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SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Emerging Pollutants in north – western Spitsbergen Snow: concentration distribution, sources, and transport processes

Tildelt: kr 74 999

After the recent report on Chemicals of emerging Arctic concern (CEACs) by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP 2017), the recent focus of international Arctic pollution research is turned towards the fate elucidation of CEACs in many Arctic countries. Recently, AMAP published a priority list of several 100 CEACs for priority pollutant research and international monitoring recommendations. Also in the Svalbard environment, many emerging contaminants were confirmed in environmental compartments recently. Among others, U-Venice identified selected Fragrance Materials (FMs), Current Used Pesticides (CUPs), and organic UV filters in Environmental samples from the Kongsfjorden region. These compounds have been associated with hazardous effects on humans and the environment. It is assumed, that these substances are transported into the Svalbard region via atmospheric air masses. Therefore, deposition patterns and transport pathways of these pollutants in the receiving surface snow are planned to be investigated in the course of the here proposed project. The main purpose of this Arctic Field Grant (AFG) project is, thus, to investigate the spatial and altitudinal distribution of emerging pollutants in the annual snowpack in Spitsbergen. The project focuses on six fragrances and three compounds of interest for the European Union already included in the first watchlist under the Environmental Quality Standards Directive. The presence of These CEACs, including artificial fragrance materials (FMs), currently used pesticides (CUPs), and organic UV filter chemicals, have documented potentially harmful effects on human and environmental health. The here proposed project aims, therefore, to investigate the environmental fate, transport, and deposition patterns of these contaminants of emerging concern (CEACs) in western Spitsbergen snow.

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SSF-Svalbard Science Forum