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Polar regions should be given greater consideration with respect to the monitoring, risk assessment, and management of potentially harmful chemicals, consistent with requirements of the precautionary principle. Protecting the vulnerable polar environments requires (i) raising political and public awareness and (ii) restricting and preventing global emissions of harmful chemicals at their sources. The Berlin Statement is the outcome of an international workshop with representatives of the European Commission, the Arctic Council, the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), environmental specimen banks, and data centers, as well as scientists from various international research institutions. The statement addresses urgent chemical pollution issues in the polar regions and provides recommendations for improving screening, monitoring, risk assessment, research cooperation, and open data sharing to provide environmental policy makers and chemicals management decision-makers with relevant and reliable contaminant data to better protect the polar environments. The consensus reached at the workshop can be summarized in just two words: "Act now!" Specifically, "Act now!" to reduce the presence and impact of anthropogenic chemical pollution in polar regions by. •Establishing participatory co-development frameworks in a permanent multi-disciplinary platform for Arctic-Antarctic collaborations and establishing exchanges between the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP) of the Arctic Council and the Antarctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AnMAP) of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) to increase the visibility and exchange of contaminant data and to support the development of harmonized monitoring programs. •Integrating environmental specimen banking, innovative screening approaches and archiving systems, to provide opportunities for improved assessment of contaminants to protect polar regions., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The presence of numerous emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) and remobilization of legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in polar regions have become significant concerns of the scientific communities, public groups and stakeholders. This work reviews the occurrences of EOCs and POPs and their long-range environmental transport (LRET) processes via atmosphere and ocean currents from continental sources to polar regions. Concentrations of classic POPs have been systematically monitored in air at several Arctic stations and showed seasonal variations and declining trends. These chemicals were also the major POPs reported in the Antarctica, while their concentrations were lower than those in the Arctic, illustrating the combination of remoteness and lack of potential local sources for the Antarctica. EOCs were investigated in air, water, snow, ice and organisms in the Arctic. Data in the Antarctica are rare. Reemission of legacy POPs and EOCs accumulated in glaciers, sea ice and snow may alter the concentrations and amplify their effects in polar regions. Thus, future research will need to understand the various biogeochemical and geophysical processes under climate change and anthropogenic pressures., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are synthetic chemicals with a variety of industrial and consumer applications that are now widely distributed in the global environment. Here, we report the measurement of six perfluorocarboxylates (PFCA, C 4 -C 9 ) in a firn (granular compressed snow) core collected from a non-coastal, high-altitude site in Dronning Maud Land in Eastern Antarctica. Snow accumulation of the extracted core dated from 1958 to 2017, a period coinciding with the advent, use, and geographical shift in the global industrial production of poly/perfluoroalkylated substances, including PFAA. We observed increasing PFCA accumulation in snow over this time period, with chemical fluxes peaking in 2009-2013 for perfluorooctanoate (PFOA, C 8 ) and nonanoate (PFNA, C 9 ) with little evidence of a decline in these chemicals despite supposed recent global curtailments in their production. In contrast, the levels of perfluorobutanoate (PFBA, C 4 ) increased markedly since 2000, with the highest fluxes in the uppermost snow layers. These findings are consistent with those previously made in the Arctic and can be attributed to chlorofluorocarbon replacements (e.g., hydrofluoroethers) as an inadvertent consequence of global regulation.

Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are contaminants of emerging Arctic concern and are present in the marine environments of the polar regions. Their input to and fate within the marine cryosphere are poorly understood. We conducted a series of laboratory experiments to investigate the uptake, distribution, and release of 10 PFAS of varying carbon chain length (C 4 -C 12 ) in young sea ice grown from artificial seawater (NaClsolution). We show that PFAS are incorporated into bulk sea ice during ice formation and regression analyses for individual PFAS concentrations in bulk sea ice were linearly related to salinity ( r 2 = 0.30 to 0.88, n = 18, p < 0.05). This shows that their distribution is strongly governed by the presence and dynamics of brine (high salinity water) within the sea ice. Furthermore, long-chain PFAS (C 8 -C 12 ), were enriched in bulk ice up to 3-fold more than short-chain PFAS (C 4 -C 7 ) and NaCl. This suggests that chemical partitioning of PFAS between the different phases of sea ice also plays a role in their uptake during its formation. During sea ice melt, initial meltwater fractions were highly saline and predominantly contained short-chain PFAS, whereas the later, fresher meltwater fractions predominantly contained long-chain PFAS. Our results demonstrate that in highly saline parts of sea ice (near the upper and lower interfaces and in brine channels) significant chemical enrichment (ε) of PFAS can occur with concentrations in brine channels greatly exceeding those in seawater from which it forms (e.g., for PFOA, ε brine = 10 ± 4). This observation has implications for biological exposure to PFAS present in brine channels, a common feature of first-year sea ice which is the dominant ice type in a warming Arctic.

