313 / 2024-09-14 03:45:16

Emerging organic contaminants in the polar regions: long-range environmental transport and impact of climate change

Persistent organic pollutants,Contaminants of emerging concern,Arctic,climate change,ocean,Antractica

Along with the rapid increase in global population and the fast development of the economy and industry, varieties of synthetic organic chemicals have been introduced into the environment in large quantities. Sources and transport of organic contaminants from the continents to the marine environment have experienced significant changes because of intense anthropogenic activities and climate change during the past decades. In addition to legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs) listed on the Stockholm Convention, a number of organic chemicals have been detected in wastewater treatment plants, rivers, and the oceans as emerging organic contaminants (EOCs). This presentation shows the occurrences of EOCs in the ocean, the Arctic and Antarctic and illustrates their long-range environmental transport (LRET) processes via atmosphere and oceanic currents from continental sources to polar regions. EOCs are most prevalent in coastal regions, but elevated concentrations are also found in the remote Arctic and Antarctica. Reemission of EOCs accumulated in glaciers, sea ice and snow may alter the concentrations and amplify their effects in polar regions. Thus, future research will need to understand the various biogeochemical and geophysical processes under climate change and anthropogenic pressures.