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(O“&GT；)的兴趣与日俱增，这是对人口的直接急性影响和长期的长期影响，因为：1)通过卤水(冰的液体部分)中污染物的浓度扩大暴露，2)海冰融化的颗粒结合污染物的下沉通量，以及从沉积物释放后对生活在海底的生物的毒性，以及3)高度暴露于依赖海冰栖息、摄食和产卵的生物(如冰藻、冰水两足类、鱼、海豹、北极熊、鸟类)。因此，该研究计划的首要目标是：1)提高我们对海冰中成岩多环芳烃和汞的路径和去向的了解，以及2)向加拿大利益攸关方提供必要的信息，以便北极近海的油气勘探和生产能够以可持续的方式进行，即为探测、管理和应对冰层出没水域的潜在漏油事件做好高水平的准备。该项目将极大地提高我们对北极冰盖水域潜在漏油相关环境风险的理解。该项目的目标将通过在马尼托巴大学海冰研究设施(SERF)的OSIDR(海冰中石油探测和补救)试验罐进行一系列实验性的冰下石油泄漏来实现。在接下来的5年里，至少有5名学员将从这项计划中受益，增强他们在就业市场上的经验、技能和竞争力。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，以及与其赖以生存的土地的福祉直接相关的北方社区，例如狩猎和栖息地。从更广泛的角度来看，所有加拿大人都将从这项研究的成果中受益，因为人们对冰盖条件下可能发生的石油泄漏的认识、公众可获得的知识和准备程度将会提高。

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.