The spatial distribution of 29 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in seawater was investigated along a sampling transect from Europe to the Arctic and two transects within Fram Strait, located between Greenland and Svalbard, in the summer of 2018. Hexafluoropropylene oxide-dimer acid (HFPO-DA), a replacement compound for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), was detected in Arctic seawater for the first time. This provides evidence for its long-range transport to remote areas. The total PFAS concentration was significantly enriched in the cold, low-salinity surface water exiting the Arctic compared to warmer, higher-salinity water from the North Atlantic entering the Arctic (260 ± 20 pg/L versus 190 ± 10 pg/L). The higher ratio of perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) to perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) in outflowing water from the Arctic suggests a higher contribution of atmospheric sources compared to ocean circulation. An east-west cross section of the Fram Strait, which included seven depth profiles, revealed higher PFAS concentrations in the surface water layer than in intermediate waters and a negligible intrusion into deep waters (>1000 m). Mass transport estimates indicated a net inflow of PFASs with ≥8 perfluorinated carbons via the boundary currents and a net outflow of shorter-chain homologues. We hypothesize that this reflects higher contributions from atmospheric sources to the Arctic outflow and a higher retention of the long-chain compounds in melting snow and ice.

The global distribution and long-range transport of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were investigated using seawater samples collected from the Greenland Sea, East Atlantic Ocean and the Southern Ocean in 2009-2010. Elevated levels of ΣPFASs were detected in the North Atlantic Ocean with the concentrations ranging from 130 to 650 pg/L. In the Greenland Sea, the ΣPFASs concentrations ranged from 45 to 280 pg/L, and five most frequently detected compounds were perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorohexanesulfonate (PFHxS), perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS). PFOA (15 pg/L) and PFOS (25-45 pg/L) were occasionally found in the Southern Ocean. In the Atlantic Ocean, the ΣPFASs concentration decreased from 2007 to 2010. The elevated PFOA level that resulted from melting snow and ice in Greenland Sea implies that the Arctic may have been driven by climate change and turned to be a source of PFASs for the marine ecosystem., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Neutral polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFASs) were measured in high-volume air samples collected on board the research vessel Snow Dragon during the 4th Chinese National Arctic Expedition from the Japan Sea to the Arctic Ocean in 2010. Four volatile and semi-volatile PFASs (fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs), fluorotelomer acids (FTAs), perfluoroalkyl sulfonamides (FASAs), and sulfonamidoethanols (FASEs)) were analyzed respectively in the gas and particle phases. FTOHs were the dominant PFASs in the gas phase (61-358pgm(-3)), followed by FTAs (5.2-47.9pgm(-3)), FASEs (1.9-15.0pgm(-3)), and FASAs (0.5-2.1pgm(-3)). In the particle phase, the dominant PFAS class was FTOHs (1.0-9.9pgm(-3)). The particle-associated fraction followed the general trend of FASEs>FASAs>FTOHs. Compared with other atmospheric PFAS measurements, the ranges of concentrations of ∑FTOH in this study were similar to those reported from Toronto, north America (urban), the northeast Atlantic Ocean, and northern Germany. Significant correlations between FASEs in the gas phase and ambient air temperature indicate that cold surfaces such as sea-ice, snowpack, and surface seawater influence atmospheric FASEs., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) were determined in 22 surface water samples (39-76°N) and three sea ice core and snow samples (77-87°N) collected from North Pacific to the Arctic Ocean during the fourth Chinese Arctic Expedition in 2010. Geographically, the average concentration of ∑PFC in surface water samples were 560 ± 170 pg L(-1) for the Northwest Pacific Ocean, 500 ± 170 pg L(-1) for the Arctic Ocean, and 340 ± 130 pg L(-1) for the Bering Sea, respectively. The perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs) were the dominant PFC class in the water samples, however, the spatial pattern of PFCs varied. The C(5), C(7) and C(8) PFCAs (i.e., perfluoropentanoate (PFPA), perfluoroheptanoate (PFHpA), and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA)) were the dominant PFCs in the Northwest Pacific Ocean while in the Bering Sea the PFPA dominated. The changing in the pattern and concentrations in Pacific Ocean indicate that the PFCs in surface water were influenced by sources from the East-Asian (such as Japan and China) and North American coast, and dilution effect during their transport to the Arctic. The presence of PFCs in the snow and ice core samples indicates an atmospheric deposition of PFCs in the Arctic. The elevated PFC concentration in the Arctic Ocean shows that the ice melting had an impact on the PFC levels and distribution. In addition, the C(4) and C(5) PFCAs (i.e., perfluorobutanoate (PFBA), PFPA) became the dominant PFCs in the Arctic Ocean indicating that PFBA is a marker for sea ice melting as the source of exposure.

