deduced only when factors, such as diet, have been taken into account.

Plasmids of psychrophilic and psychrotolerant bacteria and their role in adaptation to cold environments

Extremely cold environments are a challenge for all organisms. They are mostly inhabited by psychrophilic and psychrotolerant bacteria, which employ various strategies to cope with the cold. Such harsh environments are often highly vulnerable to the influence of external factors and may undergo frequent dynamic changes. The rapid adjustment of bacteria to changing environmental conditions is crucial for their survival. Such “short-term” evolution is often enabled by plasmids—extrachromosomal replicons that represent major players in horizontal gene transfer. The genomic sequences of thousands of microorganisms, including those of many cold-active bacteria have been obtained over the last decade, but the collected data have yet to be thoroughly analyzed. This report describes the results of a meta-analysis of the NCBI sequence databases to identify and characterize plasmids of psychrophilic and psychrotolerant bacteria. We have performed in-depth analyses of 66 plasmids, almost half of which are cryptic replicons not exceeding 10 kb in size. Our analyses of the larger plasmids revealed the presence of numerous genes, which may increase the phenotypic flexibility of their host strains. These genes encode enzymes possibly involved in (i) protection against cold and ultraviolet radiation, (ii) scavenging of reactive oxygen species, (iii) metabolism of amino acids, carbohydrates, nucleotides and lipids, (iv) energy production and conversion, (v) utilization of toxic organic compounds (e.g., naphthalene), and (vi) resistance to heavy metals, metalloids and antibiotics. Some of the plasmids also contain type II restriction-modification systems, which are involved in both plasmid stabilization and protection against foreign DNA. Moreover, approx. 50% of the analyzed plasmids carry genetic modules responsible for conjugal transfer or mobilization for transfer, which may facilitate the spread of these replicons among various bacteria, including across species boundaries.

Statistical analysis of long-term monitoring data for persistent organic pollutants in the atmosphere at 20 monitoring stations broadly indicates declining concentrations

During recent decades concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the atmosphere have been monitored at multiple stations worldwide. We used three statistical methods to analyze a total of 748 time series of selected POPs in the atmosphere to determine if there are statistically significant reductions in levels of POPs that have had control actions enacted to restrict or eliminate manufacture, use and emissions. Significant decreasing trends were identified in 560 (75%) of the 748 time series collected from the Arctic, North America, and Europe, indicating that the atmospheric concentrations of these POPs are generally decreasing, consistent with the overall effectiveness of emission control actions. Statistically significant trends in synthetic time series could be reliably identified with the improved Mann-Kendall (iMK) test and the digital filtration (DF) technique in time series longer than 5 years. The temporal trends of new (or emerging) POPs in the atmosphere are often unclear because time series are too short. A statistical detrending method based on the iMK test was not able to identify abrupt changes in the rates of decline of atmospheric POP concentrations encoded into synthetic time series.

Effects of elevated temperature on the toxicity of copper and oxytetracycline in the marine model, Euplotes crassus: a climate change perspective

Trace metals and broad-spectrum antibiotic drugs are common environmental contaminants, the importance of which is increasing due to global climate change-related effects. In the present study, the biological model organism E. crassus was first acclimated to five temperatures, from 25 °C to 33 °C, followed by exposure to nominal concentrations of copper, the antibiotic model compound oxytetracycline and mixtures of both, at increasing thermal conditions. Variations of temperature-related toxicity were assessed by two high-level endpoint tests, survival and replication rates, and two sublethal parameters: endocytosis rate and lysosomal membrane stability. The selected toxicants presented opposite behaviours as the protozoa's survival rates increased following an increasing thermal gradient in the oxytetracycline-related treatments, and a decline of tolerance in metal-related treatments was observed. Results of tests combining binary mixtures of tested toxicants showed a complex pattern of responses.

