Project

Contaminants in Polar Regions: Dynamic range of contaminants in polar marine ecosystems (COPOL) is an international project aiming to study and compare uptake and transfer of contaminants in food webs representing different water masses (Arctic and Atlantic). The projects is organised in four work packages (WPs).

WP1 — by Katrine Borgå — last modified 2007-01-28 19:18

Uptake and dynamics of POPs and Hg in benthic and pelagic food webs. The scope of WP1 is to identify the range of contaminant accumulation in pelagic and benthic food webs in Arctic marine ecosystems.

WP2 — by Katrine Borgå — last modified 2007-01-28 19:19

Dynamics and effects of POPs and Hg at upper trophic levels The scope of WP2 is to assess how future environmental changes will affect the levels and effects of POPs and Hg in ringed seals and different seabird species dependent upon pelagic or benthic prey items. Sub-goal 1. Assess how levels of POPs and Hg vary in different seabird species and ringed seals during different seasons. Sub-goal 2. Assess how different effect endpoints vary in seabird species and ringed seals under varying environmental conditions.

WP3 — by Katrine Borgå — last modified 2007-01-28 19:19

Chemical analyses. The scope of WP3 is screening of the samples to select target analytes, and to provide analytical methodology for the selected analytes. Subgoal 1: To screen the first set of samples for a wide set of contaminants to select appropriate target analytes, and to identify emerging compounds of concern. Subgoal 2: Intercalibration of target analytes with other laboratories, primarily with other laboratories within the international COPOL framework.

WP4 — by Katrine Borgå — last modified 2007-01-28 19:20

Synthesis and integration. The scope of WP4 is to integrate the results for the Arctic achieved through WP1-3 in a climate change perspective. Sub-goal: Predict contaminant flux in the Arctic marine food web under different climate scenarios and assess the potential effects in avian and mammalian predators.