Mercury - Arctic Frontiers
Transcription
Mercury - Arctic Frontiers
Contaminant trends in the Canadian Arctic: Results of the recent NCP assessments on Persistent Organic Pollutants and Mercury Derek Muir1, Birgit Braune2, John Chetelat2, Jason Stow3 1Water Science & Technology Directorate, Environment Canada, Burlington ON 2Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate, Environment Canada, Ottawa ON 3Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, Winnipeg MB Northern Contaminants Program • Canada’s Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) was established in 1991 in response to concerns about chemical contamination of Arctic ecosystems • The results generated through the NCP’s research and monitoring activities are synthesized in Canadian Arctic Contaminants Assessment Reports (CACARs) A long line of assessments starting in the early 1990s 1985 1990 1995 2000 1997 CACAR I Phys & Biol & Human Health 1985 Wong INAC report 2005 2003 CACAR II Phys & Biol & Human Health 2010 2009 CACAR III Human Health 2015 2012-13 CACAR III Mercury & POPs 2014 1992 Sci Total Environ Vol 122 1999/2000 2005 2010 Sci Total Sci Total Environ Sci Total Environ Sci Total Environ Environ planned Vol 230 & 254 Vol 342 & 351/352 Vol 408 CACAR III (2013): POPs in Canada’s North Editors Derek Muir, Perihan Kurt-Karakus and Jason Stow Text and data from 47 Authors and Contributors 520 pages + 40 page Data Annex Organized by media: Properties, Fate and Transport Trends in the Physical Environment Trends in the Biological Environment Biological Effects Interlaboratory Quality Assurance for POPs CACAR III (2012): Mercury in Canada’s North Editors: John Chételat and Birgit Braune Text and data contributions from over 50 authors 280 page report, includes a data annex Chapters organized by environment Atmosphere Terrestrial Freshwater Marine Biological effects chapter Interlaboratory Quality assurance for mercury The NCP monitoring program and research related studies – 2003-2011 Alert Lake Hazen air monitoring station ringed seal Ausuittuq Beluga and narwhal Walrus Qausuittuq Burbot or lake trout Ikaahuk Landlocked char Ulukhaktuk sea run char Caribou Seabird (eggs) polar bear participating communities regional centre Tuktoyaktuk Inuvik Paulatuk Ikpiarjuk Mittimatalik Qikiqtarjuaq Pangnirtung Ikaluktutiak Yukon Ft Good Hope Igloolik Uqsuqtuuq Iqaluit Little Fox Lake Lake Laberge Kusawa Lake Whitehorse NWT Nunavut Yellowknife Lutsel k’e Fort Resolution Arviat Kinngait Kimmirut Coats Is. Nunatsiavut Kangiqsualujjuaq Kuujuak Inukjuaq Sanikiluaq Nunavik Nain Information on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) has expanded PCBs NCP I (1991-1996) NCP II (1997-2002) NCP III (2003-2011) Air, snow, sediment, seawater, biota Air, seawater, sediment, biota Air, snow, seawater, biota OC pesticides Air, snow, sediment, seawater, biota Air, seawater, sediment, biota Air, snow, biota Chlorobenzenes Air, snow, sediment, seawater, biota Air, seawater, sediment, biota Air, snow, biota Biota Air, sediment, biota Air, biota Biota Air, biota Air, sediment, biota Air, seawater, biota Sediment, biota Biota Air, seawater, biota Air, snow, seawater, sediment, biota Chlorinated dioxins/furans Chlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) Chlorinated paraffins Endosulfan Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) Air, snow, seawater, biota Other Brominated and chlorinated flame retardants Air, snow, seawater, biota Penta and hexabromobiphenyls Air, biota Current use pesticides3 Air, snow, seawater, lake water, biota Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and other perfluoro-alkyl acids and alcohols Air, snow, seawater, lake water, sediment, biota Siloxanes Air Knowledge of time trends of POPs has greatly improved Air Burbot FGH GSL KW PCBs ΣCBz ΣHCH ΣCHL ΣDDT toxaphene endosulfan SCCPs PCNs PCDD/Fs ΣPBDEs HBCDD PFOS and precursors PFCAs and precursors Lake trout LL Landlocked Seachar birds SBS GSL Hazen Amituk PLI Significant declining trend (typically > -5%/y Significant increasing trend (typically > +5%/ No significant change (typically < 3%/yr) seals LS Beluga HB SBS CS Polar bears HB Annual sampling helps to assess fast moving trends in concentrations and changing emissions of POPs 12 Northern Fulmar Thick-billed Murre 20 10 15 8 6 10 4 5 2 0 0 