title: Pristine Arctic: background mapping of PAHs, PAH metabolites and inorganic trace elements in the North-Atlantic Arctic and sub-Arctic coastal environment.
abstract: As the ice cap of the Arctic diminishes due to global warming, the polar sailing route will be open larger parts of the year. These changes are likely to increase the pollution load on the pristine Arctic due to large vessel traffic from specific contaminant groups, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). A well-documented baseline for PAH concentrations in the biota in the remote regions of the Nordic Seas and the sub-Arctic is currently limited, but will be vital in order to assess future changes in PAH contamination in the region. Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) were collected from remote sites in Greenland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Norway and Sweden as well as from urban sites in the same countries for comparison. Cod (Gadus morhua) was caught north of Iceland and along the Norwegian coast. Sixteen priority PAH congeners and the inorganic trace elements arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead were analysed in the blue mussel samples as well as PAH metabolites in cod bile. Σ16PAHs ranged from 28 ng/g dry weight (d.w.) (Álftafjörður, NW Iceland) to 480 ng/g d.w. (Ísafjörður, NW Iceland). Mussel samples from Mjóifjörður, East Iceland and Maarmorilik, West Greenland, contained elevated levels of Σ16PAHs, 370 and 280 ng/g d.w., respectively. Levels of inorganic trace elements varied with highest levels of arsenic in mussels from Ísafjörður, Iceland (79 ng/g d.w.), cadmium in mussels from Mjóifjörður, Iceland (4.3 ng/g d.w.), mercury in mussels from Sørenfjorden, Norway (0.23 ng/g d.w.) and lead in mussels from Maarmorilik, Greenland (21 ng/g d.w.). 1-OH-pyrene was only found above limits of quantification (0.5 ng/mL) in samples from the Norwegian coast, ranging between 44 and 140 ng/ml bile. Generally, PAH levels were low in mussels from the remote sites investigated in the study, which indicates limited current effect on the environment.
authors.affiliation: Matis Ltd., Icelandic Food and Biotech R&D, Vinlandsleid 12, 113 Reykjavik, Iceland. Electronic address: hronn.o.jorundsdottir@matis.is.
authors.forename: Hrönn Ólína
authors.initials: HÓ
authors.lastname: Jörundsdóttir
authors.affiliation: Matis Ltd., Icelandic Food and Biotech R&D, Vinlandsleid 12, 113 Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066 Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Ketil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hylland
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066 Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Tor Fredrik
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Holth
authors.affiliation: Matis Ltd., Icelandic Food and Biotech R&D, Vinlandsleid 12, 113 Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Helga
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gunnlaugsdóttir
authors.affiliation: University of Iceland, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Askja - Natural Science Building, Sturlugata 7, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland.
authors.forename: Jörundur
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Svavarsson
authors.affiliation: The University of Iceland´s Research Centre in Sudurnes, Gardvegi 1, 245 Sandgerdi, Iceland.
authors.forename: Ásdís
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: Olafsdóttir
authors.affiliation: Matis Ltd., Icelandic Food and Biotech R&D, Vinlandsleid 12, 113 Reykjavik, Iceland.
authors.forename: Haitham
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: El-Taliawy
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rigét
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Strand
authors.affiliation: Swedish Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 50007, 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nyberg
authors.affiliation: Swedish Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 50007, 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bignert
authors.affiliation: The Faroese Environment Agency, Traðagøta 38, P.O. Box 2048, FO-165 Argir, the Faroe Islands.
authors.forename: Katrin S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Hoydal
authors.affiliation: The University of Iceland´s Research Centre in Sudurnes, Gardvegi 1, 245 Sandgerdi, Iceland.
authors.forename: Halldór Pálmar
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Halldórsson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001110:Arctic Regions; D003718:Denmark; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D007055:Iceland; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014131:Trace Elements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Atlantic cod; Bile metabolites; Blue mussels; Large vessel traffic; Marine pollution; Oil exploitation