TY - JOUR

T1 - Polyfluoroalkyl compounds in the East Greenland Arctic Ocean

AU - Busch, Jan

AU - Ahrens, Lutz

AU - Xie, Zhiyong

AU - Sturm, Renate

AU - Ebinghaus, Ralf

PY - 2010

Y1 - 2010

N2 - Polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) can be found ubiquitously in the marine environment. The transport of PFCs to remote locations is assumed to be by direct transport via oceanic water currents or indirectly via atmospheric transport of volatile precursor compounds. This study investigates the influence of ocean currents and atmospheric transport to the East Greenland Arctic Ocean (67.5-80.4° N). In this study, 38 water samples were collected in the Arctic summer in 2009 and analyzed by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). Concentrations of three PFC classes could be quantified (i.e., perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs), perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFSAs) and perfluoroalkyl sulfonamides) predominantly in a low pg L -1 range. Dominating compounds were PFOSA and PFOA with mean concentrations of 61 pg L -1 and 51 pg L -1, respectively. Statistically significant higher concentrations for PFOSA and PFHxA in the samples taken north of 75° N indicate an atmospheric influence on the concentrations found in the water samples. Significant differences in concentrations of PFHxS, PFHxA, PFHpA and PFOA for samples taken in coastal areas indicate an influence from the Greenlandic mainland.

AB - Polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) can be found ubiquitously in the marine environment. The transport of PFCs to remote locations is assumed to be by direct transport via oceanic water currents or indirectly via atmospheric transport of volatile precursor compounds. This study investigates the influence of ocean currents and atmospheric transport to the East Greenland Arctic Ocean (67.5-80.4° N). In this study, 38 water samples were collected in the Arctic summer in 2009 and analyzed by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). Concentrations of three PFC classes could be quantified (i.e., perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs), perfluoroalkyl sulfonates (PFSAs) and perfluoroalkyl sulfonamides) predominantly in a low pg L -1 range. Dominating compounds were PFOSA and PFOA with mean concentrations of 61 pg L -1 and 51 pg L -1, respectively. Statistically significant higher concentrations for PFOSA and PFHxA in the samples taken north of 75° N indicate an atmospheric influence on the concentrations found in the water samples. Significant differences in concentrations of PFHxS, PFHxA, PFHpA and PFOA for samples taken in coastal areas indicate an influence from the Greenlandic mainland.

KW - Chemistry

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77953465521&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1039/c002242j

DO - 10.1039/c002242j

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 20458402

VL - 12

SP - 1242

EP - 1246

JO - Environmental Sciences: Processes & Impacts

JF - Environmental Sciences: Processes & Impacts

SN - 2050-7887

IS - 6

ER -