Arctic Freshwater Environment Altered by the Accumulation of Commonly Determined and Potentially New POPs

• Published in: Water
• Main Authors: Klaudia Kosek, Marek Ruman
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute 2021
• Subjects: POPs; freshwater ecosystem; Arctic; pollution; contamination; long-range transport; current-use contaminants; Arctic pollution; Human health
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3390/w13131739

Chemical composition of Arctic freshwater ecosystems depends on several factors. They include characteristics of the surrounding landscape, its lithology, geomorphology, vegetation, and hydrological features, as well as accumulation of anthropogenic pollution. In the Arctic, the problem of environmental contamination is widespread. That is why research on lakes and river catchments in terms of their chemical composition has enjoyed increasing interest among scientists worldwide. The freshwater reservoirs of the Arctic are fragile and particularly vulnerable to the uptake of pollutants that become trapped in the water and sediments for an extended period. This review summarises selected studies of freshwater bodies in the Arctic to highlight the problem of the accumulation of pollutants in these reservoirs. Moreover, it emphasises the possible negative impact of chemical pollutants on both animal and human health.