Do morphometric parameters and geological conditions determine chemistry of glacier surface ice? Spatial distribution of contaminants present in the surface ice of Spitsbergen glaciers (European Arctic)

The chemism of the glaciers is strongly determined by long-distance transport of chemical substances and their wet and dry deposition on the glacier surface. This paper concerns spatial distribution of metals, ions, and dissolved organic carbon, as well as the differentiation of physicochemical parameters (pH, electrical conductivity) determined in ice surface samples collected from four Arctic glaciers during the summer season in 2012. The studied glaciers represent three different morphological types: ground based (Blomlibreen and Scottbreen), tidewater which evolved to ground based (Renardbreen), and typical tidewater glacier (Recherchebreen). All of the glaciers are functioning as a glacial system and hence are subject to the same physical processes (melting, freezing) and the process of ice flowing resulting from the cross-impact force of gravity and topographic conditions. According to this hypothesis, the article discusses the correlation between morphometric parameters, changes in mass balance, geological characteristics of the glaciers and the spatial distribution of analytes on the surface of ice. A strong correlation (r = 0.63) is recorded between the aspect of glaciers and values of pH and ions, whereas dissolved organic carbon (DOC) depends on the minimum elevation of glaciers (r = 0.55) and most probably also on the development of the accumulation area. The obtained results suggest that although certain morphometric parameters largely determine the spatial distribution of analytes, also the geology of the bed of glaciers strongly affects the chemism of the surface ice of glaciers in the phase of strong recession.     

Degradation of polydimethylsiloxane fluids in the environment--a review

Due to their insolubility in water and high adsorption coefficient, liquid polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS) discharged as effluent will adsorb to particulate matter and, therefore, will become a component of sewage sludge during waste water treatment. The subsequent environmental fate of PDMS will depend on the fate of the sludge. Due to increasing practices of soil amendment with sewage sludge the principal environmental compartment receiving PDMS fluids is the soil. Degradation of PDMS is a common process taking place in many different types of soils. It occurs through a unique combination of environmental degradation processes. Initial hydrolysis of PDMS is catalysed by clay minerals, the principal component of soil. The primary hydrolysis product, dimethylsilanediol (DMSD), is then either biodegraded, or evaporated into the atmosphere, where it is subsequently oxidised in the presence of sunlight. The end products in both cases are expected to be CO2, SiO2 and H2O.