Response of polar regions to emerging organic pollutant organophosphorus esters (OPEs), a review

• Main Authors: Wenhan, Cheng, Blais, Jules M., Zhouqing, Xie, Yi, Liu, Ming, Li, Liguang, Sun
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Polar Research Institute of China - PRIC 2017
• Subjects: Oceans; Arctic; Antarctic; Southern Ocean; The Antarctic; Advances in Polar Science; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ice Sheet; Polar Science
• Online Access: http://library.arcticportal.org/2620/; http://library.arcticportal.org/2620/1/A170904000002.pdf

Polar regions are free from major anthropogenic impact due to their remoteness. However, certain pollutants can be transported there via atmospheric and/or oceanic circulations. Here we present an overview of current research on organophosphorus esters (OPEs) in polar regions by reviewing the literature on distribution, source and transport of OPEs. Current research on OPEs reveals significant anthropogenic influences in both polar regions. As well as the expected occurrence in the Arctic, OPEs were found on the Antarctic Ice Sheet up to 650 km from the coast, and the OPE concentrations were higher at high elevation due to cold climate retention. The immediate source of OPEs for inland Antarctica might be the Southern Ocean surrounding the continent, where OPEs in aerosols and seawater showed comparable concentrations to remote areas in the European Arctic. A positive correlation between aerosol OPEs in the open water and the surface vortex of ocean currents indicates that these compounds may be transported and accumulated in the ocean currents. The Antarctica Circumpolar Current accumulates them in the marginal seas of Antarctica.