significant decreases in sea ice area of about 3 % per decade since the late 1970s,
accompanied by a 14 % reduction in wintertime multiyear ice (Vavrus and Harrison
2003). Over last century, average sea ice extents declined by 15 % in summer, and
8 % in spring. Reductions in sea ice cover are expected to alter air-sea interactions,
surface albedo and salinity gradients, which influence heat transfer, stability of the
water column and, ocean circulation patterns (Clarke and Harris 2003). Sea ice
restricts exchange processes between ocean and atmosphere. Its presence or
absence modifies the albedo of the ocean, as well as the exchange of heat, moisture,
and trace gases such as CO 2 , between the atmosphere and ocean. In addition to it’s
climatic role, what is of major importance for the biology of the polar oceans, for
the atmospheric chemistry of the polar lower atmosphere, and for the economy and
geopolitics of the Arctic region (Abram et al. 2013).
Most of assessments of the climate change in the Arctic concentrate on changes of
environmental factors that govern marine and terrestrial ecosystems. There is little
understanding of numerous indirect effects of global change and their influence on
cycle of different man-made substances. Environmental changes connected to climate change will influence contaminant transport and distribution within the Arctic
marine ecosystem (Macdonald et al. 2005). The global change effects will not
always be direct and predictable but may be abrupt. Main effects of global change
will be visible through changes of large scale contaminant transport pathways e.g. air
mass transport, ice transport, marine currents transport and the changes of in situ
environmental conditions e.g. changes of pH, temperature, oxygen content. Particularly enhanced contaminant transport from melting permafrost is expected to
increase contaminant levels in the marine environment (Rydberg et al. 2010).
The major contaminant groups of growing concern in the Arctic are acidifying
gases (SOx) from Eurasian smelters and industry; heavy metals from fossil fuel
combustion and mining (Smith et al. 1998; Gobeil et al. 2001) and persistent
organic pollutants (POPs) including pesticides used in agriculture (e.g. DDT), and
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) leached from electronic transformers (Halsall
et al. 2001; Wania and Su 2004; Zaborska et al. 2011). The Arctic region is also
especially vulnerable to radioactive contamination originating from global (Karcher
et al. 2010; Wit and Muir 2010; Zaborska et al. 2010) and local sources (Pogrebov
et al. 1997; Smith et al. 2000).
In this review article we describe major environmental factors that may influence
global transport of contaminants and migration of contaminants within the ecosystem elements. We also discuss possible further changes in contaminant sources
and distribution within the Arctic related to global changes.
2 Changes in Global Contaminants Transport
Global environmental changes connected to climate change will influence contaminant transport pathways. Changes in intensity of transport and contaminant
concentrations discharged to the Arctic are expected. Contaminants may be
76
A. Pouch and A. Zaborska
accompanied by a 14 % reduction in wintertime multiyear ice (Vavrus and Harrison
2003). Over last century, average sea ice extents declined by 15 % in summer, and
8 % in spring. Reductions in sea ice cover are expected to alter air-sea interactions,
surface albedo and salinity gradients, which influence heat transfer, stability of the
water column and, ocean circulation patterns (Clarke and Harris 2003). Sea ice
restricts exchange processes between ocean and atmosphere. Its presence or
absence modifies the albedo of the ocean, as well as the exchange of heat, moisture,
and trace gases such as CO 2 , between the atmosphere and ocean. In addition to it’s
climatic role, what is of major importance for the biology of the polar oceans, for
the atmospheric chemistry of the polar lower atmosphere, and for the economy and
geopolitics of the Arctic region (Abram et al. 2013).
Most of assessments of the climate change in the Arctic concentrate on changes of
environmental factors that govern marine and terrestrial ecosystems. There is little
understanding of numerous indirect effects of global change and their influence on
cycle of different man-made substances. Environmental changes connected to climate change will influence contaminant transport and distribution within the Arctic
marine ecosystem (Macdonald et al. 2005). The global change effects will not
always be direct and predictable but may be abrupt. Main effects of global change
will be visible through changes of large scale contaminant transport pathways e.g. air
mass transport, ice transport, marine currents transport and the changes of in situ
environmental conditions e.g. changes of pH, temperature, oxygen content. Particularly enhanced contaminant transport from melting permafrost is expected to
increase contaminant levels in the marine environment (Rydberg et al. 2010).
The major contaminant groups of growing concern in the Arctic are acidifying
gases (SOx) from Eurasian smelters and industry; heavy metals from fossil fuel
combustion and mining (Smith et al. 1998; Gobeil et al. 2001) and persistent
organic pollutants (POPs) including pesticides used in agriculture (e.g. DDT), and
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) leached from electronic transformers (Halsall
et al. 2001; Wania and Su 2004; Zaborska et al. 2011). The Arctic region is also
especially vulnerable to radioactive contamination originating from global (Karcher
et al. 2010; Wit and Muir 2010; Zaborska et al. 2010) and local sources (Pogrebov
et al. 1997; Smith et al. 2000).
In this review article we describe major environmental factors that may influence
global transport of contaminants and migration of contaminants within the ecosystem elements. We also discuss possible further changes in contaminant sources
and distribution within the Arctic related to global changes.
2 Changes in Global Contaminants Transport
Global environmental changes connected to climate change will influence contaminant transport pathways. Changes in intensity of transport and contaminant
concentrations discharged to the Arctic are expected. Contaminants may be
76
A. Pouch and A. Zaborska