Perfluorinated Chemicals in Meromictic Lakes on the Northern Coast of Ellesmere Island, High Arctic Canada + Online Appendix 1 (See Article Tools)

Abstract

Perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) have been recorded in many types of marine and freshwater ecosystems. The aim of the present study was to examine meromictic lakes and their catchments on the far northern coast of Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, and to evaluate the results in the context of climate change. Our analyses revealed the presence of several PFCs in catchment snowpack, inflowing streams, lake water, and the aquatic food web of Lake A (83˚00ʹ N, 75˚30ʹ W), showing that dispersal of these contaminants reaches the northern limit of the terrestrial High Arctic. However, the concentrations were low (total PFCs: 27 -754 pg L -1 for water, 134 -848 pg L -1 for melted snow, 5 -2149 pg g -1 wet weight for fish; PFOS: 66 pg g -1 dry weight in surficial sediments) and at or below values reported to date in the literature for other remote lakes. PFHpA, PFOA, and PFNA were the main compounds detected in water and melted snow, while PFNA, PFDA, and PFUnA were the predominant compounds in the aquatic biota, indicating their bioaccumulative potential. Salinity-temperature-depth profiles suggested that most of the present contaminant load enters the lake via streams and flows directly under the lake ice to the ocean. The onset of summer open water in this perennially ice-covered lake in response to climate warming, and the increased duration of open water in recent years, have implications for the distribution, transport, and retention of PFCs in Arctic lakes.RÉSUMÉ. Les composés perfluorés ont été retrouvés dans plusieurs types d'écosystèmes marins et d'eau douce. L'objectif de cette étude était d'étendre ces mesures à des lacs méromictiques situés sur la côte nord de l'île d'Ellesmere au Nunavut, et d'évaluer les résultats dans le contexte des changements climatiques. Nos analyses ont révélé la présence de plusieurs composés perfluorés dans la neige du bassin versant, les affluents, l'effluent, l'eau de lac, et le réseau alimentaire d'un de ces lacs, le lac A (83˚00ʹ N, 75˚30ʹ O). Ces résultats soulignent que la distribution de ces contaminants atteint la limite nordique de l'Arctique terrestre. Cependant, les concentrations mesurées étaient très faibles (au total : 27 -754 pg L -1 pour l'eau, 134 -848 pg L -1 pour la neige fondue, 5 -2149 pg g -1 pour les poissons et PFOS : 66 pg g -1 dans les sédiments de surface) et en-dessous des valeurs publiées pour d'autres lacs de régions éloignées. PFHpA, PFOA et PFNA étaient les principaux composés détectés dans l'eau et la neige fondue alors que PFNA, PFDA et PFUnA étaient les composés prédominants pour le biote aquatique, indiquant leur potentiel de bioaccumulation. Des profils de salinité et de température ont suggéré que la majorité des contaminants entre dans le lac via les affluents et s'écoule directement sous le couvert de glace jusqu'à l'océan. Les conditions d'eau libre observées pendant l'été dans ce lac auparavant couvert de glace en permanence, et la durée accrue des conditions d'eau libre des dernières années ont des implications pour la distribution, le tran...

Perfluorinated and Polyfluorinated Compounds in Lake Food Webs from the Canadian High Arctic

“…44 In contrast, [PFOS] in Meretta (41 ± 9.3 ng/L) and Resolute (26 ± 5.2 ng/L; see SI Table SI-9) Lakes were higher than those reported in Lake Ontario (5.51 ± 0.89 ng/L). 8 Results suggest that [PFOS] in water were strongly influenced by the point source contamination by the local airport; in Meretta Lake, the system closest to the airport, PFOS (41 ± 9.3 ng/L) was 27% of total PFAS concentrations in water (see Figure 1).…”

“…Data from Resolute, Char, and North lakes were more variable and no relationships were found. To the best of our knowledge, only two other studies have examined whether PFASs biomagnify in Arctic char food webs in the high Arctic: neither Gantner et al 13 nor Veillette et al 44 report any PFAS biomagnification. PFOS and other PFASs accumulate more in liver and blood samples and using muscle homogenates may underestimate PFAS biomagnification.…”

“…Char Lake zooplankton had the lowest [∑PFAS] of 1.4 ± 1.1 ng/g; see Table 1, a value comparable to zooplankton caught on Ellesmere Island (0.955 ng/g). 44 9 Mile Lake zooplankton ([∑PFAS] = 34 ± 83) had higher [PFDS] (15 ± 40 ng/g) and [PFNA] (1.4 ± 3.7 ng/g; see Figure 2). Mean PFOS concentrations in zooplankton were also highest in Meretta and Resolute Lakes, and ranged from 60 ± 68 ng/g in Resolute Lake to 0.12 ± 0.14 ng/g in Char Lake.…”

“…Several PFSAs, such as perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), and PFCAs, such as perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), have been detected in various biota and human blood samples from around the world, including the high Arctic. 6,19 Detectable levels of PFASs have been reported in Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus), one of the only circumpolar freshwater fish, from the Central and Eastern Canadian Arctic 14,44 and the Faroe Islands 23 and in the recent assessment of persistent organic pollutants in the Canadian Arctic. 33,36 PFASs enter Arctic systems directly through runoff from local sources (e.g., airports 37,42 ) or indirectly through longrange oceanographic or atmospheric transport.…”

Satellite microwave assessment of Northern Hemisphere lake ice phenology from 2002 to 2015

“…By insulating lake water from the overlying atmosphere and minimizing water and atmosphere heat and gas exchanges, lake ice has a controlling influence on water-column oxygen concentration, water temperature, and the composition and abundance of aquatic species (Livingstone, 1997;Bengtsson and Herschy, 2012;Kang et al, 2012;Wrona et al, 2016). In addition to the impacts on aquatic life, the formation and disappearance of lake ice also has a significant influence on the spread of man-made pollutants such as perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) (Veillette et al, 2012;Wrona et al, 2016). The extent and duration of lake ice also affect human activities, including hydroelectric power generation, navigation and winter transportation, and production and distribution of food and water (Schröter et al, 2005;Weyhenmeyer et al, 2011).…”