Abstract
Eggs of snow buntings (Plectrophenax nivealis) were applied as a bio-indicator to examine differences in exposure to legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and perflouroalkyl subtances (PFAS) from the terrestrial environment surrounding the settlements of Longyearbyen, Barentsburg and Pyramiden on Svalbard, Norway. Significantly higher concentrations of summed polychlorinated biphenyls (sumPCB7) in eggs collected from Barentsburg (2980 ng/g lipid weight (lw)) and Pyramiden (3860 ng/g lw) compared to Longyearbyen (96 ng/g lw) are attributed to local sources of PCBs within these settlements. Similar findings were observed for p,p′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p′-DDE) where higher median concentrations observed in Pyramiden (173 ng/g lw) and Barentsburg (75 ng/g lw) compared to Longyearbyen (48 ng/g lw) may be influenced by guano inputs from breeding seabird populations, although other point sources cannot be ruled out. Concentrations of perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) and several perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs) in snow bunting eggs were found to be statistically higher in the populated settlements of Longyearbyen and Barentsburg compared to the abandoned Pyramiden. Narrow foraging ranges of snow buntings during breeding season was useful in assessing point sources of exposure for PCBs and PFAS at particular sites with extreme differences observed between nest locations. SumPCB7 concentrations ranged from 2 μg/g ww to below detection limits between nest sites located less than a kilometer from each other in Pyramiden. Similar findings were observed in Longyearbyen, where several PFCAs ranged from 2 to 55 times higher between nest sites with similar spatial distances. These findings indicate that snow buntings can be a useful bio-indicator offering high spatial resolution for contaminant source apportionment in terrestrial environments on Svalbard.
Highlights
Long-range transport and accumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs, i.e., polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine (OC) pesticides) and newer generation pollutants such as perflouroalkylated substances (PFAS) in Arctic biota has been well established (AMAP, 2004; Giesy and Kannan, 2001; Martin et al, 2004; Verreault et al, 2010)
Concentration of PCBs in snow bunting eggs collected in Pyramiden and Barentsburg were significantly higher compared to eggs collected in Longyearbyen both on ∑PCB7 and individual congener concentration basis (Table 1, Table A2)
This is attributed to differences in soil exposure between the settlements, where soils from Barentsburg and Pyramiden are highly contaminated compared to Longyearbyen (Jartun et al, 2009a, 2009b)
Summary
Long-range transport and accumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs, i.e., polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine (OC) pesticides) and newer generation pollutants such as perflouroalkylated substances (PFAS) in Arctic biota has been well established (AMAP, 2004; Giesy and Kannan, 2001; Martin et al, 2004; Verreault et al, 2010). High concentrations of PCBs have been reported in the soils surrounding Barentsburg and Pyramiden with concentrations reaching 29 mg/kg and 14 mg/kg, respectively (Jartun et al, 2009a, 2009b). This high contamination is attributed to inputs from local sources (building paint, small capacitors, electrical waste, building refuse, and scrap metals) within these settlements resulting in a significant exposure risk to local terrestrial wildlife. Exposure and accumulation of PFAS within marine based organisms has been well documented from Svalbard, but little information exists regarding exposure from the terrestrial environment. Contribution of the terrestrial environment to overall accumulated body burden cannot be ascertained
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