Deposition of atmospherically transported polychlorinated biphenyls in the Canadian arctic

Gregor, D.J.; Teixeira, Carlos; Rowsell, Robert

doi:10.1016/0045-6535(96)00166-x

Cited by 22 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…First, the elevated concentrations of PCBs from all islands suggest that these contaminants are being transported globally by air and/or sea and deposited into polar regions due to the global distillation effect [1][2][3]. This supports the findings of several other studies [25,26] and has significant implications for the health of wildlife populations around the globe, particularly mammals that are sensitive to PCB contamination. Second, the significantly higher concentrations of PCBs on Adak, Amchitka, and Kiska Islands suggests that the primary source of these contaminants has been from local military activities.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Productivity, diets, and environmental contaminants in nesting bald eagles from the aleutian archipelago

Anthony

Miles

Estes

et al. 1999

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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Abstract-We studied productivity, diets, and environmental contaminants in nesting bald eagles from the western Aleutian Islands, Alaska, USA, during the summers of 1993 and 1994. Productivity on Adak, Tanaga, and Amchitka Islands ranged from 0.88 to 1.24 young produced per occupied site and was comparable to that of healthy populations in the lower 48 United States. However, productivity on Kiska Island was depressed, averaging 0.67 young per occupied site. The lower reproductive success on Kiska was associated with elevated levels of dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene and other organochlorine pesticides. Many of the organochlorine pesticides were elevated in bald eagle eggs from the four islands, but concentrations of these contaminants and Hg were significantly higher in eggs from Kiska Island than in eggs from the other islands. In contrast, polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations were higher in eggs from Adak, Amchitka, and Kiska (where military facilities have been installed) than in those from Tanaga (which has had little military activity). The most likely source of these contaminants in bald eagles was from their diets, which were variable spatially and temporally. Fish made up most (56%) of the eagles' diet on Adak and Tanaga Islands, followed by birds (25%) and mammals (19%). In contrast, birds comprised the majority (60%) of bald eagle diets on Amchitka and Kiska Islands, followed by mammals (30%) and fish (10%). The high proportion of seabirds in the diet of eagles from Kiska Island could be the major source of organochlorine and Hg contamination. Elevated concentrations of organochlorines in bald eagle eggs from the Aleutian Archipelago was surprising, because of the distance to agricultural areas. The results indicate that these contaminants can be transported long distances and affect wildlife populations in remote and pristine areas. We also discuss potential sources and transport mechanisms of these contaminants to the Aleutian Islands.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Productivity, diets, and environmental contaminants in nesting bald eagles from the aleutian archipelago

Anthony

Miles

Estes

et al. 1999

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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“…The processes affecting contaminant transport are complex and generally poorly understood, but it is known that a range of these contaminants are generally widespread in arctic aquatic ecosystems and are being transported through rivers and the atmosphere (e.g. Barrie et al 1997;Gregor et al 1996;Lockhart et al 1992). Because many contaminants resist photolytic, biological and chemical degradation, and because growth rates of aquatic organisms in cold regions are low and higher trophic level animals are long lived, there is considerable potential for a greater lifelong accumulation of environmental contaminants in cold-regions aquatic ecosystems than in more temperate regions.…”

Section: Environmental Contaminantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sediment Bound Contaminants in a Remote Northern Delta

Milburn

Prowse

1998

Hydrology Research

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Deltas of major rivers are among the most productive and environmentally sensitive components of riverine systems in cold regions, and are of great hydrological and ecological importance. Much of their productivity stems from the supply of nutrient-rich sediments that rejuvenate in-channel, perched and riparian habitats. Such sediments, however, can also be a source of organic contaminants and deltas, because of their natural tendency to accumulate sediments, may become retention zones or sinks of these. The objective of this research was to determine the nature of sediment-related organic contaminant deposition in the Slave River Delta, Canada – a remote area that is now experiencing the effects of rapid upstream development. A special focus was placed on the protracted low-flow period that characterizes the winter period during which there should be a significant deposition of fine-grained sediment – size fractions with an affinity to adsorb organic contaminants. Results of an exploratory field program conducted during the 1997 pre-breakup and pre-freeze-up periods support the concept that the under-ice period is a time of significant fine-grained sediment deposition. Moreover, the contaminant load was found to be higher at the end of the winter flow recession rather than in late autumn following the major summer flow events. Comparisons of the observed contaminant levels measured in the delta are also made with those recorded by others in the upstream river that feeds the Slave Delta and in Great Slave Lake downstream of the delta.

