title: Emerging investigator series: a 14-year depositional ice record of perfluoroalkyl substances in the High Arctic.
abstract: To improve understanding of long-range transport of perfluoroalkyl substances to the High Arctic, samples were collected from a snow pit on the Devon Ice Cap in spring 2008. Snow was analyzed for perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs), including perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs), as well as perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA). PFAAs were detected in all samples dated from 1993 to 2007. PFAA fluxes ranged from <1 to hundreds of ng per m2per year. Flux ratios of even-odd PFCA homologues were mostly between 0.5 and 2, corresponding to molar ratios expected from atmospheric oxidation of fluorotelomer compounds. Concentrations of perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) were much higher than other PFCAs, suggesting PFBA loading on the Devon Ice Cap is influenced by additional sources, such as the oxidation of heat transfer fluids. All PFCA fluxes increased with time, while PFSA fluxes generally decreased with time. No correlations were observed between PFAAs and the marine aerosol tracer, sodium. Perfluoro-4-ethylcyclohexanesulfonate (PFECHS) was detected for the first time in an atmospherically - derived sample, and its presence may be attributed to aircraft hydraulic system leakage. Observations of PFAAs from these samples provide further evidence that atmospheric oxidation of volatile precursors is an important source of PFAAs to the Arctic environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 3X7. cora.young@mun.ca.
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: MacInnis
authors.affiliation: Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON, Canada L7S 1A1. amila.desilva@canada.ca.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: French
authors.affiliation: Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON, Canada L7S 1A1. amila.desilva@canada.ca.
authors.forename: Derek C G
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Muir
authors.affiliation: Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON, Canada L7S 1A1. amila.desilva@canada.ca.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 1N4.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8741-709X
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Criscitiello
authors.affiliation: Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON, Canada L7S 1A1. amila.desilva@canada.ca.
authors.forename: Amila O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: De Silva
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Memorial University, St. John's, NL, Canada A1B 3X7. cora.young@mun.ca.
authors.forename: Cora J
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6908-5829
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D001110:Arctic Regions; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D007053:Ice / Q000032:analysis; D020957:Nunavut; D012914:Snow / Q000737:chemistry*; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000032:analysis; D013451:Sulfonic Acids / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D002264:Carboxylic Acids; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D007053:Ice; D013449:Sulfonamides; D013451:Sulfonic Acids; C569427:perfluoroethylcyclohexanesulfonic acid; C033094:perfluorobutyric acid; C063900:perfluorooctanesulfonamide