Sources and pathways of artificial radionuclides to soils at a High Arctic site

Activity concentrations, inventories and activity ratios of (137)Cs, (238)Pu, (239 + 240)Pu and (241)Am in soil profiles were surveyed in the dry tundra and the adjoining proglacial zones of glaciers at a High Arctic site on Svalbard. Vertical profiles of radionuclide activities were determined in up to 14-cm-thick soil sequences. Additionally, soil properties (pH, organic matter, texture, mineral composition and sorption capacity) were analyzed. Results obtained in this study revealed a large range of activity concentrations and inventories of the fallout radionuclides from the undetectable to the uncommonly high levels (inventories of 30,900 ± 940, 47 ± 6, 886 ± 80 and 296 ± 19 Bq/m(2) for (137)Cs, (238)Pu, (239 + 240)Pu and (241)Am, respectively) found in two profiles from the proglacial zone. Concentration of these initially airborne radionuclides in the proglacial zone soils is related to their accumulation in cryoconites that have a large ability to concentrate trace metals. The cryoconites develop on the surface of glaciers, and the material they accumulate is deposited on land surface after the glaciers retreat. The radionuclide inventories in the tundra soils, which effectively retain radionuclides due to high organic matter contents, were comparable to the global fallout deposition for this region of the world. The (238)Pu/(239 + 240)Pu activity ratios for tundra soils suggested global fallout as the dominant source of Pu. The (238)Pu/(239 + 240)Pu and (239 + 240)Pu/(137)Cs activity ratios in the proglacial soils pointed to possible contributions of these radionuclides from other, unidentified sources.

Bioavailability of pollutants in bacterial communities of Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Processes involving heavy metals and other contaminants continue to present unsolved environmental questions. To advance the understanding of geochemical processes that involve the bioavailability of contaminants, cores where collected in the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon, and analyzed for bacterial activity and metal concentrations. Results would suggest an extremely reducing environment where organic substances seem to be the predominant agents responsible for this geochemical process. Analytical data showed sulphate reduction to be the main agent driving this process, since this kind of bacteria was found to be active in all of the samples analyzed. Esterase enzyme production did not signal the influence of heavy metals and hydrocarbon concentrations and heavy metals were found to be unavailable for biota. However, correlation between results for bacterial biomass and the potentially mobile percentage of the total Ni concentrations would suggest a negative impact.

A geographical comparison of chlorinated, brominated and fluorinated compounds in seabirds breeding in the eastern Canadian Arctic

A suite of chlorinated, brominated and fluorinated organic contaminants were measured in livers of adult thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia) and northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) from several locations in the eastern Canadian Arctic during 2007-2008. Thick-billed murres were collected from five colonies (Coats Island, Digges Island, Akpatok Island, Prince Leopold Island, Minarets) and northern fulmars from two colonies (Prince Leopold Island, Minarets). Legacy organochlorines (e.g. PCBs, DDT, chlorobenzenes, chlordanes) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) dominated the compositional profiles of the measured halogenated compounds in the livers of both species at all colonies. Among the murre colonies sampled, Prince Leopold Island birds generally had the highest mean concentrations of organochlorines, whereas the highest mean concentration of sum (Σ) polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) was found at the Minarets and the lowest at Prince Leopold Island. PBDEs were detected in only a few fulmar livers from the Minarets and in none of the fulmar livers from Prince Leopold Island. Mean PFOS concentrations were highest in both murre and fulmar livers at Prince Leopold Island. PFOS was approximately two orders of magnitude higher than the mean sum (Σ) perfluorinated carboxylate (PFCA) concentration in both species and at all colonies. The reasons for inter-colony and inter-species differences in contaminant liver levels are probably variable and complex, and likely reflect differences in contaminant transport and exposure pathways, as well as differences among colonies in their diets and overwintering areas. To our knowledge, this is the first spatial assessment of PBDEs, PFCAs and PFOS in seabirds from the Canadian Arctic.

Climate change and infectious diseases in the Arctic: establishment of a circumpolar working group

The Arctic, even more so than other parts of the world, has warmed substantially over the past few decades. Temperature and humidity influence the rate of development, survival and reproduction of pathogens and thus the incidence and prevalence of many infectious diseases. Higher temperatures may also allow infected host species to survive winters in larger numbers, increase the population size and expand their habitat range. The impact of these changes on human disease in the Arctic has not been fully evaluated. There is concern that climate change may shift the geographic and temporal distribution of a range of infectious diseases. Many infectious diseases are climate sensitive, where their emergence in a region is dependent on climate-related ecological changes. Most are zoonotic diseases, and can be spread between humans and animals by arthropod vectors, water, soil, wild or domestic animals. Potentially climate-sensitive zoonotic pathogens of circumpolar concern include Brucella spp., Toxoplasma gondii, Trichinella spp., Clostridium botulinum, Francisella tularensis, Borrelia burgdorferi, Bacillus anthracis, Echinococcus spp., Leptospira spp., Giardia spp., Cryptosporida spp., Coxiella burnetti, rabies virus, West Nile virus, Hantaviruses, and tick-borne encephalitis viruses.

