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.

通过对人口的直接急性影响和长期的慢性影响，人们对石油和天然气的兴趣日益增加：1)通过盐水（冰的液体部分）中污染物的浓度增加暴露；2)海冰融化带来的颗粒结合污染物的下沉通量，以及从沉积物中释放出来后对生活在海底的生物的毒性；3)对依赖海冰栖息、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）的高暴露。因此，本研究项目的首要目标是：1)提高我们对海冰中多环芳烃和汞的产岩途径和命运的理解；2)为加拿大的利益相关者提供必要的信息，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，也就是说，为探测、管理和应对冰感染水域潜在的石油泄漏做好高水平的准备。这一项目将大大提高我们对北极冰雪覆盖水域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（海冰石油检测和补救）测试箱中进行一系列冰下石油泄漏实验来实现。在未来5年，至少有5名学员将从该项目中受益，提高他们的经验、技能和在就业市场上的竞争力。这项研究的利益相关者包括联邦和省/地区政府、石油和天然气行业，以及对他们赖以生存的土地（如狩猎和栖息地）的福祉有直接利益的北方社区。从更广泛的角度来看，所有加拿大人都将从这项研究的结果中受益，因为在冰雪覆盖的条件下，对潜在石油泄漏的认识水平、公共知识和准备水平将会提高。

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.