Sunscreen agents detected in Arctic snow samples for the first time

The remnants of personal care products, including sunscreen, are being detected in snow, according to a global team of scientists. The presence of such substances was evidenced in the glaciers of the Svalbard archipelago, indicating the far-reaching effects of daily-use products in secluded Arctic regions. The researchers conducted an analysis of the contaminant concentration built up over the Arctic winter. Samples of snow were collected from five glaciers on the Brggerhalvya peninsula during April and May 2021. The study locations comprised of areas near human settlements and more isolated, far-off regions. The examined samples were tested for the presence of potential contaminants, with a focus on substances currently in use but under extensive research due to their potential environmental impact. The study, featuring polar sciences Ph.D. student Marianna D'Amico of Ca' Foscari University of Venice as its lead author, discovered several contaminants, including Benzophenone 3, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, and Ethylhexyl Salicylate, in Arctic snow for the first time. It was announced that the dispersion of certain contaminants altered with elevation, being found in higher quantities at lower altitudes. However, Octocrylene and Benzophenone 3, two UV filters from sunscreens, were an exception, being found in higher concentrations at the peaks of glaciers. This suggests that these substances probably moved from lower to higher latitudes due to air movements. According to Marco Vecchiato, an analytical chemistry researcher at Ca' Foscari and co-author of the paper, distant air pollution can be responsible for the presence of such contaminants in remote areas, with the highest levels detected in winter. These findings are pivotal for ongoing monitoring programs aiming at the protection of local ecosystems. Identified contaminants might damage the health of marine lifeforms, due to alterations in the endocrine and hormone systems. The research was conducted jointly by researchers from Ca' Foscari University of Venice and the Institute of Polar Sciences — National Research Council of Italy (CNR ISP), in collaboration with the University Center in Svalbard (UNIS). The study has been published in a scientific journal. The investigation focused on a selection of personal care products, including UV filters, fragrance ingredients, BHT, and BPA, to examine their spread in the snowpack on northwestern Spitsbergen and their potential effects on the Arctic environment. Gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (GC–MS/MS) was used for experimental analyses, which were complemented by data from the HYSPLIT transport and dispersion model. The study reported finding all selected compounds in the snow, close to and far from the research village of Ny Ålesund. This is the first report of the presence of some of these chemicals in Svalbard's snow. Their dispersal is affected by their phase transition behaviors between particulate and dissolved states.