Modelling the influence of climate change on the chemical concentrations in the Baltic Sea region with the POPCYCLING-Baltic model

The effect of projected future changes in temperature, wind speed, precipitation and particulate organic carbon on concentrations of persistent organic chemicals in the Baltic Sea regional environment is evaluated using the POPCYCLING-Baltic multimedia chemical fate model. Steady-state concentrations of hypothetical perfectly persistent chemicals with property combinations that encompass the entire plausible range for non-ionizing organic substances are modelled under two alternative climate change scenarios (IPCC A2 and B2) and compared to a baseline climate scenario. The contributions of individual climate parameters are deduced in model experiments in which only one of the four parameters is changed from the baseline scenario. Of the four selected climate parameters, temperature is the most influential, and wind speed is least. Chemical concentrations in the Baltic region are projected to change by factors of up to 3.0 compared to the baseline climate scenario. For chemicals with property combinations similar to legacy persistent organic pollutants listed by the Stockholm Convention, modelled concentration ratios between two climate change scenarios and the baseline scenario range from factors of 0.5 to 2.0. This study is a first step toward quantitatively assessing climate change-induced changes in the environmental concentrations of persistent organic chemicals in the Baltic Sea region.

Spatial and temporal distribution of chiral pesticides in Calanus spp. from three Arctic fjords

Concentration and enantiomeric fractions (EFs) of chiral chlorinated pesticides (α-hexachlorocyclohexane (α-HCH), trans-, cis- and oxychlordane) were determined in Arctic zooplankton, mainly Calanus spp. collected in the period 2007-11 from Svalbard fjords and open pack-ice. The temporal and spatial enantiomer distribution varied considerably for all species and chiral pesticides investigated. An overall enantiomeric excess of (+)-oxychlordane (EF 0.53-0.86) were observed. Cis-chlordane was close to racemic (EF 0.46-0.55), while EF for trans-chlordane varied between 0.29 and 0.55, and between 0.38 and 0.59 for α-HCH. The biodegradation potential for trans-chlordane was higher compared to cis-chlordane. The comprehensive statistical evaluation of the data set revealed that the EF distribution of α-HCH was affected by ice cover to a higher extent compared to cis-chlordane. Potential impact from benthic processes on EFs in zooplankton is an interesting feature and should be further investigated. Enantiomeric selective analyses may be a suitable tool for investigations of climate change related influences on Arctic ecosystems.

Total and methylated mercury in Arctic multiyear sea ice

Mercury is one of the primary contaminants of concern in the Arctic marine ecosystem. While considerable efforts have been directed toward understanding mercury cycling in the Arctic, little is known about mercury dynamics within Arctic multiyear sea ice, which is being rapidly replaced with first-year ice. Here we report the first study on the distribution and potential methylation of mercury in Arctic multiyear sea ice. Based on three multiyear ice cores taken from the eastern Beaufort Sea and McClure Strait, total mercury concentrations ranged from 0.65 to 60.8 pM in bulk ice, with the highest values occurring in the topmost layer (∼40 cm) which is attributed to the dynamics of particulate matter. Methylated mercury concentrations ranged from below the method detection limit (<0.1 pM) to as high as 2.64 pM. The ratio of methylated to total mercury peaked, up to ∼40%, in the mid to bottom sections of the ice, suggesting the potential occurrence of in situ mercury methylation. The annual fluxes of total and methylated mercury into the Arctic Ocean via melt of multiyear ice are estimated to be 420 and 42 kg yr(-1), respectively, representing an important and changing source of mercury and methylmercury into the Arctic Ocean marine ecosystem.

