Dissolved legacy and emerging organochlorine pesticides in the Antarctic marginal seas: Occurrence, sources and transport. (February 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Xuan, Zhaojie; Ma, Yuxin; Zhang, Jinghua; Zhu, Jincai; Cai, Minghong
• Is Part Of: Marine pollution bulletin. Volume 187(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-02
• Subjects: Organochlorine pesticides -- Antarctic marginal seas -- Spatial distribution -- Legacy and emerging contaminants; Marine pollution -- Periodicals; Marine Biology -- Periodicals; Water Pollution -- Periodicals; Mer -- Pollution -- Périodiques; Publications périodiques; Pollution des mers; Lutte antipollution; Electronic journals; 363.7394
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114511
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0025-326X

Abstract

Abstract: Polar regions are recognized as final sinks of the persistent contaminants, however, environmental investigations in the Antarctica are greatly limited by harsh field conditions. In this study, seawater samples were collected in the Antarctic marginal seas during the austral summer of 2021 to investigate the environmental behavior and fate of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). The concentrations and source markers of representative legacy hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) indicated the coexistent sources of historical residues and fresh inputs. While the emerging OCPs, including quintozene, pentachloroaniline and dichlobenil, showed relatively lower detection frequency. Due to the differences in temperature and sea ice coverage, dissolved OCPs generally displayed higher concentrations in the eastern Antarctic than those in the western Antarctic. The 'surface depleted and depth enrichment' vertical profile of representative OCPs in the continental shelf of Prydz Bay was jointly controlled by biological pump and water mass structure. Highlights: Legacy and emerging organochlorine pesticides were detected in the Antarctic marginal seas. Relatively higher concentrations of pollutant were displayed in the eastern Antarctic. Legacy organochlorine pesticides came from both fresh inputs and historical releases.