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Publication
Arctic air pollution: An overview of current knowledge

Barrie, Leonard A., 1986, Atmospheric Environment, 20, 643 | View on ADS (1986AtmEn..20..643B) | Access via DOI

Abstract

From December to April, the Arctic air mass is polluted by man-made mid-latitudinal emissions from fossil fuel combustion, smelting and industrial processes. In the rest of the year, pollution levels are much lower. This is the outcome of less efficient pollutant removal processes and better south (S) to north (N) transport during winter. In winter, the Arctic air mass covers much of Eurasia and N. America. Meteorological flow fields and the distribution of anthropogenic SO ₂ emissions in the northern hemisphere favor northern Eurasia as the main source of visibility reducing haze. Observations of SO ₄ ^2- concentrations in the atmosphere throughout the Arctic yield, depending on location and year, a January-April mean of 1.5-3.9 μg m ^-3 in the Norwegian Arctic to 1.2-2.2 μg m ^-3 in the N. American Arctic. An estimate of the mean vertical profile of fine particle aerosol mass during March and April shows that, on average, pollution is concentrated in the lower 5 km of the atmosphere. Not only are anthropogenic particles present in the Arctic atmosphere but also gases such as SO ₂, perfluorocarbons and pesticides. The acidic nature and seasonal variation of Arctic pollution is reflected in precipitation, the snowpack and glacier snow in the Arctic. A pH of 4.9-5.2 in winter and ~ 5.6 in summer is expected in the absence of calcareous wind blown soil. Glacial records indicate that Arctic air pollution has undergone a marked increase since the mid 1950s paralleling a marked increase in SO ₂ and NO _x emissions in Europe. Effects of Arctic pollution include a reduction in visibility and perturbation of the solar radiation budget in April-June. Potential effects are the acidification and toxification of sensitive ecosystems.