The aim of the project is to detrmine the content of organic contaminants in sea ice (including dirty ice), sea water (particulate and dissolved), snow, ice algae and phytoplankton collected in the marginal ice zone of the Barents Sea and in Fram Strait, and to calculate bioconcentration factors from the abiotic compartments to the lowest trophic levels of the food chain. Silicate measurements were included in the Fram Strait as water mass tracer. The Barents Sea represents an area influence mainly by first year ice with sea ice formed in the area and or in the Kara Sea, and and strongly influenced by the inflowing two branches of water of Atlantic origin. Samples were collected on a transect along the ice edge and at two transects into the ice. The stations across the Fram Strait were taken in regions affected by water masses and sea ice from differents regions and age. In the western sector, the upper water column was influenced by the inflowing west Spitsbergen current of Atlantic origin and mainly with first-second year ice, while the easter station was influenced by outflowing water from the Arctic Ocean and multiyear sea ice of more eastern origin.
Sampling (storage): 1) Snow: 50 L stainless steel container (-20 C) 2) sea ice: Metal ice drill (aluminum foil in ziplock bags, -20 C) 3) sea water: large volume filtration unit, particulate (GFF/GFC) and dissolved (PUFs) phase (filters and PUFs in aluminum foil, ziplock bags,-20 C) 4) ice algae: diver, suction pump, 25 um filter (filters in pyrex bottles, -20 C) 5) phytoplankton: 25 um nets(filters in pyrex bottles, -20 C) Analyses in ongoing and performed by the Department of Applied Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University, Sweden
Department of Applied Environmental Chemistry, Stockholm University
The Effects Programme, which is a programme by the Norwegian Ministry of Environment