Modelling atmospheric transport persistent organic pollutants in Northern Hemisphere with a 3-D dynamical model

• Main Authors: A Guttorm Christensen, B Anita Evenset, B Martin Schlabacha, Andreas Stohla
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bear Island; Bjørnøya
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.513.1164; http://zardoz.nilu.no/~andreas/publications/131.pdf

A first medium term monitoring of atmospheric transport and distribution for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Bjørnøya (Bear island) air samples has been performed in the period between week 51/1999 and week 28/2003. A total of 50 single compounds consisting of polychlorinated biphenyls (33 congeners), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (a-, b-, g-HCH), a-endosulfan, cyclodiene pesticides (chlordanes, nonachlor-isomers, oxy-chlordane, heptachlor and chlordane) as well as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) derivatives were analysed and quantified. Atmospheric transport of POPs was identified as an important contamination source for the island. PCBs, HCB and HCH isomers were the predominant POP groups, contributing with 70–90 % to the overall POP burden quantified in the Bjørnøya air samples. The highest concentration levels for a single compound were found for HCB (25–35 pg m3). However, the sum of 33 PCB congeners was found to be in the same concentration range (annual means between 15 and 30 pg m3). Cyclodiene pesticides, DDT derivatives and a-endosulfan were identified as minor contaminants. Several atmospheric long-range transport episodes were identified and characterised. Indications for industrial emissions as well as agricultural sources were found for the respective atmospheric transport episodes. A first