The Svalbard archipelago in arctic Norway receivesconsiderable semivolatile organic contaminant (SOC) inputs
from the atmosphere. To measure the history o
f net SOCaccumulation there, we analyzed the upper 40 m o
f an icecore
from Aust
fonna, the largest ice cap in Eurasia,
forseveral legacy organochlorine (OC) compounds and current-use pesticides (CUPs) including organophosphorus (OP),triazine, dinitroaniline, and chloroacetamide compounds. FiveOP compounds (chlorpyri
fos, terbu
fos, diazinon, methylparathion, and
fenitrothion), two OCs (methoxychlor anddieldrin), and metolachlor-an herbicide-had historicalpro
files in the core. The highest OC concentration observedwas aldrin (69.0 ng L
-1) in the sur
face sample (1992-1998). The most concentrated OP was dimethoate (87.0 ngL
-1) between 1986 and 1992. The sur
face sample alsohad highest concentrations o
f pendimethalin (herbicide,18.6 ng L
-1) and
flutria
fol, the lone observed
fungicide (9.6ng L
-1). The apparent atmospheric persistence o
f CUPslikely results
from little or no oxidation by OH
f"> during thedark polar winter and in spring. Long-range atmosphericpesticide transport to Svalbard
from Eurasia is in
fluencedby the positive state o
f the North Atlantic Oscillation Indexsince 1980 and also by occasional
fast-moving summerair masses
from northern Eurasian croplands.