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Search results for: POLAR ECOSYSTEMS
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Phytoplankton communities of polar regions–Diversity depending on environmental conditions and chemical anthropopressure
PublicationThe polar regions (Arctic and Antarctic) constitute up to 14% of the biosphere and offer some of the coldest and most arid Earth's environments. Nevertheless several oxygenic phototrophs including some higher plants, mosses, lichens, various algal groups and cyanobacteria, survive that harsh climate and create the base of the trophic relationships in fragile ecosystems of polar environments. Ecosystems in polar regions are characterized...
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Bacterial presence in polar regions associated with environment modification by chemical compounds including contaminants
PublicationMicrobes are omnipresent and diverse members of all biological communities. In marine and freshwater ecosystems, microorganisms form the base of the food chain supporting higher trophic levels. Even though, microbes generally are thought to live in warm regions of Earth, many of them develop in cold climates. Polar regions remain relatively protected from widespread anthropogenic disturbances, which is a consequence of its remoteness...
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Tereny polarne - interesującym obszarem do badań Cz. II - Analityka próbek abiotycznych w Arktyce
PublicationW pracy ujęto problematykę zanieczyszczeń obszarów polarnych. Zwrócono szczególną uwagę na trwałe związki organiczne obecne w rejonie Arktyki w elementach przyrody nieożywionej. TZO pochodzenia antropogenicznego mogą pojawiać się na terenach polarnych za sprawą transportu na duże odległości z obszarów Euroazji i Ameryki Północnej. Badania poziomów zanieczyszczeń obecnych w próbkach abiotycznych na obszarze Arktyki stanowią fundament...
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Bacterial Community Structures in Freshwater Polar Environments of Svalbard
PublicationTwo thirds of Svalbard archipelago islands in the High Arctic are permanently covered with glacial ice and snow. Polar bacterial communities in the southern part of Svalbard were characterized using an amplicon sequencing approach. A total of 52,928 pyrosequencing reads were analyzed in order to reveal bacterial community structures in stream and lake surface water samples from the Fuglebekken and Revvatnet...
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Determination of selected parameters/ analytes in surface water samples collected in the surroundings of the capital of Spitsbergen (Longyearbyen)
PublicationPolar regions are extremely sensitive to pollution such as harmful gases, particles or toxic substances which affect the Arctic climate and ecosystems. Spitsbergen, as well as all Arctic region, because of its geographically distant location and lack of industry sector, should be free of chemical pollution. Despite this, many pollutants could be found in the Polar environment, for example in freshwaters. Their occurrence is related...
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Anthropopressure’s intensification with reference to Arctic ecosystems
PublicationThis paper concerns issue of long range atmospheric transport of pollutants to polar areas and intensification of their toxic effect on biota in the face of climate change. Arctic which was for years seen as a pristine and not affected by antropopressure region became a sink of xenobiotics. Atmospheric circulation facilitates transport of chemicals from Eurasia to Arctic. Influence of climate change on crucial balance of polar...
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Analytics of Surfactants in the Environment: Problems and Challenges
PublicationSurfactants (surface active agents = SAAs) are a group of compoundswith specific physicochemical properties (amphiphilicity,solubility in polar and nonpolar liquids, ability to form micelles,adsorption at phase boundaries).1,2 Because of their properties,surface-active compounds are widely applied in industry and thehousehold (e.g., in detergents, personal-care products, paints,pesticides, petroleum products). As their applications...
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Determination of Surfactants in Environmental Samples. Part III. Non-Ionic Compounds
PublicationNon-ionic surface active agents are a diverse group of chemicals which have an uncharged polar head and a non-polar tail. They have different properties due to amphiphilic structure of their molecules. Commercial available non-ionic surfactants consist of the broadest spectrum of compounds in comparison with other types of such agents. Typically, non-ionic compounds found applications in households and industry during formulation...
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Environmental characteristics of a tundra river system in Svalbard. Part 2: Chemical stress factors
PublicationBacterial communities in the Arctic environment are subject to multiple stress factors, including contaminants, although typically their concentrations are small. The Arctic contamination research has focused on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) because they are bioaccumulative, resistant to degradation and toxic for all organisms. Pollutants have entered the Arctic predominantly by atmospheric and oceanic long-range transport,...
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The interaction between bacterial abundance and selected pollutants concentration levels in an arctic catchment (southwest Spitsbergen, Svalbard)
PublicationPersistent organic pollutants (POPs) have been a topic of interest in environmental sciences for > 60 years. POPs in the Arctic have been investigated since the 1970s, when first atmospheric measurements revealed the presence of these pollutants in the polar regions. Major contaminant transport routes to the Arctic include atmospheric and oceanic transport, as well as inflow from rivers and sea ice. The sources of pollutants, such...
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DETERMINATION OF SURFACTANTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES. PART II. ANIONIC COMPOUNDS
PublicationSurfactants (SAA) with negative charge of polar group are named as anionic compounds. They are main constituent of most products containing synthetic surfactants. The linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS), alkyl ethoxysulfates (AES) and alkyl sulfates (AS) are typically applied from this class of compounds. Those surfactants are ingredients of household detergents and cleaners, laundry detergents, cosmetic. Moreover they can be...
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Glaciers as an Important Element of the World Glacier Monitoring Implemented in Svalbard
PublicationGlaciers are not only contributors to the sea level rise but also important players in the circulation of pollutants. Over a billion people apply glacial waters for domestic purposes; hence, both the quality and quantity of this water should be monitored. In this chapter, we concentrate on the archipelago Svalbard in the Arctic, a typical target area for xenobiotics from long range atmospheric transport (LRAT), holding an important share...