Pathways of PFOA to the Arctic: variabilities and contributions of oceanic currents and atmospheric transport and chemistry sources

STEMMLER, Irene and Gerhard LAMMEL. Pathways of PFOA to the Arctic: variabilities and contributions of oceanic currents and atmospheric transport and chemistry sources. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. Göttingen: Copernicus Publ., 2010, vol. 10, No 20, p. 9965-9980. ISSN 1680-7316.

Basic information

• Original name: Pathways of PFOA to the Arctic: variabilities and contributions of oceanic currents and atmospheric transport and chemistry sources
• Name in Czech: Pathways of PFOA to the Arctic: variabilities and contributions of oceanic currents and atmospheric transport and chemistry sources
• Authors: STEMMLER, Irene (276 Germany) and Gerhard LAMMEL (276 Germany, guarantor).
• Edition: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, Göttingen, Copernicus Publ. 2010, 1680-7316.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Article in a journal
• Field of Study: 30304 Public and environmental health
• Country of publisher: Germany
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• Impact factor: Impact factor: 5.309
• RIV identification code: RIV/00216224:14310/10:00045328
• Organization unit: Faculty of Science
• UT WoS: 000283663000017
• Keywords (in Czech): fluorinated compounds PFOA, Arctic long range transport
• Keywords in English: fluorinated compounds PFOA Arctic long range transport
• Tags: International impact, Reviewed

Abstract

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and other perfluorinated compounds are industrial chemicals in use for decades which resist degradation in the environment and seem to accumulate in polar regions. Transport of PFOA was modeled using a spatially resolved global multicompartment model including fully coupled three-dimensional ocean and atmosphere general circulation models, and two-dimensional top soil, vegetation surfaces, and sea ice compartments. In addition to primary emissions, the formation of PFOA in the atmosphere from degradation of 8:2 fluorotelomer alcohol was included as a PFOA source. Oceanic transport, delivered 14.8 plus/minus 5.0 (8 to 23) t per year to the Arctic, strongly influenced by changes in water transport, which determined its interannual variability. This pathway constituted the dominant source of PFOA to the Arctic. Formation of PFOA in the atmosphere led to episodic transport events (timescale of days) into the Arctic with small spatial extent. Deposition in the polar region was found to be dominated by wet deposition over land, and shows maxima in boreal winter. The total atmospheric deposition of PFOA in the Arctic in the 1990s was about 1 t per year , much higher than previously estimated, and is dominated by primary emissions rather than secondary formation.

Abstract (in Czech)

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and other perfluorinated compounds are industrial chemicals in use for decades which resist degradation in the environment and seem to accumulate in polar regions. Transport of PFOA was modeled using a spatially resolved global multicompartment model including fully coupled three-dimensional ocean and atmosphere general circulation models, and two-dimensional top soil, vegetation surfaces, and sea ice compartments. In addition to primary emissions, the formation of PFOA in the atmosphere from degradation of 8:2 fluorotelomer alcohol was included as a PFOA source. Oceanic transport, delivered 14.8 plus/minus 5.0 (8 to 23) t per year to the Arctic, strongly influenced by changes in water transport, which determined its interannual variability. This pathway constituted the dominant source of PFOA to the Arctic. Formation of PFOA in the atmosphere led to episodic transport events (timescale of days) into the Arctic with small spatial extent. Deposition in the polar region was found to be dominated by wet deposition over land, and shows maxima in boreal winter. The total atmospheric deposition of PFOA in the Arctic in the 1990s was about 1 t per year , much higher than previously estimated, and is dominated by primary emissions rather than secondary formation.

Links

• MSM0021622412, plan (intention): Name: Interakce mezi chemickými látkami, prostředím a biologickými systémy a jejich důsledky na globální, regionální a lokální úrovni (INCHEMBIOL) (Acronym: INCHEMBIOL)

Investor: Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the CR, Interactions among the chemicals, environment and biological systems and their consequences on the global, regional and local scales (INCHEMBIOL)