Variation of POP concentrations in fresh-fallen snow and air on an Alpine glacier (Monte Rosa).
To understand better the mechanisms ruling the fate of POPs (persistent organic pollutants) in cold environments, a field campaign sampling fresh-fallen snow and air on an Alpine glacier was carried out during Summer 2003. The concentrations of all analyzed chemicals in fresh-fallen snow show a sharp decrease over time, particularly for the more volatile POPs, confirming the rather limited literature evidence of a rapid decline of such substances from the snowpack and/or ice. Even if the results presented here are preliminary and should be confirmed by further studies, some evidence of the influence of a night/day cycle of temperature on POP deposition and revolatilization mechanisms has been highlighted. Finally, the role of cold condensation and long-range atmospheric transport in the contamination of higher altitudes in this Alpine system has been substantiated, particularly for OC pesticides.
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Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Milano Bicocca, Piazza della Scienza 1, I-20126, Milan, Italy. antonio.finzio@unimib.it
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D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis*; D046448:Ice Cover; D007558:Italy; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis*; D012914:Snow / Q000737:chemistry*; D014835:Volatilization
D000393:Air Pollutants; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010575:Pesticides