Open AccessCurrent use and legacy pesticide deposition to ice caps on Svalbard, Norway
Author(s) -
Ruggirello Rachel M.,
Hermanson Mark H.,
Isaksson Elisabeth,
Teixeira Camilla,
Forsström Sanja,
Muir Derek C. G.,
Pohjola Veijo,
van de Wal Roderik,
Meijer Harro A. J.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: atmospheres
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2010jd014005
Subject(s) - dieldrin , endosulfan , deposition (geology) , pesticide , thermokarst , environmental chemistry , environmental science , snow , abiotic component , arctic , chlorpyrifos , ice core , methoxychlor , chlordane , hydrology (agriculture) , permafrost , atmospheric sciences , ecology , chemistry , geology , oceanography , biology , geomorphology , sediment , geotechnical engineering
Transport and deposition of current use (CUP) and legacy pesticides (LP) and residual products to the Arctic have been documented in abiotic matrices. These observations show that some “low‐persistence” pesticides with high OH· reaction rates are stable enough to accumulate in a polar environment. In 2005, we drilled an ice core on Holtedahlfonna, one of the major ice fields on Svalbard, Norway to measure the input of 47 CUPs and 17 LPs to a high‐elevation abiotic environment with no local pesticide sources. Of these, 9 CUPs and 12 LPs were observed in at least one of 6 core segments dating to 1953: 15 of these were found in enough core segments to reveal time‐related trends. CUPs often observed included chlorpyrifos, dacthal, α ‐ and β ‐ endosulfan, endosulfan sulfate, trifluralin, and γ ‐HCH. LPs most often observed included methoxychlor, α ‐ and γ ‐chlordane, cis‐ and trans‐ nonachlor, endrin, dieldrin, and p,p ′‐DDE. In our comparison of core burdens at Holtedahlfonna and Austfonna (220 km ENE from Holtedahlfonna), we found twice as many CUPs at Austfonna along with greater amounts of dieldrin, methoxychlor, α ‐endosulfan and chlorpyrifos suggesting different accumulation processes or sources. Air mass back trajectories over a 10‐year period of comparison between sites (1986–1995) show air mass flow from Eurasia 74% of the time to Austfonna and 45% to Holtedahfonna which may account for some of the differences.