Air, water, phytoplankton and zooplankton samples were collected on board the CCGS Amundsen in October 2011 as part of ArcticNet between Kugluktuk, NT and Quebec City, QC via Baffin Bay. The samples were analysed for legacy organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), current use pesticides (CUPs), per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and organophosphate flame retardants and plasticizers (OPs). The purpose of collecting air and water samples in the Canadian Archipelago was i) to continue the time trends of OCPs and CUPs, ii) to confirm the presence of PFAS observed in recent years and iii) establish baseline concentrations of OPs. The phytoplankton and zooplankton samples investigation will allow quantification of the above compounds in the lower food web and observe how these compounds move from the abiotic to biotic environment.
Analysis was done by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MSD) and liquid-chromatography mass spec mass spec (LC-MS/MS). Four OPs, tri-phenyl phosphate (TPP), tris-(2-chloro ethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris-(2-chloro propyl) phosphate (TCPP) and tris-(1,2-dichloro propyl) phosphate (TDCPP) were identified in air samples for the first time in Canadian Arctic air and levels are very high compared to levels of total PBDEs and other brominated flame retardants at Alert (Xiao et al., 2012). Due to these findings, archive samples from Alert and previous ArcticNet cruises were also analysed for OPs, thus establishing baseline concentrations in Canadian Arctic air in which future trends can be compared.
