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Searching for anthropogenic organic micropollutants in Polar snow and ice (SIGNALS)
IADC_id: 256
active
Call year: 2023
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Project description:
The impact of human activities on the Polar ecosystems involves the continuous release of hundreds of thousands of “old” and “new” organic pollutants, but there is only little knowledge on their distribution and final fate in the Arctic regions. Contaminants found in the Arctic may originate from local sources (shipping, tourism, hydrocarbon exploration, wastewater etc.), or come from distant locations carried by oceanic and atmospheric circulations. In these remote areas, glaciers and permafrost became important sinks of many contaminants, especially air-carried ones. Moreover, Arctic fjord ecosystems are intimately linked to sea/ice dynamics and inputs of glacial melting waters; these complex processes may be perturbed by global warming, ocean acidification, loss of sea-ice and anthropogenic pressure on local and global scale. Improved analytical technologies, research and screening programmes continue to reveal the presence of chemicals that have not previously been detected or are not expected to be present in the Arctic. Given their recent discovery, there is less information available on the so-called ‘chemicals of emerging concern (CECs - not subject to international regulation) compared to legacy contaminants (e.g. persistent organic pollutants -POPs). rnIn this context, SIGNALs proposal aims at improving our understanding of the occurrence and distribution (spatial, temporal) in the snow-ice system in Svalbard (Norway) related to anthropogenic pollution and climate change, focusing on legacy persistent and emerging organic pollutants, with particular attention to their sources (primary source, i.e. atmospheric deposition,) and remobilization from glaciers/snow melting (secondary source).rnThe planned fieldwork includes the sampling of snowpack and ice-cores in the main glaciers in the Kongsfjorden area, Spitsbergen, during winter and, in next years, the collection of melting waters and sediments (i.e. Bayelva River until entering in the Kongsfjorden) during summer season, aimed at determining the impact of anthropogenic contamination and pollution dynamic in this fragile Arctic ecosystem. Results will integrate those obtained from other fieldwork carried out in Svalbard and will allow the implementation and reinforcement of collaboration among research groups interested in this not fully explored matter.
National/International Cooperation:
IGG-CNR, ISPRA, SINTEF-Ocean, Norvegian Polar Institute
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