Transfer of chlorinated biphenyls to Antarctica

Risebrough, Robert W.; Walker, William W.; Schmidt, T. T.; Lappe, Brock W. De; Connors, Carolyn Wolfram

doi:10.1038/264738a0

Cited by 175 publications

(81 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Though p,p′-DDT was detected in penguin eggs during the 1970s the levels were reported to be only a small fraction of the concentration of p,p′-DDE (4). Consequently, comparison of egg data from the present study to the data of Risebrough et al (4) indicates that p,p′-DDE levels have not declined in the Palmer population of Adélie penguins in more than 30 years. In contrast, ΣDDT decreased significantly from 1975 to 2003 in Arctic seabird eggs with half-lives of 9-20 years (19,20).…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 61%

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Melting Glaciers: A Probable Source of DDT to the Antarctic Marine Ecosystem

Geisz

Dickhut

Cochran

et al. 2008

Environ. Sci. Technol.

160

110

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Persistent organic pollutants reach polar regions by long-range atmospheric transport and biomagnify through the food web accumulating in higher trophic level predators. We analyzed Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) samples collected from 2004 to 2006 to evaluate current levels of ∑DDT (p,p′-DDT + p,p′-DDE) in these birds, which are confined to Antarctica. Ratios of p,p′-DDT to p,p′-DDE in Adélie penguins have declined significantly since 1964 indicating current exposure to old rather than new sources of ΣDDT. However, ∑DDT has not declined in Adélie penguins from the Western Antarctic Peninsula for more than 30 years and the presence of p,p′-DDT in these birds indicates that there is a current source of DDT to the Antarctic marine food web. DDT has been banned or severely restricted since peak use in the 1970s, implicating glacier meltwater as a likely source for DDT contamination in coastal Antarctic seas. Our estimates indicate that 1−4 kg·y−1 ΣDDT are currently being released into coastal waters along the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet due to glacier ablation.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 61%

“…As noted above, sample recoveries were not reported in the previous studies (4,14) rendering evaluation of changes in ∑DDT in Adélie penguins with time questionable. However, the penguin samples collected in 1964 were analyzed in two separate laboratories using different methods to verify the results (14).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 86%

Melting Glaciers: A Probable Source of DDT to the Antarctic Marine Ecosystem

Geisz

Dickhut

Cochran

et al. 2008

Environ. Sci. Technol.

160

110

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…This is often the case. However, most of the global transport of organochlorines is made aerially (Riseborough et al 1976); and the more volatile components are carried further into polar regions and kept there (Calamari et al 1991;Simonitch and Hites 1995). They accumulate because the very low temperatures can cause their deposition (through condensation) onto substrates such as soils, water and ice (Wania and Mackay 1993).…”

Section: Ocean Environment Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Humans and the Southern Elephant Seal Mirounga leonina

Burton¹,

Hoff²

2002

Aust. Mammalogy

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Southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonina) populations appear remarkably unaffected by interactions with humans. They are very tolerant of close human presence whilst they are ashore for pupping, mating and moulting. Their behaviour in close proximity to helicopter operations suggests disturbance of moulting male M. leonina is minimal. There is no evidence that M. leonina have been affected by persistent organic pollutants; and few M. leonina have been reported as having been injured or killed by interactions with fishery gear. The number of prey species common to their diet and commercial fisheries in the Southern Ocean are few; but one commercial squid species, Martialia hyadesi, accounted for as much as 94% of the biomass consumed by M. leonina. Two harvested commercial squid species (Mar. hyadesi and Todarodes filippovae) were found in the stomachs of M. leonina; and some other squid species (Alluroteuthis antarcticus, Brachioteuthis spp., Gonatus antarcticus, Histeoteuthis spp., Kondokovia longimana, Moroteuthis ingens, Mor. knipovitchi, Pholidoteuthis boschmani and Psychroteuthis glacialis) have potential as commercial catch too. There is cause for concern if a future directed fishery for any of these species escalates or the by-catch of Mar. hyadesi and T. filippovae in the Illex and Nototodarus fisheries increase. There is also concern if fin-fish fisheries expand and take more of those species already taken by both M. leonina and fisheries. These species are benthic (Notothenia squamifrons), benthopelagic (Dissostichus eleginoides and Champsocephalus gunnari) and, perhaps most importantly, the pelagic myctophid species (e.g., Electrona carlsbergi).

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“…Semivolatile organic compounds (SOCs), such as hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are transported globally from the areas where they have once been released into the environment to very remote places including Antarctica (1)(2)(3)(4). This redistribution occurs by long-range transport in both atmosphere and oceans.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Air−Sea Equilibrium and Time Trend of Hexachlorocyclohexanes in the Atlantic Ocean between the Arctic and Antarctica

Lakaschus

Weber

Wania

et al. 2001

Environ. Sci. Technol.

129

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Hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) were determined simultaneously in air and seawater during two cruises across the Atlantic Ocean between the Arctic Ocean (NyA°lesund/ Svalbard, 79°N; 12°E) and the Antarctic Continent (Neumayer Station/ Ekstroem Ice Shelf, 70°S; 8.2°W) in 1999/ 2000. The concentrations of R-HCH and γ-HCH in air and surface waters of the Arctic exceeded those in Antarctica by 1-2 orders of magnitude. The gaseous concentrations of γ-HCH were highest above the North Sea and between 20°N and 30°S. Fugacity fractions were used to estimate the direction of the air-sea gas exchange. These showed for R-HCH that the measured concentrations in both phases were close to equilibrium in the North Atlantic (78°N-40°N), slightly undersaturated between 30°N and 10°S and again close to equilibrium between 20°S and 50°S. γ-HCH has reached phase equilibrium in the North Atlantic as R-HCH, but the surface waters of the tropical and southern Atlantic were strongly undersaturated with γ-HCH, especially between 30°N and 20°S. These findings are significantly different from two earlier estimates around 1990 as a result of global emission changes within the past decade. Therefore, we investigated the time trend of the HCHs in the surface waters of the Atlantic between 50°N and 60°S on the basis of archived samples taken in 1987-1997 and those from 1999. A decrease of R-HCH by a factor of approximately 4 is observed at all sampling locations. No decrease of γ-HCH occurred between 30°N and 30°S, but there was a decrease in the North Atlantic, North Sea, and in the South Atlantic south of 40°S. The constant level of γ-HCH in the tropical Atlantic confirms the conclusion that the tropical Atlantic acts as a sink for γ-HCH at present time. The measured R-HCH seawater concentrations were compared with results from a global multimedia fate and transport model. Whereas the time trend over 13 years and the latitudinal gradient were well reproduced by the model, the absolute levels were too high by a factor of 4.5. This may be explained by the zonal averaging employed in the model as well as uncertain emissions and degradation rates.

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Transfer of chlorinated biphenyls to Antarctica

Cited by 175 publications

References 3 publications

Melting Glaciers: A Probable Source of DDT to the Antarctic Marine Ecosystem

Melting Glaciers: A Probable Source of DDT to the Antarctic Marine Ecosystem

Humans and the Southern Elephant Seal Mirounga leonina

The Air−Sea Equilibrium and Time Trend of Hexachlorocyclohexanes in the Atlantic Ocean between the Arctic and Antarctica

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