POWRE: Exploratory Research to Determine the Feasibility of Using Stable Isotope Franctionation to Track the Long-Range Atmospheric Transport of Persistent Organic Pollutants

College Of William & Mary Virginia Institute Of Marine Science, Gloucester Point VA

Investigators

Abstract

Various persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are suspected of undergoing atmospheric transport to regions far removed from the area of initial release. The objective of this POWRE research project is to develop a technique for distinguishing such long-range from short-range sources of POPs, based on the fractionation of stable isotopes during transport. This project is a feasibility study using a model POP, the pesticide gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane, which is used in various low latitude source regions and has been shown to be abundant in polar regions. The approach will be to conduct a tracer release experiment using isotopically-labelled (13C and 2H) gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane in order to examine its isotopic fractionation during transport.