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Meng B, Min XZ, Xiao MY, Xie WX, Li WL, Cai MG, Xiao H, Zhang ZF. Multimedia distribution, dynamics, and seasonal variation of PAHs in Songhua wetland: Implications for ice-influenced conditions. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 354:141641. [PMID: 38460850 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.141641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
The knowledge of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in wetlands remains limited. There is a research need for the dynamics between interfaces of multimedia when ice is present in this fragile ecosystem. In this study, sediment, open-water, sub-ice water, and ice samples were collected from the Songhua wetland to study the behaviors of PAHs with and without influences from ice. The concentration of all individual PAHs in sub-ice water (370-1100 ng/L) were higher than the open-water collected from non-ice-covered seasons (50-250 ng/L). Enrichment of PAHs in the ice of wetland was found, particularly for high-molecular-weight PAHs (HMW). This could be attributed to the relatively lower polarity of hydrocarbons compounds, making them more likely to remain in the ice layer during freezing. Source assessments reveal common sources for sub-ice water and ice, which differ from those in the open water in non-ice-covered seasons. This difference is primarily attributed to heating activities in the Harbin during winter. The average percentage contributions were 79% for sub-ice water and 36% for ice related to vehicle exhausts and coal combustion. Additionally, wood burning contributed 25% to sub-ice water and 62% to ice. Sediment in the wetland was found to serve as a final deposit particularly for heavier PAHs, especially those with 6 rings. Sediment also has the potential to act as a source for the secondary emission of low-molecular-weight PAHs (LMW) congeners into the water. PAHs in wetland displayed low ecological risk, while HMW PAHs with relative higher ecological risk is recommended to be further monitored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Meng
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), Heilongjiang Cold Region Wetland Ecology and Environment Research Key Laboratory, Harbin University, Harbin, 150086, China
| | - Xi-Ze Min
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China; International Joint Research Center for Arctic Environment and Ecosystem (IJRC-AEE), Polar Academy, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Ecosystem (HPKL-PEE), Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), Harbin 150090, China.
| | - Meng-Yuan Xiao
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China; International Joint Research Center for Arctic Environment and Ecosystem (IJRC-AEE), Polar Academy, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Ecosystem (HPKL-PEE), Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), Harbin 150090, China
| | - Wen-Xi Xie
- Qiqihar Environmental Monitoring Station, No. 571 Bukunan Street, Longsha District, Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, China
| | - Wen-Long Li
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY 12237, United States
| | - Ming-Gang Cai
- Coastal and Ocean Management Institute, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Hang Xiao
- Center for Excellence in Regional Atmospheric Environment, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
| | - Zi-Feng Zhang
- International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China; International Joint Research Center for Arctic Environment and Ecosystem (IJRC-AEE), Polar Academy, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China; Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Ecosystem (HPKL-PEE), Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), Harbin 150090, China.
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2
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Hung H, Halsall C, Ball H, Bidleman T, Dachs J, De Silva A, Hermanson M, Kallenborn R, Muir D, Sühring R, Wang X, Wilson S. Climate change influence on the levels and trends of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and chemicals of emerging Arctic concern (CEACs) in the Arctic physical environment - a review. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2022; 24:1577-1615. [PMID: 35244108 DOI: 10.1039/d1em00485a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Climate change brings about significant changes in the physical environment in the Arctic. Increasing temperatures, sea ice retreat, slumping permafrost, changing sea ice regimes, glacial loss and changes in precipitation patterns can all affect how contaminants distribute within the Arctic environment and subsequently impact the Arctic ecosystems. In this review, we summarized observed evidence of the influence of climate change on contaminant circulation and transport among various Arctic environment media, including air, ice, snow, permafrost, fresh water and the marine environment. We have also drawn on parallel examples observed in Antarctica and the Tibetan Plateau, to broaden the discussion on how climate change may influence contaminant fate in similar cold-climate ecosystems. Significant knowledge gaps on indirect effects of climate change on contaminants in the Arctic environment, including those of extreme weather events, increase in forests fires, and enhanced human activities leading to new local contaminant emissions, have been identified. Enhanced mobilization of contaminants to marine and freshwater ecosystems has been observed as a result of climate change, but better linkages need to be made between these observed effects with subsequent exposure and accumulation of contaminants in biota. Emerging issues include those of Arctic contamination by microplastics and higher molecular weight halogenated natural products (hHNPs) and the implications of such contamination in a changing Arctic environment is explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley Hung
- Air Quality Processes Research Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 4905 Dufferin Street, Toronto, Ontario M5P 1W4, Canada.
