This paper reviews information from the literature and the EU ArcRisk project to assess whether climate change results in an increase or decrease in exposure to mercury (Hg) in the Arctic, and if this in turn will impact the risks related to its harmful effects. It presents the state-of-the art of knowledge on atmospheric mercury emissions from anthropogenic sources worldwide, the long-range transport to the Arctic, and it discusses the likely environmental fate and exposure effects on population groups in the Arctic under climate change conditions. The paper also includes information about the likely synergy effects (co-benefits) current and new climate change polices and mitigation options might have on mercury emissions reductions in the future. The review concludes that reductions of mercury emission from anthropogenic sources worldwide would need to be introduced as soon as possible in order to assure lowering the adverse impact of climate change on human health. Scientific information currently available, however, is not in the position to clearly answer whether climate change will increase or decrease the risk of exposure to mercury in the Arctic. New research should therefore be undertaken to model the relationships between climate change and mercury exposure.

In this study, a procedure was developed to determine short-chain alkane monocarboxylic acids (SCMAs) in aqueous samples using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) followed by gas chromatography (GC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS). A Stabilwax-DA capillary column (30 m × 0.32-mm inner diameter, 0.50-μm film thickness) was used for GC separation and a 60-μm poly(ethylene glycol) fiber was used to isolate SCMAs from water and introduce them into the gas chromatograph. Parameters of HS-SPME, analyte desorption, and GC-MS analysis were selected and an analytical procedure was proposed. Limits of quantitation were on the order of about 0.2 mg L-1. As an example of the application of the procedure, SCAMs were determined in municipal wastewater at different steps of treatment.

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Low molecular mass carboxylic acids (LCAs) occur in many environmental compartments due to natural processes and human activity. They are an important group of organic pollutants of waste water that mainly includes, volatile fatty acids, and also dicarboxylic, aromatic, hydroxy-and ketoacids. LCAs are present in the environment at concentrations between 1 to 5000 ppm and different methods have been reported for their determination [1]. When volatile and nonvolatile acids are to be monitored then liquid chromatography, including ion chromatography is the method of choice. At high pH the acids are in ionized form and can be separated as carboxylates by means of anion exchange chromatography. LCAs can also be separated at low pH by ion exclusion chromatography or by reverse phase chromatography. Using Dionex-3000 instrument with an Acclaim Organic Acid, OA column dedicated to separation of organic acids the method has been developed to identify selected LCAs. With this analytical tool formic, acetic, propionic, butyric and also citric, malonic, and oxalic acids were measured in waste water from swine and cattle livestock farms.

This study describes extraction of selected volatile fatty acids (VFAs) (containing from 2 up to 8 carbon atoms) with methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE) from polluted aqueous samples followed by separation, identification and quantification by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Extraction parameters such as time and number of extractions, volume ratio, effect of acidification and salt addition were optimized with respect to recovery, enrichment factor and repeatability. The VFAs studied were separated using an open tubular capillary column Stabilwax-DA (crossbond polyethylene glycol treated with nitroterephtalic acid). The limits of quantitation (LOQ) of the procedure developed were on the level of 0.1 to 0.5 mg L(-1). The analysis of real samples of municipal raw and treated wastewater, animal farms wastewater, and also landfill leachates showed that always dominant was acetic acid. The content of VFAs in animal farms wastewater was a few times higher than in municipal wastewater and in municipal solid waste landfill leachates. In surface and ground water close to municipal landfill only acetic acid was detected at higher concentrations in outflow than inflow water. This indicates that slight leakage from the landfill must have occurred.

Abstract-This paper presents overviews the capabilities of capillary electrophoretic techniques to determine low molecular mass organic acids in a variety of aqueous, gas and solid samples. It mainly focuses on short -chain carboxylic acids containing one or more carboxylic groups and possibly some other functional groups (hydroxyl, keto-, amino-etc.). Finally the procedures applied to the determine the acids in different matrices are shortly characterized.The principles of capillary electrophoresis its advantages over gas and liquid chromatographic separation and detection modes are briefly discussed. Finally, the brief overview of the technique is followed by characterization of CE based procedures for the analysis of a variety of samples such as food, environmental, biological etc. for the content of organic acids, mainly those with carboxylic groups.Index Terms-Capillary electrophoresis, low molecular mass organic acids.

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Abstract-Solidphase microextraction (SPME) fundamentals, characteristics and application are described. The special stress is put on characteristics of sorbents used as SPME fiber coatings. Description of commercially available fibers and the present-day trends in development of new sorbents for SPME are given. Discussion is focused on possibility of application of ionic liquids (IL) and polymeric ionic liquids (PIL) as SPME fiber coatings. An example of application of PIL coating to determine volatile fatty acids in water is given.Index Terms-Environmental trace organic analysis, chromatography, solid phase microextraction, ionic liquids, polymeric ionic liquids.