Arctic Pollution Issues 2014: Trends in Persistent Organic Pollutants, Radioactivity, and Human Health in the Arctic - Policy-makers Summary.

Abstract

"The Arctic remains one of the least polluted areas of wilderness on the planet. Limited human development in the region means that local sources of anthropogenic pollution are also limited. Nonetheless, its unique geographical, climatic and biological characteristics mean that the Arctic is a ‘sink’ for certain pollutants transported into the region from distant sources, and pollutants from local sources with similar properties also tend to persist in the environment for long periods due to low temperatures and low biological activity. The region is a focus for major atmospheric, riverine and marine pathways that carry contaminants over long distances. These forms of long-range transport include strong south- to-north airflows, northward-flowing Arctic rivers which can lead to local and regional dispersal of contaminants, and ice and ocean currents that can store and transport pollution. It was to monitor such pollution that the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) was established in 1991. Since then, AMAP has carried out a number of assessments of the extent and effects of pollution in the region." /.../