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“…The most accepted theory, nowadays temperature, main wind and tea current directions, humidity Peters et al 1995, Patton et al 1989, Oehme et al 1996a,b, McConnell et at. 1993, Li et al 1998, Klungs~yr et al 1995, Gregor et al 1996, Falconer et al 1995, Ford et al 1995 Heute wissen wir, dass die Atmosph~ire eines der Haupttransportmedien for umweltstabile Schadstof/:e ist. Ein klassisches Beispiel dafiir ist der vor 30 Jahren nachgewiesene Transport yon Schwefeldioxid (SO~) und nitrosen Gasen (NO x) aus den Industrieregionen Zentral-und Osteuropas nach Skandinavien (Galloway 1995, Rodhe et al 1995, Torseth und Semb 1998 (Aarkrog et al 1987).…”

Section: Abstract Long-range Transport Of Persistent Pollutants Intounclassified

“…So zeigen PCB-Gemische die in Russland pmduziert wurden (Chernyak et al 1995), eine andere KongenerZusammensetzung als solche, die aus Europa oder aus den USA stammen (Wilson et al 1995). (Gregor et al 1996). Vor allem die niedrig chlorierten PCBs k6nnen in der Luft in kurzen Zeitr-aumen tiber weite Strecken transportiert werden.…”

Section: Polychlorierte Biphenyle (Pcbs)unclassified

Schadstoff-Ferntransport in die Arktis

Kallenborn

Herzke

2001

UWSF - Z. Umweltchem. Ökotox.

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Zusammenfassung. Hohe Konzentrationen von persJstenten LJmweltschadstoffen (organische Schadstoffe, Spurenmetalle etc.) werden seit 30 Jahren in bio]ogischen Proben aus arktischen Regiohen gemessen. Da keine Iokalen Scbadstoffquellen vorhanden sind, muss angenommen werden, dass diese Stoffe auf natfirlichem Wege dorthin transportierr werden. Der atmosph~irische und der wassergebundene Schadstoff-Fernrransport wird heutzurage als hauptverantwortlich fi.ir den Transport der Scbadstoffe in die Atktis angesehen. In der Arktis werden die persistenten Schadstoffe in den kurzen unverzweigten Nahrungsnetzen besonders effektiv angereichert. Schadstoffkonzentrationen k6nnen in den Arten, die Endglieder der Nahrungsnetze reprhsentieren, sehr hohe Werte erreichen, die bereits toxische Effekte erwarten lassen. Als eine in Fachkreisen akzeptierte Theorie fi.ir den globalen Schadstofftransport beschreibt die 'Theorie der globalen Destillation' den Schadstofftransport als einen Destillationsprozess. Abh~ingig yon der Fliichtigkeit einer Verbindung abet auch der Umgebungstemperatur wird der Schadstoff unterschiedlich welt transportiert, bevorer mit dem Niederschlag auf der Erde oder im Sediment depoin die ArmosphSre aufgenommen und weitertransportiert werden. Dieser Prozess wird als 'Grashtipfer-Effekt' bezeichnet. So kann dcr globale Schadstoffferntransport in die Arktis als eine Kombination yon wassergebundenem und atmosph~irischem Transport angesehen wcrden. Schadstoffe, die bisher als nicht geeignet fiJr den Ferntransport gehalten wurden, k6nnen auf Grund der Bedingungen der 'Globalen Destillationstheorie' sehr wohl unter g/instigen Voraussetzungen fiber weite Strecken transportiert werden. Hohe Konzentrationswerte ffir ausgewahlte Schadstoffe wurden auch in Gewebeproben der arktischen Urbev6ikerung gefunden. Dennoch wurden keine weirgehenden Gegenmagnahmen gerroffen, well diese unausweichliche Ver~inderungen im sozialen und traditionellen GefiJge der Inuiten zur Folge hStten. Nach Absch/itzung der staatlichen Entscheidungstr~iger in den arktischen Anrainerstaaten wi2rden die daraus resultierenden sozialen Konsequenzen diejenigen der hohen Schadstoffbelastung bei weitem fibersteigen (ArktJsches Dilemma). Schlagw6rter:

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Deposition of atmospherically transported polychlorinated biphenyls in the Canadian arctic

Cited by 22 publications

References 33 publications

Productivity, diets, and environmental contaminants in nesting bald eagles from the aleutian archipelago

Productivity, diets, and environmental contaminants in nesting bald eagles from the aleutian archipelago

Sediment Bound Contaminants in a Remote Northern Delta

Schadstoff-Ferntransport in die Arktis

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