Pathways and fate of petrogenic Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) and mercury (Hg) in sea ice: Setting milestones for detection, management, and response to a potential oil spill in the Arctic Ocean.

对石油和天然气的兴趣日益增加（O”>通过直接的急性人口影响和长期的慢性影响，通过：1）通过盐水中污染物的浓度放大暴露（冰的液体部分），2）来自融化的海冰的颗粒结合污染物的下沉通量以及随后从沉积物释放后对生活在海底的生物的毒性，和3）高度暴露于依赖海冰栖息、觅食和产卵的生物（例如，冰藻、冰片脚类动物、鱼类、海豹、北极熊、鸟类）。因此，这项研究计划的首要目标是：1）提高我们对海冰中的岩石成因多环芳烃和汞的路径和归宿的理解，2）为加拿大利益相关者提供必要的信息，以便北极近海的石油和天然气勘探和生产可以以可持续的方式进行，即对检测、管理、以及对冰覆盖的沃茨中潜在的石油泄漏的反应。这一计划将大大提高我们对北极冰层覆盖的沃茨潜在石油泄漏所带来的环境风险的认识。该计划的目标将通过在马尼托巴大学海冰研究设施（SERF）的OSIDR（海冰中的石油探测和补救）试验池进行一系列冰下石油泄漏试验来实现。在未来5年内，至少有5名学员将从该计划中受益，提高他们的经验，技能和就业市场的竞争力。这项研究的利益相关者包括联邦和省/地区政府和O&G行业，以及对他们所依赖的土地的福祉有直接利益的北方社区，例如，狩猎和栖息地从更广泛的角度来看，所有加拿大人都将受益于这项研究的成果，因为人们对冰层覆盖条件下可能发生的石油泄漏的认识水平、公众可获得的知识和准备程度都将提高。

An increasing interest in the Oil and Gas (O"> via immediate acute population impacts and prolonged chronic effects through: 1) amplification of exposures through concentration of contaminants in brine (liquid fraction of ice), 2) sinking flux of particle-bound contaminants from the melting sea ice and subsequent toxicity to the organisms living at the seafloor upon release from sediment, and 3) high exposures to organisms that depend on sea ice for habitat, feeding and spawning (e.g., ice algae, ice amphipods, fishes, seals, polar bears, birds). Thus, the overriding goals of this research program are: 1) to improve our understanding of the pathways and fate of petrogenic PAHs and Hg in sea ice, and 2) to provide Canadian stakeholders with the necessary information, so that the O&G exploration and production in the offshore Arctic may proceed in a sustainable manner, that is with a high level of preparedness for detection, management, and response to a potential oil spill in ice-infested waters. This program will result in significant advancement of our understanding of environmental risks associated with a potential oil spill in ice-covered Arctic waters. The goals of this program will be executed through a series of experimental under-ice oil spills at the OSIDR (Oil in Sea Ice Detection and Remediation) test tank at the University of Manitoba's Sea-Ice Research Facility (SERF). At least 5 trainees will benefit from this program over the next 5 years, enhancing their experience, skills, and competitiveness on the job market. The stakeholders of this research include federal and provincial/territorial governments and O&G industry, and the Northern communities with immediate interest in the well-being of the land they depend on for e.g., hunting and habitat. In a broader perspective, all Canadians will benefit from outcomes of this research as the level of awareness, publicly available knowledge and preparedness for a potential oil spill under ice-covered conditions will increase.