Novel Flame Retardants and Current Use Pesticides in Arctic Ecosystems

Semi-volatile organic contaminants are anthropogenic compounds that pose health risks to humans and ecosystems and are able to undergo long range transport in our atmosphere. When SVOCs are persistent in the environment they reach remote areas thousands of miles from their sources, including polar regions. SVOCs include many compounds which have been banned due to their toxic effects and environmental persistence including polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and dichlordiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT). Chemical manufacturers have responded with new and structurally similar compounds to accomplish the same tasks. The environmental fate of these new compounds, particularly in remote ecosystems, has received little attention relative to their chemical predecessors. This talk will summarize my ongoing research in the Alaskan Arctic quantifying seasonal concentrations of novel brominated flame retardants and current use pesticides in air and water. Since results from this work have not yet been generated, this talk will focus on my hypotheses, study design, and development of sampling and laboratory methods. (Plus lots of pretty pictures!)