Concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and novel brominated flame retardants (NBFRs) in the atmosphere of Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, were investigated. Passive air samples were collected for eight consecutive one-year periods from August 2011 to August 2019 at seven Arctic sampling sites. High-resolution gas chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC-HRMS) and gas chromatography coupled with election capture negative ionization mass spectrometry (GC-NCI-MS) were employed for PBDE and NBFR analysis, respectively. The median concentrations of Ʃ₁₁PBDEs and Ʃ₆NBFRs were 0.6 pg/m³ and 4.0 pg/m³, respectively. Hexabromobenzene and BDE-47 were the most abundant NBFR and PBDE congeners in the atmosphere, accounting for 31% and 24% of ƩNBFR and ƩPBDE concentrations, respectively. ƩNBFR concentration was approximately six times higher than that of ƩPBDEs in the same samples. Among NBFRs, the concentrations of 1,2,3,4,5-pentabromobenzene, 2,3,4,5,6-pentabromobenzene, and 2,3-dibromopropyl-2,4,6-tribromophenyl ether showed increasing temporal variations, with estimated doubling times of 3.0, 3.3, and 2.8 years, respectively. The concentrations of almost all PBDE congeners showed a decreasing variation, with halving times ranging from 2.1 to 9.5 years.

Knowledge of the ecology and at-sea distribution of migratory species like seabirds has substantially increased over the last two decades. Furthermore, an increasing number of studies have recently focused on chemical contamination of birds over their annual cycle. However, the understanding of the combined effects of spatial movements and contamination on seabirds’ life-history traits is still scarce. During winter, seabirds can use very different areas, at the large-scale. Such overwintering strategies and distribution may expose individuals to contrasting environmental stressors, including pollutants. Here, we studied the winter distribution and contamination with mercury (Hg), and their combined effects on reproduction, in a great skua (Stercorarius skua) population breeding in Bjørnøya, Svalbard. We confirmed that individuals of this specific population overwinter in three different areas of the North Atlantic, namely Africa, Europe and northwest Atlantic. The highest Hg concentrations in feathers were measured in great skuas wintering off Europe (Linear Mixed Models - mean value ± SD = 10.47 ± 3.59 μg g ⁻¹ dw), followed by skuas wintering in northwest Atlantic (8.42 ± 3.70) and off Africa (5.52 ± 1.83). Additionally, we found that female winter distribution and accumulated Hg affected the volume of their eggs (Linear Mixed Models), but not the number of laid and hatched eggs (Kruskal-Wallis tests). This study provides new insights on the contamination risks that seabirds might face according to their overwinter distribution and the possible associated carry-over effects.

Increasing terrestrial run-off from melting glaciers and thawing permafrost to Arctic coastal areas is expected to facilitate re-mobilization of stored legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and mercury (Hg), potentially increasing exposure to these contaminants for coastal benthic organisms. We quantified chlorinated POPs and Hg concentrations, lipid content and multiple dietary markers, in a littoral deposit-feeding amphipod Gammarus setosus and sediments during the melting period from April to August in Adventelva river estuary in Svalbard, a Norwegian Arctic Aarchipelago. There was an overall decrease in concentrations of ∑POPs from April to August (from 58 ± 23 to 13 ± 4 ng/g lipid weight; lw), Hg (from 5.6 ± 0.7 to 4.1 ± 0.5 ng/g dry weight; dw) and Methyl Hg (MeHg) (from 5 ± 1 to 0.8 ± 0.7 ng/g dw) in G. setosus. However, we observed a seasonal peak in penta- and hexachlorobenzene (PeCB and HCB) in May (2.44 ± 0.3 and 23.6 ± 1.7 ng/g lw). Sediment concentrations of POPs and Hg (dw) only partly correlated with the contaminant concentrations in G. setosus. Dietary markers, including fatty acids and carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes, indicated a diet of settled phytoplankton in May–July and a broader range of carbon sources after the spring bloom. Phytoplankton utilization and chlorobenzene concentrations in G. setosus exhibited similar seasonal patterns, suggesting a dietary uptake of chlorobenzenes that is delivered to the aquatic environment during spring snowmelt. The seasonal decrease in contaminant concentrations in G. setosus could be related to seasonal changes in dietary contaminant exposure and amphipod ecology. Furthermore, this decrease implies that terrestrial run-off is not a significant source of re-mobilized Hg and legacy POPs to littoral amphipods in the Adventelva river estuary during the melt season.

The aim of this study is to assess the occurrence of human litter ingested by arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) caught in Svalbard, Norway, in winter when scavenging is at its highest. Twenty arctic fox stomachs and intestines were examined for human litter and plastic using the protocol from the Oslo-Paris Convention (OSPAR) for monitoring plastic ingestion by the northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) (human litter and plastic >1 mm). The arctic foxes had ingested human litter at a low frequency (15%, 3 out of 20 foxes). Despite the low sample size, we do not regard ingestion of human litter as an immediate threat to the arctic fox population in Svalbard.

Climate change has become one of the greatest concerns of the past few decades. In particular, global warming is a growing threat to the Canadian high Arctic and other polar regions. By the middle of this century, an increase in the annual mean temperature of 1.8 °C–2.7 °C for the Canadian North is predicted. Rising temperatures lead to a significant decrease of the sea ice area covered in the Northwest Passage. As a consequence, a surge of maritime activity in that region increases the risk of hydrocarbon pollution due to accidental fuel spills. In this review, we focus on bioremediation approaches on Arctic shorelines. We summarize historical experimental spill studies conducted at Svalbard, Baffin Island, and the Kerguelen Archipelago, and review contemporary studies that used modern omics techniques in various environments. We discuss how omics approaches can facilitate our understanding of Arctic shoreline bioremediation and identify promising research areas that should be further explored. We conclude that specific environmental conditions strongly alter bioremediation outcomes in Arctic environments and future studies must therefore focus on correlating these diverse parameters with the efficacy of hydrocarbon biodegradation.

