After decades of imposed regulations about reducing the primary emissions of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), these pollutants are still present in the environment. Soils are important repositories of such persistent semivolatile organic contaminants (SVOCs), and it is assumed that SVOCs sequestered in these reservoirs are being re-mobilized due to anthropogenic influence. In this study, concentrations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in soil and air, their fugacities, fluxes and the soil-air partition coefficient (KSA) were determined for three different land cover types (glacial, remote/mountainous and urban) of the Lesser Himalayan Region (LHR). The concentrations of OCPs, PCBs and PBDEs in soils and air ranged between 0.01 and 2.8, 0.81–4.8, 0.089–0.75 ng g⁻¹; 0.2–106, 0.027–182, and 0.011–7.26 pg m⁻³, respectively. The levels of SVOCs in the soil were correlated with soil organic matter (SOM) indicating that SOM is a substrate for the organic pollutants in soils. The Clausius-Clapeyron plots between ln P and inverse of temperature (1000/T) suggested that long range atmospheric transport was the major input source of PBDEs and higher chlorinated PCBs over the LHR. The uneven and wide distribution of local sources in LHR and up-slope enrichment of SVOCs explained the spatial variability and altitudinal patterns. The soils near mountain and urban lakes act as local sinks of SVOCs such as β-HCH, pp΄-DDT, CB-28, -118, −153, BDE-47, -99, and −154, with soil-air exchange fluxes tending more toward deposition. However, the soils near glacial lakes acted as local sources of more volatile congeners of α-HCH, γ-HCH, op′-DDT, pp′-DDE and lower to medium chlorinated PCBs such as CB-18, -28, −53, −42 and BDE-47, -99, with soil-air exchange tending more toward volatilization flux.

Atmospheric transport is an important pathway for the deposition of micro- and nano-plastics in remote areas. However, the sources and fate of atmospheric microplastics remain poorly understood. A study on atmospheric transport and deposition in the Pyrenean Mountains highlights the movement of microplastics away from known sources (cities, agriculture, and industry) into remote areas. Following this first evidence of atmospheric microplastic deposition in a pristine location, it is necessary to reconsider previous studies on atmospheric microplastic deposition and behavior in remote areas.

In order to study the distribution of pesticide residues in beekeeping matrices, samples of live in-hive worker honey bees (Apis mellifera), fresh stored pollen and beeswax were collected during 2016–2017 from 45 apiaries located in different landscape contexts in Spain. A total of 133 samples were screened for 63 pesticides or their degradation products to estimate the pesticide exposure to honey bee health through the calculation of the hazard quotient (HQ). The influence of the surrounding environment on the content of pesticides in pollen was assessed by comparing the concentrations of pesticide residues found in apiaries from intensive farming landscapes to those found in apiaries located in mountainous, grassland and urban contexts. Beeswax revealed high levels of miticides used in beekeeping such as coumaphos, chlorfenvinphos, fluvalinate and acrinathrin, which were detected in more than 75% of samples. Pollen was predominantly contaminated by miticides but also by insecticides used in agriculture such as chlorpyrifos and acetamiprid, which showed concentrations significantly higher in apiaries located in intensive farming contexts. Pesticides residues were less frequent and at lower concentrations in live honey bees. Beeswax showed the highest average hazard scores (HQ > 5000) to honey bees. Pollen samples contained the largest number of pesticide residues and relevant hazard (HQ > 50) to bees. Acrinathrin was the most important contributor to the hazard quotient scores in wax and pollen samples. The contributions of the pesticides dimethoate and chlorpyrifos to HQ were considered relevant in samples.

The Qinling subspecies of giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca qinlingensis), is highly endangered; fewer than 350 individuals still inhabit Qinling Mountains. Previous research revealed captive pandas were exposed to bromine, so we hypothesized that captive pandas were exposed to and affected by polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). To test this hypothesis, we tested blood and feces of captive and wild pandas, their drinking water, food (bamboo leaves) from SWARC (Shaanxi Wild Animal Research Center)and FNNR (Foping National Nature Reserve) and supplemental feedstuff given to captive panda at SWARC. We found 13 congeners of PBDEs in fecal samples, of which BDE47, BDE66, BDE71, BDE99, and BDE154 were the dominant, total PBDE concentration in feces of captive pandas was 255% higher than in wild pandas. We found nine PBDEs congeners in blood samples: BDE153 and BDE183 were the predominant congers. PBDEs in blood from captive pandas were significantly higher than in wild pandas. The total concentration of PBDEs were 5473 and 4835 (pg.g) in Fargesia qinlingensis, were 2192 and 1414 (pg.g) in Bashannia fargesii (2192, 1414 pg g), 0.066, 0.038 (pg/ml) in drinking water, and 28.8 (pg.g) in supplemental feedstuff for captive and wild pandas, which indicate that the PBDEs came from its bamboo feed, especially from Bashannia fargesii. Our results demonstrate that BDE99 and BDE47 could be threatening the pandas’ health especially for captive panda and there are potential health risks from PBDEs for pandas. In the short term, this risk may be ameliorated by strict control of food quality. In the long term, however, reducing air, water and soil contamination so as to improve environmental quality can best reduce these risks to meet the international standard such as Stockholm Convention.

