A team of scientists detected residues of sunscreen agents in the Arctic, with evidence particularly in the glaciers of the Svalbard archipelago. The finding demonstrates how far products containing environmentally active compounds can travel and accumulate in remote cold environments.
Researchers from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and the Institute of Polar Sciences (CNR-ISP), in collaboration with the University Center of Svalbard (UNIS), quantified the presence of these substances in the Arctic for the first time and traced possible sources. The study results appeared in the journal Total Environmental Science.
The project aimed to provide a first comprehensive overview of personal care products in the Arctic and to map their spatial and seasonal distribution within the snowpack. Sampling occurred on five glaciers along the Brøggerhalvøya peninsula between April and May 2021.
Researchers selected a range of sites, from near human settlements to remote locales, to observe how emerging contaminants—currently in use and monitored for potential environmental harm—behave across different settings. The findings show the presence of several commonly used compounds, including fragrance materials and UV filters, at high latitudes.
One of the study’s key observations is that certain contaminants, such as 3-benzophenone, octocrylene, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate and ethylhexyl salicylate, had not previously been detected in Arctic snow. The lead author, a Polar Sciences student from Ca’ Foscari, notes this novel detection in snow in the Arctic. [Source: Total Environmental Science]
Co-author Marco Vecchiato, an Analytical Chemistry researcher at Ca’ Foscari, explains that results indicate the influence of long-range atmospheric transport. The data show the highest concentrations occur in winter precipitation, when polluted air masses from Eurasia can reach the Arctic more readily. [Source: Total Environmental Science]
Further insights reveal that sunscreen-related pollutants accumulate differently with altitude. Many compounds peak at lower elevations, while octocrylene and benzophenone-3 are more abundant on the summits of glaciers, suggesting transport from lower latitudes via atmospheric circulation.
These results provide a baseline for monitoring programs in the region and help safeguard the local ecosystem. Adverse effects linked to such pollutants have already been observed in aquatic organisms, including disruptions to endocrine and hormonal functions. Some of these compounds are already regulated in various Pacific regions and are under EU investigation.
Looking ahead, measuring the re-emission of pollutants as ice melts will be essential for Arctic protection. Understanding how these substances move and accumulate in polar regions, especially under changing seasonal conditions, remains a priority for researchers. Climate change accelerates these shifts, with the Arctic warming at a noticeably faster pace than many other areas. [Source: Ca’ Foscari University of Venice; CNR-ISP; UNIS]
Reference work: DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168401.
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This area of study highlights the need for ongoing environmental vigilance and coordinated monitoring to track the transport, deposition, and potential ecological effects of sunscreen-related contaminants in polar environments. [Cited sources: Total Environmental Science; Ca’ Foscari University of Venice; CNR-ISP; UNIS]