peer reviewed | The northern fulmar Fulmarus glacialis ingests a larger number of (micro)plastics than many other seabirds due to its feeding habits and gut morphology. Since 2002, they are bioindicators of marine plastics in the North Sea region, and data are needed to extend the programme to other parts of their distribution areas, such as the Arctic. In this study, we provide data on ingested plastics by fulmars collected in 1997 in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard. An extraction protocol with KOH was used and for half of the birds, the gizzard and the proventricular contents were analysed separately. Ninety-one percent of the birds had ingested at least one piece of plastic with an average of 10.3 (±11.9 SD) pieces. The gizzards contained significantly more plastics than the proventriculus. Hard fragments and polyethylene were the most common characteristics. Twelve percent of the birds exceeded the EcoQO value of 0.1 g.

peer reviewed | Monitoring plastic ingestion by marine wildlife is important for both characterizing the extent of plastic pollution in the environment and understanding its effect on species and ecosystems. Current methods to detect plastic in the digestive system of animals are slow and invasive, such that the number of animals that can be screened is limited. In this article, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is investigated as a possible technology to perform rapid, non-invasive detection of plastic ingestion. Standard MRI methods were able to directly measure one type of plastic in a fulmar stomach and another type was able to be indirectly detected. In addition to MRI, other standard nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements were made. Different types of plastic were tested, and distinctive NMR signal characteristics were found in common for each type, allowing them to be distinguished from one another. The NMR results indicate specialized MRI sequences could be used to directly image several types of plastic. Although current commercial MRI technology is not suitable for field use, existing single-sided MRI research systems could be adapted for use outside the laboratory and become an important tool for future monitoring of wild animals.

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.

Sediment samples from 53 stations of the southwestern Chukchi sea were investigated to the spatial distributions and assess the state of trace metals contamination using ecological indices. The mean concentrations (mg kg⁻¹) in sediments were: Cr (70.5), Ni (41.0), Cu (16.5), Zn (82.7), As (15.90), Cd (0.27), Pb (15.96), Hg (32.0 μg kg⁻¹). The spatial distribution pattern of trace metals was similar with maximum values in the northern of the Chukchi Sea in the outer shelf sediments, while the high values of Cd were noted at stations located in the southern part of the sea where a strong influence of the Pacific waters penetrating through the Bering Strait. The ecological indices indicated no signs of anthropogenic pollution in the study sediments of the Chukchi Sea. Received data are of value for detecting and tracking future chemical changes in the sediments of the Chukchi sea, particularly in light of environmental changes.

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.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are among the main persistent organic pollutants in the Arcticwhich enter the polar region from lower latitudes by air transport and ocean currents and accumulate in marine sediments. This work represents the first study in 25 years of the least studied and hard-to-reach areas of Siberian arctic seas. Sixteen priority PAHs as well as 1- and 2-methylnaphthalenes were analyzed by gas chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry in the twenty-four sediment samples taken from Kara, Laptev and East Siberian Seas in October 2020. The obtained sum concentrations ranged from 31 to 223 ng/ g with the greatest contribution of phenanthrene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, as well as naphthalene and its methyl derivatives while the greatest PAH levels were observed in Laptev Sea. No correlations between sum PAH concentration, total organic carbon and black carbon contents were found. The toxic equivalent in benzo[a]pyrene units was from 2.2–18.2 ng/ g that shows the general safe environmental situation in the region. The overall PAH level is comparable with the data obtained in 1990s which indicates a long-term persistence of pollution despite an overall decline in global PAH emissions. The main sources of PAHs involve mainly coal/biomass and liquid fuel combustion with weaker contribution of petroleum sources.