The objectives of this project are: A) to determine whether atmospheric concentrations and deposition of priority pollutants in the Arctic are changing in response to various national and international initiatives by: i) continuing to measure the occurrence of selected organochlorines in the arctic atmosphere at Alert, NWT for a period of three more years (measurements started in 1992), in parallel with identical measurements in western Russia at Amderma; ii) sampling at the Kinngait (Cape Dorset) station in 2000/2001 for the purpose of detecting change in the eastern Canadian Arctic by comparison with observations made four years earlier (1994-1996) at this site; and iii) analyzing and reporting data from Alert, Tagish, Kinngait and Dunai Island thereby providing insight into pollutant trends and sources. B) Ensuring the effective utilization of information at the international negotiating table in order to achieve the appropriate restrictions on release of pollutants of concern for the arctic environment by: i) contributing to the next assessment arising from the second phase of the Northern Contaminants Program (Canada) and specifically, the revised Assessments on POPs and Heavy Metals as part of the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment (AMAP) Program Work Plan; and ii) advising Canadian negotiators in preparing reasonable, practical strategies of control.
Specific POPs measured: organochlorines (PCB congeners, toxaphene, chlordane, DDT, chlorobenzenes and selected herbicides) and 20 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)
Air samples (gaseous and particulate) were collected at: - Alert, NWT, Canada 1992 - ongoing weekly samples; - Kinngait, Nunavut, Canada 1994-1996, 2000/2001 - 2002/2003; - Tagish, Yukon Territory, Canada 1993 - 1995; - Dunai Island, Russia 1993 - 1995; - Amderma, western Russia 1999 - ongoing
Samples from Alert are archived at the Meteorological Service of Canada in Downsview, Ontario, Canada.
Routine weekly, ground-level atmospheric measurements of particulate and gaseous OCs and PAH are extracted according to standard protocol at the Conor Pacific laboratory and analyzed at the Freshwater Institute, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Winnipeg, MB, Canada. Quality control and preliminary data analysis are done by Conor Pacific and laboratories within the Meteorological Service of Canada. Please see references listed above for methods
Analytical and QA/QC responsibilities are divided between the following three laboratories: Conor Pacific, the Freshwater Institute and laboratories within the Meteorological Service of Canada. As part of the Northern Contaminants Program (NCP), all three laboratories participate in the NCP QA/QC program.
Please refer to the Canadian National AMAP Implementation Plan for details.
Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Northern Contaminants Program Environment Canada, Canada's federal environmental agency.
"New Persistent Chemicals in the Arctic Environment" Terry Bidleman, Meteorological Service of Canada