Does the Forest Filter Effect Prevent Semi-volatile Organic Compounds from Reaching the Arctic?
Su, Y1, 2, Zhao, J1, Wania, F1, 2, 1 Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto at Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada2 Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada ABSTRACT- It is becoming apparent that forests play an important role in the environmental fate of many semi-volatile organic compounds (SOCs) by acting as efficient filters. However, multi-media fate models assessing an organic chemicals’ long range transport (LRT) potential generally do not include forests. In this study, forest is introduced into an existing zonally averaged global distribution fate model (Globo-POP) to reveal how this change affects a chemicals’ potential to undergo LRT and accumulate in polar regions. An immediate and a long-term Arctic Contamination Potential (ACP) are used as a quantitative measure of LRT. The immediate ACP1 is the fraction of the total amount in global surface media that is in the Arctic after one yea