Intense biomass burning (BB) events are widespread in tropical and subtropical Asia. However, the impact of BB aerosols on the Tibetan Plateau (TP), especially on Tibetan glaciers, is poorly understood. In this study, BB signals are revealed using the specific molecular tracer levoglucosan in snow and ice samples from different Tibetan glaciers. Tibetan glaciers mainly act as receptors of BB emissions from surrounding regions. Significant differences in levoglucosan concentrations in glacier samples collected from two slopes on the same mountain range indicate that high mountains can act as natural barriers to block the transport of smoke aerosols to the TP. Levoglucosan concentrations show a decreasing trend from west to east on glaciers impacted by the Indian summer monsoon on the southern edge of the TP, while the opposite pattern was observed on glaciers under the prevailing westerlies along the northern edge. The emission sources, the controlling climate system, as well as deposition and degradation during transport determined the spatial distribution regimes of levoglucosan concentration on Tibetan glaciers.

Mining and smelting activities have contaminated the environment with trace metals (TMs) at a worldwide scale for at least two millennia. A combination of chemical approaches and active biomonitoring was performed to analyse the environmental availability and bioavailability of TM palaeo-pollution in a former PbAg mining district in the Vosges Mountains, France. Along a soil TM contamination gradient that covered eight stations, including two archaeological mining sites, the toxicokinetics of six TMs (Pb, Cd, As, Ag, Co, Sb) in the snail Cantareus aspersus revealed that palaeo-pollution from the studied sites remains bioavailable. This study provides the first data on the accumulation kinetics of Ag and Co for C. aspersus. The environmental availability of the TMs was estimated with three chemical extraction methods (aqua regia, EDTA 50 mM, CaCl2 10 mM). Univariate regression analyses showed that EDTA extraction is the best method for estimating the bioavailability of Pb, As, Ag, Co and Sb to snails. None of the three extractants was efficient for Cd. A multivariate analysis of bioaccumulation data revealed that TM bioavailability and transfer were modulated by exposure sources (soil, humus and vegetation) rather than by soil physico-chemical characteristics. Hence, although the deposition of mining wastes dates back several centuries, these wastes still represent a source of contamination that must be considered to develop relevant site management and environmental risk assessment.

We collected O- and A-horizon soil samples in 26 Chinese mountainous forests to investigate the content, spatial pattern, and potential sources of polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs). Spatial patterns were influenced mainly by the approximation to sources and soil organic contents. High concentrations often occurred close to populated or industrialized areas. Combustion-related activities contributed to PCN pollution. Relatively high proportions of CN-73 in northern China may be attributed to coke consumption, while CN-51 could be an indicator of biomass burning in Southwest China. There are evidences that PCNs may largely derived from unintentional production. If uncontrolled, UP-PCN (unintentionally produced PCNs) emissions could increase with industrial development. The abnormally high concentrations at Gongga and Changbai Mountains appear to be associated with the high efficient of forest filter of atmospheric contaminants at these densely forested sites. We question whether this is caused by ecotones between forests, and raise additional questions for future analyses.

Tree-ring width of Picea abies was studied along an altitudinal gradient in the Harz Mountains, Germany, in an area heavily affected by SO₂-related forest decline in the second half of the 20th century. Spruce trees of exposed high-elevation forests had earlier been shown to have reduced radial growth at high atmospheric SO₂ levels. After the recent reduction of the SO₂ load due to clean air acts, we tested the hypothesis that stem growth recovered rapidly from the SO₂ impact. Our results from two formerly damaged high-elevation spruce stands support this hypothesis suggesting that the former SO₂-related spruce decline was primarily due to foliar damage and not to soil acidification, as the deacidification of the (still acidic) soil would cause a slow growth response. Increasing temperatures and deposited N accumulated in the topsoil are likely additional growth-promoting factors of spruce at high elevations after the shortfall of SO₂ pollution.

The present study deals with the application of the self-organizing map (SOM) technique in the exploration of spatiotemporal dynamics of spring and stream water samples collected in the Chochołowski Stream Basin located in the Tatra Mountains (Poland). The SOM-based classification helped to uncover relationships between physical and chemical parameters of water samples and factors determining the quality of water in the studied high-mountain area. In the upper part of the Chochołowski Stream Basin, located on the top of the crystalline core of the Tatras, concentrations of the majority of ionic substances were the lowest due to limited leaching. Significantly higher concentration of ionic substances was detected in spring and stream samples draining sedimentary rocks. The influence of karst-type springs on the quality of stream water was also demonstrated.

Detailed soil screening data from the Czech Republic as a typical Central European country are presented here. Determination of a wide selection of organic and inorganic pollutants as well as an assessment of specific soil parameters allowed us to study the soil contamination in relation to the land use and soil properties. While HCHs and HCB were found at highest levels in arable soils, the higher concentrations of PCDDs/Fs, PCBs, PAHs and DDTs were observed in high altitude forest soils. Concentrations of these compounds strongly correlated with the soil organic carbon content. Several possible reasons have been suggested for the observed higher concentrations in mountain forest soils but the impact of each of these influencing factors remains to be identified. An inventory of the soil contamination is needed as a first step in our effort to estimate an extent to which the secondary sources contribute to the enhanced atmospheric levels of POPs. Due to its large retention capacity for hydrophobic compounds, carbon-rich mountain soil showed higher concentrations for several persistent organic pollutants.