| | - Crispin Halsall
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Hollie Ball
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Terry Bidleman
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, Umeå, SE-901 87, Sweden
| | - Jordi Dachs
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Spanish National Research Council (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Catalonia 08034, Spain
| | - Amila De Silva
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Mark Hermanson
- Hermanson & Associates LLC, 2000 W 53rd Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55419, USA
| | - Roland Kallenborn
- Department of Arctic Technology, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), Longyearbyen, 9171, Norway
- Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Ås, 1432, Norway
| | - Derek Muir
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Roxana Sühring
- Department for Environmental Science, Stockholm University, 114 19 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3, Canada
| | - Xiaoping Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Simon Wilson
- Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme Secretariat, The Fram Centre, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
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3
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Desmond DS, Saltymakova D, Crabeck O, Schreckenbach G, Xidos JD, Barber DG, Isleifson D, Stern GA. Methods for Interpreting the Partitioning and Fate of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in a Sea Ice Environment. J Phys Chem A 2022; 126:772-786. [PMID: 35080411 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.1c08357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Decreases in Arctic Sea ice extent and thickness have led to more open ice conditions, encouraging both shipping traffic and oil exploration within the northern Arctic. As a result, the increased potential for accidental releases of crude oil or fuel into the Arctic environment threatens the pristine marine environment, its ecosystem, and local inhabitants. Thus, there is a need to develop a better understanding of oil behavior in a sea ice environment on a microscopic level. Computational quantum chemistry was used to simulate the effects of evaporation, dissolution, and partitioning within sea ice. Vapor pressures, solubilities, octanol-water partition coefficients, and molecular volumes were calculated using quantum chemistry and thermodynamics for pure liquid solutes (oil constituents) of interest. These calculations incorporated experimentally measured temperatures and salinities taken throughout an oil-in-ice mesocosm experiment conducted at the University of Manitoba in 2017. Their potential for interpreting the relative movements of oil constituents was assessed. Our results suggest that the relative movement of oil constituents is influenced by differences in physical properties. Lighter molecules showed a greater tendency to be controlled by brine advection processes due to their greater solubility. Molecules which are more hydrophobic were found to concentrate in areas of lower salt concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Odile Crabeck
- Laboratoire de Glaciologie, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles 99131, Belgium.,Unité d'Océanographie Chimique, Freshwater and Oceanic sCience Unit reSearch (FOCUS), Université de Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | | | - James D Xidos
- University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - David G Barber
- University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada
| | | | - Gary A Stern
- University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada
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4
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Townhill BL, Reppas-Chrysovitsinos E, Sühring R, Halsall CJ, Mengo E, Sanders T, Dähnke K, Crabeck O, Kaiser J, Birchenough SNR. Pollution in the Arctic Ocean: An overview of multiple pressures and implications for ecosystem services. AMBIO 2022; 51:471-483. [PMID: 34874530 PMCID: PMC8692579 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-021-01657-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The Arctic is undergoing unprecedented change. Observations and models demonstrate significant perturbations to the physical and biological systems. Arctic species and ecosystems, particularly in the marine environment, are subject to a wide range of pressures from human activities, including exposure to a complex mixture of pollutants, climate change and fishing activity. These pressures affect the ecosystem services that the Arctic provides. Current international policies are attempting to support sustainable exploitation of Arctic resources with a view to balancing human wellbeing and environmental protection. However, assessments of the potential combined impacts of human activities are limited by data, particularly related to pollutants, a limited understanding of physical and biological processes, and single policies that are limited to ecosystem-level actions. This manuscript considers how, when combined, a suite of existing tools can be used to assess the impacts of pollutants in combination with other anthropogenic pressures on Arctic ecosystems, and on the services that these ecosystems provide. Recommendations are made for the advancement of targeted Arctic research to inform environmental practices and regulatory decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryony L. Townhill
- The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 0HT UK
| | | | - Roxana Sühring
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3 Canada
| | - Crispin J. Halsall
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ UK
