Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in soil and sediment from James Ross Island, Antarctica

PCBs, OC pesticides and PAHs in sediment samples were determined from James Ross Island. Sediment PCB concentrations ranged from 0.32 to 0.83 ng g-1, while they ranged from 0.14 to 0.76 ng g-1 for HCHs, from 0.19 to 1.15 ng g-1 for DDTs, and from 1.4 to 205 ng g-1 for PAHs. The authors emphasized a prevalence of low-mass PAHs, less chlorinated PCBs, and more volatile chemicals. They explained this by the prevalent origin of POPs in Antarctica, namely, in particular in James Ross Island, the long-range atmospheric transport from populated areas of Africa, South America, and Australia.