The concentration of combustion engine particulates, the organic fraction of the particulates and the sources of the particulates identified by isotopic analysis from snow and ice samples near Scott Base

The likely sources of organic pollutants in Antarctica are aircrafts, generators and vehicular emissions. Engines and generators emit organic rich particulates due to incomplete fuel combustion that can be deposited over wide areas. These particulates contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) that have been shown to damage the health of fragile ecosystems. The heat of combustion differs between engine types, which influences the suite of compounds emitted from the engines and their isotopic compositions. These variations may be a unique chemical and isotopic fingerprint that can be used to determine the spatial distribution and ultimate fate of combustion derived organic contaminants in the Antarctic environment. The concentration of combustion engine particulates from areas around Scott Base, the ice runway and Williams’s field was determined. The organic fraction of the particulates was characterized and the sources were determined through compound specific isotope analysis. 25 grab samples of ice and snow were collected to characterise vehicular, aircraft and generator emission. 4 ice samples were recovered from the ice runway after it was closed for the season to determine seasonal loading of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and information regarding the amount of PAHs delivered to the Ross Sea Region each year.