The Impact of Ambient Particle Pollution During Extreme-Temperature Days in Guangzhou City, China

The aim of this study is to explore whether the effect of PM10 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of <10 µm) on daily mortality was modified by extreme temperatures in Guangzhou from 2005 to 2009. The present study used time-series analysis to explore the modification effects of temperature on the association between PM10 and the cause-specific mortalities for cardiovascular, respiratory, cardiopulmonary, and nonaccidental mortality. The interactions between PM10 and temperature were statistically significant on respiratory mortality. The effect estimates per 10-µg/m3 increase in PM10 concentrations at the moving average of lags of 0 and 1 day on high-temperature days were 2.34% (95% confidence interval = 0.55, 4.16) for nonaccidental, 1.35% (−1.69, 4.48) for cardiovascular, 6.09% (2.42, 9.89) for respiratory, and 3.36% (0.92, 5.86) for cardiopulmonary mortalities. The results suggest that it is important to control and reduce the emission of air particles in Guangzhou, particularly on extreme-high-temperature days.

Increasing cadmium and zinc levels in wild common eiders breeding along Canada's remote northern coastline

The common eider (Somateria mollissima) is an abundant sea duck breeding around the circumpolar Arctic, and is an important component of subsistence and sport harvest in some regions. We determined hepatic cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) concentrations in the livers of breeding females sampled during three time periods including 1992/3, 2001/2 and 2008 at three sites spanning 53.7°N-75.8°N in the eastern Canadian Arctic. At all sites, concentrations of both Cd and Zn increased ~300% over this time period. The reasons for this rapid increase in concentrations are unclear.

Global warming and environmental contaminants in aquatic organisms: the need of the etho-toxicology approach

Environmental contaminants are associated with a wide spectrum of pathological effects. Temperature increase affects ambient distribution and toxicity of these chemicals in the water environment, representing a potentially emerging problem for aquatic species with short-, medium- and long-term repercussions on human health through the food chain. We assessed peer-reviewed literature, including primary studies, review articles and organizational reports available. We focused on studies concerning toxicity of environmental pollutants within a global warming scenario. Existing knowledge on the effects that the increase of water temperature in a contaminated situation has on physiological mechanisms of aquatic organisms is presented. Altogether we consider the potential consequences for the human beings due to fish and shellfish consumption. Finally, we propose an etho-toxicological approach to study the effects of toxicants in conditions of thermal increase, using aquatic organisms as experimental models under laboratory controlled conditions.

Dissolved organic carbon thresholds affect mercury bioaccumulation in Arctic lakes

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is known to affect the Hg cycle in aquatic environments due to its overriding influence on complexation, photochemical, and microbial processes, but its role as a mediating factor in the bioaccumulation of Hg in aquatic biota has remained enigmatic. Here, we examined 26 tundra lakes in Canada's western Arctic that span a large gradient of DOC concentrations to show that total Hg (HgT) and methyl mercury (MeHg) accumulation by aquatic invertebrates is defined by a threshold response to Hg-DOC binding. Our results showed that DOC promotes HgT and MeHg bioaccumulation in tundra lakes having low DOC (<8.6 - 8.8 mg C L(-1); DOC threshold concentration, TC) whereas DOC inhibits HgT and MeHg bioaccumulation in lakes having high DOC (>DOC TC), consistent with bioaccumulation results in a companion paper (this issue) using a microbial bioreporter. Chemical equilibrium modeling showed that Hg bioaccumulation factors were elevated when Hg was associated mainly to fulvic acids, but became dramatically reduced when DOC was >8.5 mg C L(-1), at which point Hg was associated primarily with strong binding sites on larger, less bioaccessible humic acids. This study demonstrates that the biological uptake of Hg in lakes is determined by binding thresholds on DOC, a water quality variable predicted to change markedly with future environmental change.

Microbial community structure in lake and wetland sediments from a high Arctic polar desert revealed by targeted transcriptomics

While microbial communities play a key role in the geochemical cycling of nutrients and contaminants in anaerobic freshwater sediments, their structure and activity in polar desert ecosystems are still poorly understood, both across heterogeneous freshwater environments such as lakes and wetlands, and across sediment depths. To address this question, we performed targeted environmental transcriptomics analyses and characterized microbial diversity across three depths from sediment cores collected in a lake and a wetland, located on Cornwallis Island, NU, Canada. Microbial communities were characterized based on 16S rRNA and two functional gene transcripts: mcrA, involved in archaeal methane cycling and glnA, a bacterial housekeeping gene implicated in nitrogen metabolism. We show that methane cycling and overall bacterial metabolic activity are the highest at the surface of lake sediments but deeper within wetland sediments. Bacterial communities are highly diverse and structured as a function of both environment and depth, being more diverse in the wetland and near the surface. Archaea are mostly methanogens, structured by environment and more diverse in the wetland. McrA transcript analyses show that active methane cycling in the lake and wetland corresponds to distinct communities with a higher potential for methane cycling in the wetland. Methanosarcina spp., Methanosaeta spp. and a group of uncultured Archaea are the dominant methanogens in the wetland while Methanoregula spp. predominate in the lake.

