Organochlorine pesticide and polychlorinated biphenyl loads in the snow cover of Hans glacier, Svalbard

<p>Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as organochlorine pesticides or polychlorinated biphenyls, are continuously delivered into the Arctic terrestrial environment, i.a. through snowfall (e.g., Cabrerizo et al., 2019; Hermanson et al., 2020). This happens despite the bans and restrictions on the use of these bioaccumulative substances (Stockholm Convention, 2008) and may lead to a secondary accumulation of contaminants in some glaciers in the Arctic continuing in the future (Pawlak et al., 2021). Upon melt, POPs are released with particulate matter and delivered to downstream ecosystems. However, the current deposition fluxes of POPs on glaciers are only sparsely recognized, which leads to uncertainties in these contaminants' snowmelt fluxes. In this study, we present a combination of spatially distributed sampling of fresh snowfall with total snow cover profiles upon Hans glacier (Svalbard, Norwegian Arctic) and the existing data on the snow cover (courtesy Institute of Geophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences) to estimate such fluxes for a seasonal snow cover of a tidewater glacier. Uncertainties related to the snow cover water equivalent estimations and the spatial variation in POPs concentrations are estimated and presented as obstacles to robustness of such studies. As a result, we provide data for future field measurement design which would decrease uncertainties in such estimations.</p><p><strong>References:</strong></p><p>Cabrerizo, A., Muir, D.C.G., Teixeira, C., Lamoureux, S.F., Lafreniere, M.J., 2019. Snow Deposition and Melting as Drivers of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Organochlorine Pesticides in Arctic Rivers, Lakes, and Ocean. Environ. Sci. Technol. 53, 14377&#8211;14386. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b05150</p><p>Hermanson, M.H., Isaksson, E., Hann, R., Teixeira, C., Muir, D.C.G., 2020. Atmospheric Deposition of Organochlorine Pesticides and Industrial Compounds to Seasonal Surface Snow at Four Glacier Sites on Svalbard, 2013&#8211;2014. Environ. Sci. Technol. 54, 9265&#8211;9273. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c01537</p><p>Pawlak, F., Koziol, K., Polkowska, Z., 2021. Chemical hazard in glacial melt? The glacial system as a secondary source of POPs (in the Northern Hemisphere). A systematic review. Sci. Total Environ. 778, 145244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145244</p><p>Stockholm Convention, 2008. Status of ratifications of the Stockholm Convention [WWW Document]. Secr. Stock. Conv. Clear. House. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2005.05.025</p><p><strong>Acknowledgement<br></strong>This research was funded by a National Science Centre of Poland grant no. NCN 2017/26/D/ST10/00630 (<em>Sea-snow POPs</em> project).</p>