TP7 Persistent Organic Pollutants
Tuesday, 15 November 2005: 8:00 AM - 6:30 PM in Exhibit Hall

(CIN-1117-813550) Distribution of persistent organochlorines in the sea-water of the Ross Sea (Antarctica).

Cincinelli, A¹, Martellini, T¹, Giannoni, M¹, Russo, A², Dickhut, R³, Lepri, L¹, ¹ Department of Chemistry-University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy² Department of Marine Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy³ College William & Mary,VIMS, Gloucester Point, Virginia, USA

ABSTRACT- Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have become ubiquitous in the environment and have been detected at considerable levels even in air, seawater and biota from remote regions such as the Arctic and Antarctic. The presence of HCHs and other persistent organochlorines in remote areas can be attributed to the consequence of the long range atmospheric transport and deposition. In the framework of the Italian Research Program in Antarctica (PNRA) an oceanographic cruise was carried out in the Ross Sea between December 2003 and February 2004, aboard the M/N Italica. Sea-water samples were collected by means of Niskin bottles along a meridional transect at −2m. At each station water temperature, salinity, turbidity and fluorescence were also measured by means of a CTD probe. The organochlorines were extracted on board the ship by pressurizing the tank to pass the water through glass fiber filters and then through XAD-2 resin columns, which were stored at −20°C and +4°C respectively until analysis. Preliminary data show that HCHs were the principal organochlorines pesticides found in the Antarctic seawater (dissolved phase) samples. Total concentrations of the HCHs ranged from 1 to 10 pg/L, which are in the range found in previous studies. The proportion of alpha-HCH/gamma-HCH was also useful for evaluating the influx of lindane vs. technical HCH to the regional environment. The spatial distribution of organochlorines is discussed and related to oceanographic characteristics.

Key words: hexachlorocyclohexanes, Antarctica, persistent organochlorines, POPs