pre-cas teco, incheon, 17.11.091 persistent toxic substances (pts) in ambient air of russian arctic...

Pre-CAS TECO, Incheon, 17.11.09 1

Persistent Toxic Substances (PTS) in ambient air of

Russian Arctic

Alexey Konoplev

Centre for Environmental Chemistry (CEC)

SPA “Typhoon” of Roshydromet, Obninsk, RUSSIA

Persistent Toxic Substances (PTS) in ambient air of

Russian Arctic

Alexey Konoplev

Centre for Environmental Chemistry (CEC)

SPA “Typhoon” of Roshydromet, Obninsk, RUSSIA

OUTLINEOUTLINE What are PTS and why in the Arctic? International Treaties in the field of PTS and the

environment. Monitoring of POPs in ambient air of Russian

Arctic. Long-term mercury monitoring in atmosphere of

Russian Arctic. Perspectives for hydrometeorological

observatory in Tiksi.


IntroductionIntroduction Occurrence and behavior of pollutants

in the Arctic is governed by both the Arctic climatic conditions and pollutants properties.

The issue of the Arctic pollution was brought to the forefront when high levels of PTS were detected among the indigenous peoples of the North.

With no PTS production and application by the indigenous peoples, they often become affected by pollutants originating from industrially developed regions of the world.


International agreements on the environmental pollution with PTSInternational agreements on the environmental pollution with PTS

A series of international agreements and conventions provide for regular monitoring of PTS in the environment at the global and national levels and, first of all, in the Arctic .

The most important of them are the Stockholm Convention on POPs, Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, agreements of the Arctic Council and its working groups (AMAP and ACAP).


Pre-CAS TECO, Incheon, 17.11.09

Attributes of PTSAttributes of PTS High toxicity; Persistence in the environment; Semi-volatility and ability to be transported over long

distances; Ability for bioconcentration and accumulation; Global occurrence in the environmental media and

biota.

PTS = POPs + Some Heavy Metals (Hg, Pb…)

5

The pattern of the atmospheric circulation, river and sea currents and low air temperatures are conducive to transport and accumulation of semi-volatile PTS in the Arctic.

Due to the low solubility in water and high solubility in fats PTS tend to accumulate in the Arctic food chains that are rich in fats.

In turn, animals of higher trophic levels form the basis of the traditional diet of the indigenous peoples of the Arctic.

As a result, some of the Arctic indigenous communities are among the population groups that are worst exposed to PTS in the world.


Transport and accumulation of POPs in the Arctic

6


POPs and Hg air monitoring at Russian Arctic sites

POPs and Hg air monitoring at Russian Arctic sites

Dunay:- POPs – 1993 – 1994

Amderma: - POPs – 1999 - 2001;- Hg – 2001 – present

Val’karkay (Chukchi):- POPs – 2002-2003;

2008-2009


Objectives of POPs air monitoring

Objectives of POPs air monitoring

To measure the concentrations of POPs in the atmosphere of Russian Arctic.

This provides the opportunity to make comparative analysis of POPs in the ambient air for different areas of the Arctic and the basis for modelling of their atmospheric transport.

The data allow to assess the efficacy of international Conventions such as Stockholm Convention on POPs and Convention on transboundary air pollution.

Monitoring POPs and mercury on global Arctic GAW stations

Monitoring POPs and mercury on global Arctic GAW stations

Canada - Alert (GAW);

USA- Point Barrow (GAW)

Norway- Ny Alesund (GAW)

Finland - Pallas (GAW)


9


The list of determined compounds includes 154 individual substances:The list of determined compounds

includes 154 individual substances:

46 OCP and their metabolites (chlorobenzenes, DDT, mirex, Toxaphenes, ldrin, dieldrin, endrin, heptachlor, chlordane etc.);

88 PCB congeners;20 PAH.

11

Methods and materialsMethods and materials

Internationally approved protocols of sampling and analysis are used. Weekly samples are collected by means of a high volume sampler. Samples are shipped to the laboratory, extracted and after clean-up analysed using gas chromatography-mass-spectrometry detection (GC-MS).


Air POPs monitoring: Summary


In general atmospheric concentrations of most OCP at Russian Arctic are similar to other Arctic sites.

Concentrations of a number POPs especially PCBs, DDX and PAH at Val’karkay (Chukchi) are elevated as compared with global Arctic. This conclusion is confirmed by the data on human milk and blood.


