HR: 0800h
AN: A21C-0887    [Abstracts]
TI: Photochemical Degradation of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Snow and Ice
AU: * Greis, V M
EM: virginia.greis@villanova.edu
AF: Villanova University, Dept. of Chemistry 800 Lancaster Ave., Villanova, PA 19085 United States
AU: Mahanna, K M
EM: kendell.mahanna@villanova.edu
AF: Villanova University, Dept. of Chemistry 800 Lancaster Ave., Villanova, PA 19085 United States
AU: Grannas, A M
EM: amanda.grannas@villanova.edu
AF: Villanova University, Dept. of Chemistry 800 Lancaster Ave., Villanova, PA 19085 United States
AB: The frozen surfaces of polar regions are highly reactive. The Arctic snowpack has been shown to play an important role in processing atmospheric species such as mercury, molecular halogens, organics and ozone. Several recent studies have demonstrated photochemical transformations of anthropogenic organic contaminants in ice. Unfortunately, information on transformations of organic contaminants in snow and ice is currently limited. It is important to gain a better understanding of the photochemical processes that occur, as well as identify the products of degradation, in order to assess the possible ecosystem-wide implications of pollutant degradation (i.e. generation of products more toxic than the original pollutant). With a better grasp of the photochemical processes of anthropogenic organic pollutants, an improved understanding of their effects on the environment can be obtained. In our research, we investigated both direct and indirect photodegradation of several persistent organic pollutants of concern to the Arctic environment, including aldrin, dieldrin, PCBs and hexachlorobenzene. Reactivity in both ice and liquid samples was assessed. We found selective degradation in the samples, with some of the pollutants exhibiting greater degradation in liquid samples, while others showed greater degradation in the ice samples. The methods and results of these experiments will be discussed.
DE: 0317 Chemical kinetic and photochemical properties
DE: 0345 Pollution: urban and regional (0305, 0478, 4251)
DE: 0736 Snow (1827, 1863)
DE: 0738 Ice (1863)
SC: Atmospheric Sciences [A]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005