| | - Elena Mengo
- The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 0HT UK
| | - Tina Sanders
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Institute for Carbon Cycles, Max-Planck-Str. 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Kirsten Dähnke
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Institute for Carbon Cycles, Max-Planck-Str. 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Odile Crabeck
- Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ UK
| | - Jan Kaiser
- Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ UK
| | - Silvana N. R. Birchenough
- The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 0HT UK
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5
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Wu J, Wang Z, Zhang Y, Tian J, Song L, Han J, Yu J, Zhang Y. Spatial distribution and ecological risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sea ice and seawater from northern Liaodong Bay, China. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 174:113319. [PMID: 35090300 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
To better understand the spatial distribution and ecological risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons especially in low latitude coastal productive areas, PAHs in sea ice were examined for the first time in northern Liaodong bay of China in December 2020. Results showed ΣPAHs were dominated by 2- and 3-ring, with the mean concentration of 241.9 ng L-1 and 202.8 ng L-1 in sea ice and seawater, respectively, suggesting a moderate ecological risk based on Risk Quotients assessment. Ice enrichment factors were greater than 1 at 82% of the sampling sites, reflecting enrichment of PAHs in sea ice. The characteristic compounds ratios demonstrated PAHs mainly derived from petrogenic sources, while combustion was another crucial source for PAHs in sea ice via atmospheric deposition. This helps to better elucidate pollution status, potential sources and risk assessment of PAHs in productive coastal oceans especially during ice-covered period for contamination control and environmental management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhao Wu
- Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China; Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Zhaohui Wang
- Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute, Dalian 116023, China
| | | | - Jiashen Tian
- Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Lun Song
- Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute, Dalian 116023, China.
| | - Jiabo Han
- Liaoning Ocean and Fisheries Science Research Institute, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Jianghua Yu
- Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
| | - Yimin Zhang
- Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing 210044, China; Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People's Republic of China, Nanjing 210042, China.
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6
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Garnett J, Halsall C, Vader A, Joerss H, Ebinghaus R, Leeson A, Wynn PM. High Concentrations of Perfluoroalkyl Acids in Arctic Seawater Driven by Early Thawing Sea Ice. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:11049-11059. [PMID: 34308632 PMCID: PMC8383270 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c01676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances are synthetic chemicals that are widely present in the global environment including the Arctic. However, little is known about how these chemicals (particularly perfluoroalkyl acids, PFAA) enter the Arctic marine system and cycle between seawater and sea ice compartments. To evaluate this, we analyzed sea ice, snow, melt ponds, and near-surface seawater at two ice-covered stations located north of the Barents Sea (81 °N) with the aim of investigating PFAA dynamics in the late-season ice pack. Sea ice showed high concentrations of PFAA particularly at the surface with snow-ice (the uppermost sea ice layer strongly influenced by snow) comprising 26-62% of the total PFAA burden. Low salinities (<2.5 ppt) and low δ18OH20 values (<1‰ in snow and upper ice layers) in sea ice revealed the strong influence of meteoric water on sea ice, thus indicating a significant atmospheric source of PFAA with subsequent transfer down the sea ice column in meltwater. Importantly, the under-ice seawater (0.5 m depth) displayed some of the highest concentrations notably for the long-chain PFAA (e.g., PFOA 928 ± 617 pg L-1), which were ≈3-fold higher than those of deeper water (5 m depth) and ≈2-fold higher than those recently measured in surface waters of the North Sea infuenced by industrial inputs of PFAAs. The evidence provided here suggests that meltwater arising early in the melt season from snow and other surface ice floe components drives the higher PFAA concentrations observed in under-ice seawater, which could in turn influence the timing and extent of PFAA exposure for organisms at the base of the marine food web.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Garnett
- Lancaster
Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, U.K.
| | - Crispin Halsall
- Lancaster
Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, U.K.
| | - Anna Vader
- Department
of Arctic Biology, The University Centre
in Svalbard (UNIS), Longyearbyen N-9170, Norway
| | - Hanna Joerss
- Helmholtz-Zentrum
Hereon, Max-Planck-Straße
1, Geesthacht 21502, Germany
| | - Ralf Ebinghaus
- Helmholtz-Zentrum
Hereon, Max-Planck-Straße
1, Geesthacht 21502, Germany
| | - Amber Leeson
- Lancaster
Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, U.K.
| | - Peter M. Wynn
- Lancaster
Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, U.K.