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 Estimated annual production of BDE-47 in North America reported by Alcock et al. (Environ. Int’l. 2003) 2010 kilotonnes Concentration (parts per billion ) Brominated flame retardant component BDE-47 is declining in eggs of thick-billed murres and northern fulmars from Prince Leopold Island, 1975-2010 following the phase out of PentaBDE (Braune NCP Synopsis Rpt 2012) Perfluorinated chemicals are declining in ringed seal liver and in seabird livers in Lancaster Sound - temporal trends coincides 50 40 PFOA production (kT) Global emissions of PFOS related cmpds (kT) 50 Ringed seals ΣPFCAs Ringed seals 40 30 30 20 20 10 10 0 0 Parts per billion 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 40 Northern Fulmar Thick-billed Murre ΣPFCAs PFOS 300 200 100 0 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 50 Northern Fulmar Thick-billed Murre PFOS 40 30 30 20 20 10 10 0 0 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 Seabirds – Braune Unpublished data; Seals: Muir and Wang unpublished; Butt et al. 2007a,b kilotonnes per year Parts per billion with phase out of PFOS and reduction in PFOA emissions High concentrations of PFOS in polar bear liver may exceed estimated no-effects concentrations for mammals Beluga Seals Sea birds Polar bears Monthly median mercury concentrations in air at Alert from 1995 to 2010: Atmospheric depletion events (AMDEs) deposit mercury during polar spring. Overall slow decline in atmospheric mercury 1995-2000 2010 2008 2006 2004 2002 2000 2000 1998 1996 Source: Sandy Steffen NCP Synopsis Report (2013) Mercury concentrations have recently increased in some Arctic biota Burbot (Lota lota) muscle THg concentration (µg g-1 ww) THg concentration (µg g-1 dw) Sea birds in Lancaster Sound Source: Birgit Braune, Environment Canada Source: Gary Stern, Fisheries and Oceans Canada No change or a decline in mercury levels in other monitored populations Landlocked char muscle Resolute Lake & Lake Hazen Caribou kidney– Porcupine herd Northern Yukon 0.40 5.0 0.30 Resolute 0.20 4.0 0.10 3.0 0.0 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 0.40 2.0 0.30 1.0 0 1985 Hazen 0.20 0.10 1990 2000 Source: Mary Gamberg, Gamberg Consulting 2005 2010 2015 0.0 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 Source: Derek Muir, Environment Canada Mercury in marine bird eggs is generally lower than concentrations expected to produce reproductive effects – except for Ivory gulls The reports are available from the Northern Contaminants Program on USB sticks Email: PLCN-NCP@aadnc-aandc.gc.ca Soon on a web site Mercury - Recommendations The report highlights unresolved knowledge gaps that are central to the issue of mercury pollution in the Canadian Arctic • Enhanced focus on measurements of atmospheric mercury deposition to better quantify atmospheric contributions to Arctic ecosystems • Characterize the key environmental processes controlling the fate of mercury after atmospheric deposition • Identify the processes changing mercury concentrations in Arctic animals • Increase efforts to determine the biological effects of MeHg exposure on Arctic fish and wildlife • Characterize climate change effects on mercury transport, cycling and bioaccumulation POPs - Recommendations • Continued monitoring of POPs in the Arctic in order to ensure that no new chemical threats are emerging • Continued annual sampling to improve statistical power particularly for newly discovered POPs • Improve our understanding of how climate change will influence POPs • Better knowledge of local contamination sources • Need to collect information on multiple ecological, biological, and physical (natural and anthropogenic) variables to assess climate change and biological effects Acknowledgements • Thanks to the many participants who contributed to the mercury and POPs assessments! • over 80 scientists (government, university, private consultants) • NCP secretariat • Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme • IPY and ArcticNet • Thanks to northern communities and Aboriginal organizations • Special thanks to Hunters and Trappers Organizations of communities in the Yukon, NWT, Nunavut, Nunavik and Nunatsiavut. • Their cooperation and active participation in the collection of biological samples made all of this work possible.