PCBs are associated with altered gene transcript profiles in arctic Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas)

High trophic level arctic beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) are exposed to persistent organic pollutants (POP) originating primarily from southern latitudes. We collected samples from 43 male beluga harvested by Inuvialuit hunters (2008-2010) in the Beaufort Sea to evaluate the effects of POPs on the levels of 13 health-related gene transcripts using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Consistent with their role in detoxification, the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr) (r(2) = 0.18, p = 0.045 for 2008 and 2009) and cytochrome P450 1A1 (Cyp1a1) (r(2) = 0.20, p < 0.001 for 2008 and 2009; r(2) = 0.43, p = 0.049 for 2010) transcripts were positively correlated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), the dominant POP in beluga. Principal Components Analysis distinguished between these two toxicology genes and 11 other genes primarily involved in growth, metabolism, and development. Factor 1 explained 56% of gene profiles, with these latter 11 gene transcripts displaying greater abundance in years coinciding with periods of low sea ice extent (2008 and 2010). δ(13)C results suggested a shift in feeding ecology and/or change in condition of these ice edge-associated beluga whales during these two years. While this provides insight into the legacy of PCBs in a remote environment, the possible impacts of a changing ice climate on the health of beluga underscores the need for long-term studies.

Assessment of climate change impact on the fates of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the multimedia environment based on model prediction

The objective was to quantitatively understand the impacts of climate change (CC) under the A1B scenario on the contamination levels of 11 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from pyrogenic sources in the environmental media based on model prediction. To predict the impacts of CC in South Korea, a revised version of KoEFT-PBTs, a dynamic multimedia model for persistent organic pollutants in South Korea, was used. Simulations were conducted for the period from 2000 to 2049 under the A1B scenario with the emission data for 2009 and the results for Seoul and Kangwon were compared to those under no climate change (NCC) scenario. Due to CC, the average of annual or monthly average concentration changes within a factor of two for the PAHs in air, soil and water. Time dependent comparison indicates that the maximum increase induced by CC in the monthly average concentration ranges from 10 to 10(2) in air and water. Change in advective flux due to wind speed difference between A1B and NCC dictates the change of the atmospheric PAHs levels while wet particle deposition due to rain rate difference contributes to some extent to the change of 5 and 6 ring PAHs. Whether the concentration change is positive or not depends primarily on the emission strength of internal sources relative to those in surrounding areas. The CC induced changes in atmospheric depositions and degradation rate in soil play a leading role in the change of soil concentration. In water, runoff and degradation are the key processes to the CC induced concentration change. Both in soil and water, the relative importance of individual key processes varies with PAHs. The difference between the two scenarios in wind speed and in rain rate shows stronger correlations with the concentration change than the temperature change.

Effect of dietary calcium intake on lead exposure in Inuit children attending childcare centres in Nunavik

High blood lead levels (BLLs) can be found in Inuit from Nunavik. At the same time, various nutrients such as calcium could lower lead absorption and toxicity. We examined the effect of dietary calcium intakes on BLLs in 245 preschool Inuit children attending childcare centres in Nunavik. Calcium intake was assessed with one 24-h dietary recall and BLLs were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in whole blood samples. Multiple imputation was performed to deal with missing data. Median blood lead concentration was 0.08 μmol/L. A high proportion of children did not meet the Estimated Average Requirement for vitamin D intake (73 %) and, to a lower extent, for calcium (20 %). Calcium intake was negatively associated with BLLs (p = 0.0001) while child's age and energy intake were positively associated with BLLs (p = 0.015 and p = 0.024, respectively). Consuming traditional foods rich in calcium as well as milk and alternatives may protect against lead exposure.

