THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND WESTERN ANTARCTIC ICE SHEET: CURRENT SOURCES OR SINKS FOR ATMOSPHERICALLY TRANSPORTED ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS?

关于持久性有机污染物的大气迁移和海气交换的全球范围研究很少，但已使我们在了解这些污染物的远距离大气迁移和归宿方面取得了重要进展，在某些情况下，这些污染物可能对遥远的极地生态系统产生深远影响。“奥登号”考察船即将从瑞典哥德堡到南极洲麦默多站进行的巡航（2007年10月至2008年1月）为评估持久性有机卤素化合物的远距离大气迁移和确定大西洋和南极西部冰盖目前是否是这些污染物的来源或汇提供了一个真正独特的机会。基本假设是，大西洋和南极西部冰盖是目前使用的农业和工业有机卤素化合物的汇，这些化合物经过远距离大气迁移，但也是目前被禁止或严格限制使用的持久性有机污染物（如滴滴涕、多氯联苯）的来源，这些污染物以前积累在海洋表面沃茨和冰川冰中。这一假设将通过衡量目前的使用情况和遗留的有机卤素化合物进行检验。该项目将提供关于以前从大西洋和南极西部冰盖的表面沃茨释放的环境污染物在全球重新分布的宝贵资料。由于观测到该区域迅速变暖和冰川融化，后者可能特别相关。作为该项目的一部分，将收集的关于大气气相和与气溶胶有关的当前使用化学品的全球数据集对于校准远距离大气迁移模型将是非常宝贵的。最后，这次航行将提供一个机会，对海洋上空与气溶胶有关的和半挥发性气态有机碳进行初步测量。该项目将促进美国和瑞典环境科学家之间的国际合作，他们将担任拟议研究的共同主要研究者。它还将有助于在美国发展研究生研究机构和以本科为主的女子学院之间的合作研究。最后，该项目将部分支持培训一名女研究生。

AbstractGlobal scale studies of the atmospheric transport and air-sea exchange of persistent organic pollutants are rare, but have led to important advances in our understanding of the long-range atmospheric transport and fate of these contaminants, which in some cases may have profound impacts on remote polar ecosystems. The upcoming cruise of the RV Oden from Goteborg, Sweden to McMurdo Station, Antarctica (Oct. 2007 to Jan. 2008) offers a truly unique opportunity to evaluate the long-range atmospheric transport of persistent organohalogen compounds and determine if the Atlantic Ocean and Western Antarctic Ice Sheet are currently sources or sinks for these contaminants. The underlying hypothesis is that the Atlantic Ocean and Western Antarctic Ice Sheet are sinks for current use agricultural and industrial organohalogen compounds that undergo long-range atmospheric transport, but are sources of persistent organic pollutants that are currently banned or severely restricted for use (e.g. DDT, PCBs) that previously accumulated in ocean surface waters and glacier ice. This hypothesis will be examined by measuring current use and legacy organohalogen compounds. This project will provide valuable information on the global redistribution of previously released environmental contaminants from surface waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Western Antarctic Ice Sheet. The latter may be particularly relevant due to observations of rapid warming and glacier melting in the region. The global data set on atmospheric gas phase and aerosol-associated current use chemicals to be collected as part of this project will be invaluable for calibrating long range atmospheric transport models. Finally, this cruise will provide an opportunity to make preliminary measurements of aerosol-associated and semi-volatile gaseous organic carbon over the oceans. This project will facilitate the development of an international collaboration between environmental scientists in the U.S. and Sweden who will serve as co-principal investigators for the proposed research. It will also help develop collaborative research in the U.S. between a graduate research institution and a predominantly undergraduate college for women. Finally, this project will partially support training of a female graduate student.