Delivery of unprecedented amounts of perfluoroalkyl substances towards the deep-sea.
The finding of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in particles sinking to the deep northwestern Mediterranean Sea confirms the role of the latter as ballast for the transfer of pollutants to the deep sea. The transfer of particulate matter down to the deep is enhanced during atmosphere-driven, high-energy physical oceanographic processes like dense shelf water cascading (DSWC), which is caused by winter surface heat losses and evaporation. Here we present data from samples collected during winter 2012, when dense shelf water formation and subsequent cascading triggered the flushing of large amounts of PFASs through a submarine canyon to depths in excess of 1000 m. The finding of quantifiable concentrations of long-chain PFOA, PFOS and PFNA substances and significantly high concentrations of the short-chain substances PFHxA and PFBA indicates that these compounds, sorbed onto particulate matter, are quickly and directly transferred to the ocean's interior, thus highlighting the role of DSWC in removing those pollutants from the coastal ocean. Eventually, uncertainties about our results arising from the limited number of samples available are counterbalanced by their intrinsic value as intense DSWC events, like the one in 2012, occur only every 5-7 years in the study area, which seriously restricts sampling opportunities. Our results add PFASs to the list of persistent organic pollutants like polychlorinated biphenyls, chlorobenzenes or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons known to be conveyed to the deep marine environment.
GRC Geociències Marines, Departament d'Estratigrafia, Paleontologia i Geociències Marines, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address: anna.sanchez@ub.edu.
Anna
A
Sanchez-Vidal
Departament de Química Ambiental, Institut de Diagnosi Ambiental i Estudis de l'Aigua (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
Marta
M
Llorca
Departament de Química Ambiental, Institut de Diagnosi Ambiental i Estudis de l'Aigua (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
Marinella
M
Farré
GRC Geociències Marines, Departament d'Estratigrafia, Paleontologia i Geociències Marines, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
Miquel
M
Canals
Departament de Química Ambiental, Institut de Diagnosi Ambiental i Estudis de l'Aigua (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.
Damià
D
Barceló
Institut de Ciències del Mar (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Maritim de la Barceloneta 37-49, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
Pere
P
Puig
GRC Geociències Marines, Departament d'Estratigrafia, Paleontologia i Geociències Marines, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
Antoni
A
Calafat
D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
D005466:Fluorocarbons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
Deep sea; Dense shelf water cascading; Perfluoroalkyl substances; Settling particles