The Effect of Dissolved Organic Matter on the Photolysis and Bioaccumulation of Synthetic Organic Compounds in Two Lakes on Ross Island, Antarctica

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ABSTRACT The effect of persistent synthetic organic contaminants (SOCs) on the Antarctic ecosystems is poorly understood. Dissolved organic compounds (DOM) are ubiquitous to all surface waters in Antarctica and these substances may play an important role in the fate of SOCs. DOM is capable of acting as a quasi-sorbent, thereby altering the speciation of SOCs in the water column. DOM is also highly photoreactive and is able to form chemical transients that can transform SOCs. This dual-role nature of DOM could have pronounced effects on the bioavailability of SOCs to aquatic organisms. This exploratory research will study processes that control the fate of SOCs in the presence of DOM from two small lakes on Ross Island. Bioaccumulation experiments using phytoplankton and cyanobacteria from these sites will be conducted in an effort to understand the effect of DOM on the bioavailability of SOCs. A chlorinated biphenyl congener and pyrene have been selected for study because they represent classes of contaminants found in Antarctica and they possess a wide range of physiochemical properties. Photolysis experiments using artificial sunlight simulators will be studied to determine the role of DOM as photocatalysts in the transformation of the two target analytes. The results from this exploratory research will provide the groundwork for a much larger field project that will study these processes both in situ and ex situ using other SOCs.