Results of PCB monitoring in ambient air

Results of PCB monitoring in ambient air

The tri substituted PCBs dominate in homologues profile for Amderma and five substituted PCB dominate in profile for Valkarkai. 0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Number of chlorine atoms in a molecule

Co

ntr

ibu

tio

n (

%)

of

dif

fere

nt

ho

mo

log

ical

g

rou

ps

of

PC

Bs

to t

ota

l co

nce

ntr

atio

n

Amderma Valkarkai (w inter period) Valkarkai (summer period) Sovol

14



Long-range transport was a key factor for OCPs and their metabolites and determined the atmospheric levels of those chemicals in Russian Arctic.

During winter atmospheric pollution by PCBs was also determined by long-range transport while in summer it was caused mainly by volatilization of these chemicals from the underlying surface, rather than by their long-range transport.

PCB 138 (summer)

y = -14612x + 24.893

R2 = 0.349

-30

-29

-28

-27

-26

-25

0.00352 0.00356 0.00360 0.00364 0.00368

1/T

lnP

PCB 138 (winter)

y = -532.6x - 25.775

R2 = 0.0031

-35

-33

-31

-29

-27

-25

-23

-21

0.0036 0.0037 0.0038 0.0039 0.0040 0.0041 0.0042

1/T

lnP

PBDE – new class of POPsPBDE – new class of POPs

PBDEs are persistent in the environment, bioaccumulative and lipophilic;

PentaBDE and OctaBDE have been included under the Stockholm Convention and the POPs protocol to the UNECE Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP).

CEC SPA "Typhoon" St-Petersburg, 31 March 2009 15

• The data show a strong concentration gradient from industrial centers to the Arctic sites. • Concentrations of total-BDE were significantly higher at several sites within Moscow. • Still, BDE concentrations in Moscow are lower than in countries that have used flame

retardants in industry and household products for a decade or more. CEC SPA "Typhoon" St-Petersburg, 31 March 2009 16


Objectives of Hg air monitoring

Objectives of Hg air monitoring

To obtain data on time dependency of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) for Russian site and to compare with data sets for other Arctic stations

Amderma is located on the Arctic border between Europe and Asia what determines its importance in terms of air masses and pollutants exchange


Time dependence of mercury concentration at Amderma during

IPY 2007-2009

Time dependence of mercury concentration at Amderma during

IPY 2007-2009

0

1

2

3

4

Ко

нц

ентр

аци

я H

g, н

г/м

3

Я Ф М А М И И А С О Н Д

2007

Я Ф М А М И И А С О Н Д Я Ф М А М И

2008 2009


Hg monitoring at Amderma - Main Conclusions

Hg monitoring at Amderma - Main Conclusions

Gaseous elemental mercury at Amderma varies mainly within range from 1.5 to 2 ng/m3 which corresponds to the levels for global background level for Northern Hemisphere;

After polar sunrise (end of March - Start of June) mercury depletion event occurs - Hg concentration becomes very variable (from 0 to 2 ng/m3) and in average lower;

During MDE elevated deposition of mercury occurs; Maximum Hg concentration (2-2.5 ng/m3) occurs at Summer

time (June-July)

ХАЦ ИПМ НПО "Тайфун" ОС Росгидромета, Москва, 15.09.09 20

Development for the futureDevelopment for the future Establishing long-term monitoring of POPs and Hg on

hydrometeorological observatory Tiksi. The set of geophysical and chemical observations at Tiksi

should correspond to requirements for global GAW stations.

21

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

Projects on monitoring of POPs and Hg in the ambient air at Russian Arctic sites were funded and supported by International Polar Year Canada Programs (Russian and Canadian - INCATPA Project), Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring of Russian Federation (Roshydromet).

Thanks to H. Hung, A. Steffen (Environment Canada), P. Fellin C. Geen (AirZOne One) for long term collaboration and support in the field of the ambient air PTS monitoring in the Russian Arctic and T. Uttal (US NOAA) for collaboration in establishing observatory at Tiksi.


THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION!

QUESTIONS?

pre-cas teco, incheon, 17.11.091 persistent toxic substances (pts) in ambient air of russian arctic...

Documents

arctic pollution

monitoring of pops

monitoring pops

arctic council

atmosphere of russian

accumulation of pops

arctic indigenous communities

concentrations of pops