Cadmium concentrations in recent snow and firn layers in the Canadian Arctic.

Abstract

It is becoming increasingly evident that long-range transported pollutants can have a devastating effect on the fragile ecosystems of the Canadian Arctic region. The phenomenon of Arctic haze which prevails during the late winter-early spring period results in the flux of elevated quantities of toxic pollutants to the region. Although there have been studies of the atmospheric concentrations of pollutants in the region, there are no reliable measurements of the accumulation of trace metals in the snow and ice layers. Analysis of dated snow and ice layers in Greenland has furnished a wealth of information on the history of global air pollution with toxic metals. Similar studies in Arctic Canada should provide additional insights into the hemispheric transport processes and the sources of trace metals in this polar region. This report presents the first set of data on the concentrations of cadmium in recent snow layers (deposited during the past 7 years) of the Agassiz Ice Cap, Ellesmere Island, Canada. The data were obtained using an ultra-clean sampling and analysis procedures.