The effect of seasonal pack ice melting on the sea water polychlorobiphenyl contents at Gerlache Inlet and Wood Bay (Ross Sea – Antarctica)

• Published in: International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry
• Main Authors: FUOCO, ROGER, GIANNARELLI, STEFANIA, TERMINE, MARCO, C. ABETE, M. ONOR
• Other Authors: Fuoco, Roger, Giannarelli, Stefania, C., Abete, M., Onor, Termine, Marco
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 1999
• Subjects: Antarctica (Ross Sea); Polychlobiphenyl; Sea water; Pack ice; Gerlache; Gerlache Inlet; Ross Sea; Wood Bay; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11568/203710; https://doi.org/10.1080/03067319908047323

The effect of seasonal formation/melting process of pack ice on the PCB level of sea water at Gerlache Inlet and Wood Bay (Ross Sea, Antarctica) was investigated during four Italian expeditions, i.e. !988-89, 1990-91, 1991-92 and 1993-94. Surface sea water samples from Gerlache Inlet and Wood Bay before pack ice melting showed a typical total PCB concentration of 133 pg/l and 120 pg/l, respectively, which increased by a factor of about 1.3 in both sampling sites during pack ice melting. This effect was attributed to the transfer of PCBs contained in the pack ice to sea water, and salinity was used as a tracer to verify this hypothesis. In this respect, pack ice and sea water samples were collected during the 1993-94 Italian expedition, and both salinity (S) and PCB content were measured. A fairly good agreement was observed between the experimental PCB concentration and the value calculated by the dilution model which was applied to the mixing process between sea and pack ice melting waters. Although this effect seems to be limited in time and space it is nevertheless significant because it happens during summer when biological species have their highest activity.