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7
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Garnett J, Halsall C, Thomas M, Crabeck O, France J, Joerss H, Ebinghaus R, Kaiser J, Leeson A, Wynn PM. Investigating the Uptake and Fate of Poly- and Perfluoroalkylated Substances (PFAS) in Sea Ice Using an Experimental Sea Ice Chamber. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:9601-9608. [PMID: 34080838 PMCID: PMC8296678 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c01645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are contaminants of emerging Arctic concern and are present in the marine environments of the polar regions. Their input to and fate within the marine cryosphere are poorly understood. We conducted a series of laboratory experiments to investigate the uptake, distribution, and release of 10 PFAS of varying carbon chain length (C4-C12) in young sea ice grown from artificial seawater (NaClsolution). We show that PFAS are incorporated into bulk sea ice during ice formation and regression analyses for individual PFAS concentrations in bulk sea ice were linearly related to salinity (r2 = 0.30 to 0.88, n = 18, p < 0.05). This shows that their distribution is strongly governed by the presence and dynamics of brine (high salinity water) within the sea ice. Furthermore, long-chain PFAS (C8-C12), were enriched in bulk ice up to 3-fold more than short-chain PFAS (C4-C7) and NaCl. This suggests that chemical partitioning of PFAS between the different phases of sea ice also plays a role in their uptake during its formation. During sea ice melt, initial meltwater fractions were highly saline and predominantly contained short-chain PFAS, whereas the later, fresher meltwater fractions predominantly contained long-chain PFAS. Our results demonstrate that in highly saline parts of sea ice (near the upper and lower interfaces and in brine channels) significant chemical enrichment (ε) of PFAS can occur with concentrations in brine channels greatly exceeding those in seawater from which it forms (e.g., for PFOA, εbrine = 10 ± 4). This observation has implications for biological exposure to PFAS present in brine channels, a common feature of first-year sea ice which is the dominant ice type in a warming Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Garnett
- Lancaster
Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, United Kingdom
| | - Crispin Halsall
- Lancaster
Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, United Kingdom
| | - Max Thomas
- Centre
for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
- Department
of Physics, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand 9054, New Zealand
| | - Odile Crabeck
- Centre
for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
| | - James France
- Centre
for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
- British
Antarctic Survey, High
Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, United Kingdom
- Department
of Earth Sciences, Royal Holloway, University
of London, Egham Hill, Egham TW20 0EX, United
Kingdom
| | - Hanna Joerss
- Helmholtz-Zentrum
Geesthacht Centre for Materials and Coastal Research, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Ralf Ebinghaus
- Helmholtz-Zentrum
Geesthacht Centre for Materials and Coastal Research, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Jan Kaiser
- Centre
for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Amber Leeson
- Lancaster
Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, United Kingdom
| | - Peter M. Wynn
- Lancaster
Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, United Kingdom
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8
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Wang J, Hoondert RPJ, Thunnissen NW, van de Meent D, Hendriks AJ. Chemical fate of persistent organic pollutants in the arctic: Evaluation of simplebox. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 720:137579. [PMID: 32135281 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are of great concern for decades due to their persistence, bioaccumulation and long-range transport potential. Multimedia fate models are useful scientific and decision-support tools for predicting the chemical fate in the environment. The SimpleBox multimedia fate model (v4.0) was used in this study to estimate the impact of POP emissions from the European and North American mainland on POP contamination in the Arctic. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the performance of SimpleBox by comparing estimations to measurements. Model performance for the air compartment was reasonable as estimated concentrations were generally within a factor of five of measured concentrations. SimpleBox suggested higher POP concentrations in Arctic oceans than in temperate oceans, contrary to the few measured data. Discrepancies between estimations and measurements may be attributed to the variability in emission estimates and degradation rates of POPs, representativeness of monitoring data, and a missing snow and ice environmental compartment in SimpleBox. Emission rates and degradation rate constants were the most influential input parameters in SimpleBox based on sensitivity analysis. Suggestions for improvements of SimpleBox refining POP risk assessment are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqi Wang
- Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Renske P J Hoondert
- Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Naomi W Thunnissen
- Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Dik van de Meent
- Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - A Jan Hendriks
- Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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