Polar regions are an important part of the global mercury cycle and interesting study sites due to different possible mercury sources. The full understanding of mercury transformations in the Arctic is difficult because this region is the systems in transition –where the effects of the global climate change are the most prominent. Benthic organisms can be valuable bioindicators of heavy metal contamination. In July 2018, selected benthic organisms: macroalgae, brittle stars, sea urchins, gastropods, and starfish were collected in Isfjorden, Spitsbergen. Two of the sampling stations were located inside the fjord system and one at the entrance to the fjord. The results showed that the starfish were the most contaminated with mercury. Total mercury concentrations in these organisms were at least 10 times higher than in other organisms. However, they effectively deal with mercury by transporting it to hard tissue. The dominant form of mercury was the labile form.

At present, there are no standardised tests to assess metal leaching during submarine tailings discharge. In this study the influence of variables known to affect metal mobility and availability (dissolved organic carbon (DOC), pH, salinity, temperature, aerated/anoxic conditions) along with variables affected by the discharge conditions (flocculant concentration, suspension) were studied in bench-scale experiments. The leaching tests were developed based on the case of a copper mine by Repparfjorden, northern Norway, which is planned to re-open in 2022. The experiments, which had three week duration, revealed low (<6 %) leaching of metals. Multivariate analysis showed that all variables, apart from DOC, highly influenced leaching and partitioning of at least one metal (Ba, Cr, Cu, and/or Mn). The high quantity of the planned annual discharge of mine tailings to the fjord (1–2 million tonnes) warranted estimation of the leached quantity of metals. Multivariate models, using present-day conditions in the fjord, estimated leaching of up to 124 kg Ba, 154 kg Cu and 2400 kg Mn per year during discharge of tailings. Future changes in the fjord conditions caused by climate change (decreased pH, increased temperature) was predicted by the multivariate models to increase the leaching up to 55 %, by the year 2065. The bench-scale experiments demonstrated the importance of including relevant variables (such as pH, salinity, and temperature) for metal leaching and -partitioning in leaching tests. The results showed that metal leaching during discharge is expected and will increase in the future due to the changed conditions caused by the foreseen climate change, and thereby underline the importance of monitoring metal concentrations in water during operations to determine the fate of metals in the fjord.

Submarine tailing disposal (STD) in fjords from land-based mines is common practice in Norway and takes place in other regions worldwide. We synthesize the results of a multidisciplinary programme on environmental impacts of STDs in Norwegian fjords, providing new knowledge that can be applied to assess and mitigate impact of tailing disposal globally, both for submarine and deep-sea activities. Detailed geological seafloor mapping provided data on natural sedimentation to monitor depositional processes on the seafloor. Modelling and analytical techniques were used to assess the behaviour of tailing particles and process-chemicals in the environment, providing novel tools for monitoring. Toxicity tests showed biological impacts on test species due to particulate and chemical exposure. Hypersedimentation mesocosm and field experiments showed a varying response on the benthos, allowing to determine the transition zone in the STD impact area. Recolonisation studies indicate that full community recovery and normalisation of metal leakage rates may take several decades due to bioturbation and slow burial of sulfidic tailings. The results are synthesised to provide guidelines for the development of best available techniques for STDs.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) are highly toxic organic compounds, and very few studies on their presence in polar environments have been conducted. This study assessed the concentration and distribution of PCDD/Fs, dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs), and non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in selected fjords of the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. The ∑PCDD/Fs observed for Raudfjorden, Smeerenburgfjorden, Magdalenefjorden, and Kongsfjorden were 22.80 pg/g, 25.65 pg/g, 18.27 pg/g, 33.50 pg/g, and 21.69 pg/g, respectively. The WHO's toxic equivalents values of both ∑PCDD/Fs and ∑DL-PCBs were comparatively higher than those reported in other polar regions. Of the four fjords studied, the sediments from Kongsfjorden exhibited the presence of the most toxic materials, including PCB-126 and PCB-169, of DL-PCBs. More than 80% of the total analysed PCDD/Fs were comprised of highly chlorinated congeners (hexa-to-octa forms). More studies are required to understand the destination and transport of these hazardous pollutants in high Arctic sediments.

Krossfjord-Kongsfjord system in the European Arctic has been assessed for abundance, source and distribution of microplastics in the surface sediments. The average abundance of microplastics in Krossfjord and Kongsfjord is 721.42 ± 217.89 (n = 5) pieces/kg and 783 ± 530.28 (n = 8) pieces/kg. Polymers like polyethylene and polypropylene are abundant in the sediment samples. Fibers are the most common shape of plastic particles. A high abundance of smaller plastic particles in the sediment may be due to the fragmentation of larger plastic particles during transportation. The microplastics' spatial distribution, shape, size, and composition suggest that the long-range transport by west Spitsbergen current and local inputs from anthropogenic activities are possible sources of microplastics found in the study area. Our results exhibit the presence of microplastic pollution, suggesting the influence of anthropogenic activity in the Arctic fjord and the need to control/reduce marine pollution which has become a potential threat to marine organisms.