Surface seawater and marine boundary layer air samples were collected on the ice-breaker R/V Xuelong (Snow Dragon) from the East China Sea to the high Arctic (33.23-84.5° N) in July to September 2010 and have been analyzed for six current-use pesticides (CUPs): trifluralin, endosulfan, chlorothalonil, chlorpyrifos, dacthal, and dicofol. In all oceanic air samples, the six CUPs were detected, showing highest level (>100 pg/m(3)) in the Sea of Japan. Gaseous CUPs basically decreased from East Asia (between 36.6 and 45.1° N) toward Bering and Chukchi Seas. The dissolved CUPs in ocean water ranged widely from

Marine boundary layer air and seawater samples taken during a polar expedition cruise from East China Sea to the Arctic were analyzed in order to compare the occurrence, distribution, and fate of the banned polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) with their brominated alternatives as well as the chlorinated Dechloranes. The sum of PBDEs (∑(10)PBDEs) in the atmosphere ranged from 0.07 to 8.1 pg m(-3) with BDE-209 being the dominating congener and from not detected (n.d.) to 0.6 pg L(-1) in seawater. Alternate brominated flame retardants (BFRs), especially hexabromobenzene (HBB), (2,3-dibromopropyl-2,4,6-tribromophenyl ether (DPTE), pentabromotoluene (PBT), 2-ethylhexyl 2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate (EHTBB), bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-tetrabromophthalate (TBPH), were detected in higher concentrations than PBDEs, even in the high Arctic (0.6 to 15.4 pg m(-3) for sum of alternate BFRs), indicating the change of PBDEs toward alternate BFRs in the environmental predominance. In addition, Dechlorane Plus (DP) as well as Dechlorane 602, 603, and 604 were detected both in the atmosphere and in seawater. The highest concentrations as well as the highest compound variability were observed in East Asian samples suggesting the Asian continent as source of these compounds in the marine environment. The air-seawater exchange indicates strong deposition, especially of alternate BFRs, as well as dry particle-bound deposition of BDE-209 into the ocean.

Dechlorane Plus (DP), a highly chlorinated flame retardant, was investigated in marine boundary layer air and surface seawater from East Greenland Sea and in the Northern and Southern Atlantic toward Antarctica. The concentrations of DP ranged from 0.05 to 4.2 pg m(-3) in the atmosphere and from

Synthetic polycyclic musk fragrances Galaxolide (HHCB) and Tonalide (AHTN) were measured simultaneously in air and seawater in the Arctic and the North Sea and in the rural air of northern Germany. Median concentrations of gas-phase HHCB and AHTN were 4 and 18 pg m(-3) in the Arctic, 28 and 18 pg m(-3) in the North Sea, and 71 and 21 pg m(-3) in northern Germany, respectively. Various ratios of HHCB/AHTN implied that HHCB is quickly removed by atmospheric degradation, while AHTN is relatively persistent in the atmosphere. Dissolved concentrations ranged from 12 to 2030 pg L(-1) for HHCB and from below the method detection limit (3 pg L(-1)) to 965 pg L(-1) for AHTN with median values of 59 and 23 pg L(-1), respectively. The medians of volatilization fluxes for HHCB and AHTN were 27.2 and 14.2 ng m(-2) day(-1) and the depositional fluxes were 5.9 and 3.3 ng m(-2) day(-1), respectively, indicating water-to-air volatilization is a significant process to eliminate HHCB and AHTN from the North Sea. In the Arctic, deposition fluxes dominated the air-sea gas exchange of HHCB and AHTN, suggesting atmospheric input controls the levels of HHCB and AHTN in the polar region.

Air and seawater samples were taken simultaneously to investigate the distribution and air-sea gas exchange of phthalates in the Arctic onboard the German Research Ship FS Polarstern. Samples were collected on expeditions ARK XX1&2 from the North Sea to the high Arctic (60 degrees N-85 degrees N) in the summer of 2004. The concentration of sigma6 phthalates (dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-i-butyl phthalate (DiBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), butylbenzyl phthalate (BBP), and diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP)) ranged from 30 to 5030 pg L(-1) in the aqueous dissolved phase and from 1110 to 3090 pg m(-3) in the atmospheric gas phase. A decreasing latitudinal trend was present in the seawater and to a lesser degree in the atmosphere from the Norwegian coast to the high Arctic. Overall, deposition dominated the air-sea gas exchange for DEHP, while volatilization from seawater took place in the near-coast environment. The estimated net gas deposition of DEHP was 5, 30, and 190 t year(-1) for the Norwegian Sea, the Greenland Sea, and the Arctic, respectively. This suggests that atmospheric transport and deposition of phthalates is a significant process for their occurrence in the remote Atlantic and Arctic Ocean.