Environmental Contaminants
Contaminants in the Arctic
Northern regions of the world experience unique contaminants issues
as a consequence of their location and climate. Long-range atmospheric
transport and deposition in the Arctic occurs mainly in the winter
when the low pressure drives much of the atmospheric circulation of
the Northern Hemisphere.
Airborne contaminants are drawn to high-latitudes from industrial
areas in North America, Europe and Asia where, due to colder temperatures,
the contaminants condense and precipitate out of the atmosphere. Once
chemicals reach colder climates typical of high-latitudes, they are
less likely to revolatilize as in warmer climates, and therefore persist
in the environment and are incorporated in the food chain. International
research programs such as the Arctic
Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) have shown that long-range
pollutant transport and accumulation are a circumpolar issue. Existing
data also show, however, that atmospheric transport differs in various
parts of the Arctic. It is therefore important to obtain specific
information for Alaska since there is uncertainty in simply extrapolating
results from other northern regions.
Localized sources of contamination also exist in Alaska and other northern
areas, including old landfills, abandoned facilities, discarded drums
and other point sources. These local sources can have a profound impact
on fish and wildlife resources in the immediate vicinity.
Last updated: March 23, 2010
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