The study of atmospherically deposited Spheroidal Carbonaceous Particles (SCP) from the Kongsfjorden, Svalbard

Abstract

The surface sediment samples of Kongsfjorden were analyzed for the Spheroidal Carbonaceous Particles (SCP) in an attempt to document the SCP in the environment other than previously studied inland lakes and snow and also to understand the probable source of industrial atmospheric pollution. The SCP are derived from the combustion of fossil fuels at high temperatures and are not produced naturally. They are chemically inert in both sediment and water and thus provide the indestructible record of atmospherically deposited pollutants in remote areas and anthropogenic impact on pristine environments. The SCP were recovered from different locations of the fjord and were classified according to their size range (small particles, 5-10 µm – large particles, 20-50 µm). The characterization of the spherical carbonaceous particles (shape, size, morphology, color etc.) was done under the light microscope. The detailed morphological features and chemical composition of SCP were studied using Scanning Electron Microscope equipped with Energy Dispersive X-Ray (SEM-EDX). The result shows that in term of a source of pollution in the area, long-range transportation is the major source of pollution but local sources cannot be ignored. This is a first attempt to study the SCP from the Kongsfjorden.