Accumulation of perfluoroalkyl compounds in tibetan mountain snow: temporal patterns from 1980 to 2010

The use of snow and ice cores as recorders of environmental contamination is particularly relevant for per- and polyfluoroalky substances (PFASs) given their production history, differing source regions and varied mechanisms driving their global distribution. In a unique study perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) were analyzed in dated snow-cores obtained from high mountain glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau (TP). One snow core was obtained from the Mt Muztagata glacier (accumulation period of 1980-1999), located in western Tibet and a second core from Mt. Zuoqiupo (accumulation period: 1996-2007) located in southeastern Tibet, with fresh surface snow collected near Lake Namco in 2010 (southern Tibet). The higher concentrations of ∑PFAAs were observed in the older Mt Muztagata core and dominated by perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) (61.4-346 pg/L) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) (40.8-243 pg/L), whereas in the Mt Zuoqiupu core the concentrations were lower (e.g., PFOA: 37.8-183 pg/L) with PFOS below detection limits. These differences in PFAA concentrations and composition profile likely reflect the upwind sources affecting the respective sites (e.g., European/central Asian sources for Mt Muztagata and India sources for Mt Zuoqiupu). Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) dominated the recent surface snowpack of Lake Namco which is mainly associated with India sources where the shorter chain volatile PFASs precursors predominate. The use of snow cores in different parts of Tibet provides useful recorders to examine the influence of different PFASs source regions and reflect changing PFAS production/use in the Northern Hemisphere.

Exploring the potential influence of climate change and particulate organic carbon scenarios on the fate of neutral organic contaminants in the Arctic environment

The main objective of this study is to explore the potential influence of climate change and particulate organic carbon scenarios on the fate of organic chemicals in the Arctic marine environment using an evaluative modeling approach. Particulate organic carbon scenarios are included to represent changes such as enhanced primary production and terrestrial inputs. Simulations are conducted for a set of hypothetical chemicals covering a wide range of partitioning property combinations using a 40-year emission scenario. Differences in model output between the default simulations (i.e. contemporary conditions) and future scenarios during the primary emission phase are limited in magnitude (typically within a factor of two), consistent with other modeling studies. The changes to particulate organic carbon levels in the Arctic Ocean assumed in the simulations exert a relatively important influence for hydrophobic organic chemicals during the primary emission phase, mitigating the potential for exposure via the pelagic food web by reducing freely-dissolved concentrations in the water column. The changes to particulate organic carbon levels are also influential in the secondary emission/depuration phase. The model results illustrate the potential importance of changes to organic carbon levels in the Arctic Ocean and support efforts to improve the understanding of organic carbon cycling and links to climate change.

Effects of input uncertainty and variability on the modelled environmental fate of organic pollutants under global climate change scenarios

Global climate change (GCC) is expected to influence the fate, exposure and risks of organic pollutants to wildlife and humans. Multimedia chemical fate models have been previously applied to estimate how GCC affects pollutant concentrations in the environment and biota, but previous studies have not addressed how uncertainty and variability of model inputs affect model predictions. Here, we assess the influence of climate variability and chemical property uncertainty on future projections of environmental fate of six polychlorinated biphenyl congeners under different GCC scenarios using a spreadsheet version of the ChemCAN model and the Crystal Ball® software. Regardless of emission mode, results demonstrate: (i) uncertainty in degradation half-lives dominates the variance of modelled absolute levels of PCB congeners under GCC scenarios; (ii) when the ratios of predictions under GCC to predictions under present day climate are modelled, climate variability dominates the variance of modelled ratios; and (iii) the ratios also indicate a maximum of about a factor of 2 change in the long-term average environmental concentrations due to GCC that is forecasted between present conditions and the period between 2080 and 2099. We conclude that chemical property uncertainty does not preclude assessing relative changes in a GCC scenario compared to a present-day scenario if variance in model outputs due to chemical properties and degradation half-lives can be assumed to cancel out in the two scenarios.

Temporal trends of selected POPs and the potential influence of climate variability in a Greenland ringed seal population

Temporal trends of selected POPs (PCB-52 and 153, p,p'-DDE, HCB, α- and β-HCH) in blubber of ringed seals (Pusa hispida) collected from the early 1990s to 2010 from central West Greenland were studied. In this period, the climate of Greenland warmed and the influences of climate indices such as winter sea-ice coverage (November-May), the number of sea-ice days during winter in Disko Bay, water temperature and salinity at Fyllas Banke during the preceding summer and the Arctic Oscillation Index (AOI) during the preceding winter on concentrations of selected POPs were evaluated using multiple regressions and an information-theoretic approach. Biological co-variables such as age, sex and trophic position (as determined by δ(15)N analysis) of seals were also evaluated. Decreasing levels of the selected POPs were found in all cases and with the highest rate for α-HCH (-10.5% annually) and the lowest rate for β-HCH (-1.9% annually). Sex and age were found to have strong predictive power in the case of PCB-52 and trophic position in the case of p,p'-DDE. Among the climate indices the strongest predictive power was found for the number of sea-ice days in the case of PCB-52, the AOI winter index in the case of α-HCH and salinity at Fyllas Banke during the preceding summer in the case of β-HCH. The present study documents the need for including both biological variables and climate variability parameters in temporal trend studies of POPs in Arctic biota.

Mercury export to the Arctic Ocean from the Mackenzie River, Canada

Circumpolar rivers, including the Mackenzie River in Canada, are sources of the contaminant mercury (Hg) to the Arctic Ocean, but few Hg export studies exist for these rivers. During the 2007-2010 freshet and open water seasons, we collected river water upstream and downstream of the Mackenzie River delta to quantify total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations and export. Upstream of the delta, flow-weighted mean concentrations of bulk THg and MeHg were 14.6 ± 6.2 ng L(-1) and 0.081 ± 0.045 ng L(-1), respectively. Only 11-13% and 44-51% of bulk THg and MeHg export was in the dissolved form. Using concentration-discharge relationships, we calculated bulk THg and MeHg export into the delta of 2300-4200 kg yr(-1) and 15-23 kg yr(-1) over the course of the study. Discharge is not presently known in channels exiting the delta, so we assessed differences in river Hg concentrations upstream and downstream of the delta to estimate its influence on Hg export to the ocean. Bulk THg and MeHg concentrations decreased 19% and 11% through the delta, likely because of particle settling and other processes in the floodplain. These results suggest that northern deltas may be important accumulators of river Hg in their floodplains before export to the Arctic Ocean.

Scavenging amphipods: sentinels for penetration of mercury and persistent organic chemicals into food webs of the deep Arctic Ocean

Archived specimens of the scavenging amphipod Eurythenes gryllus, collected from 2075 to 4250 m below the surface on five expeditions to the western and central Arctic Ocean between 1983 and 1998, were analyzed for total mercury (∑Hg), methyl mercury (MeHg), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other industrial or byproduct organochlorines (chlorobenzenes, pentachloroanisole, octachlorostyrene), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Median ∑Hg concentrations ranged from 70 to 366 ng g(-1) wet weight (ww). MeHg concentrations (3.55 to 23.5 ng g(-1) ww) accounted for 1.7 to 20.1% (median 3.7%) of ∑Hg. ∑Hg and MeHg were positively and significantly correlated with ww (∑Hg r(2) = 0.18, p = 0.0004, n = 63; MeHg r(2) = 0.42, p = 0.0004, n = 25), but not significantly with δ(13)C nor δ(15)N. Median concentrations of total persistent organic pollutants (POPs) ranged from 9750 to 156,000 ng g(-1) lipid weight, with order of abundance: ∑TOX (chlorobornanes quantified as technical toxaphene) > ∑PCBs > ∑DDTs > ∑chlordanes > ∑mirex compounds > ∑BDEs ∼ ∑chlorobenzenes ∼ octachlorostyrene > α-hexachlorocyclohexane ∼ hexachlorobenzene ∼ pentachloroanisole. Enantioselective accumulation was found for the chiral OCPs o,p'-DDT, cis- and trans-chlordane, nonachlor MC6 and oxychlordane. Lipid-normalized POPs concentrations were elevated in amphipods with lipid percentages ≤10%, suggesting that utilization of lipids resulted in concentration of POPs in the remaining lipid pool. Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) analysis using log-transformed physiological variables and lipid-normalized organochlorine concentrations distinguished amphipods from the central vs western arctic stations. This distinction was also seen for PCB homologues, whereas profiles of other compound classes were more related to specific stations rather than central-west differences.