LAUSR

Glaciers have recently been recognized as a secondary source of organic pollutants. As glacier melt rates increase, downstream ecosystems are at increasing risk of exposure to these pollutants. Nonylphenols (NPs) are well documented anthropogenic persistent pollutants whose environmental prevalence and ecotoxicity make them of immediate concern to the health of humans and wildlife populations. As glacier melt increases, transport of NPs to downstream environments will also increase. Snow, ice, melt water, and till for five glaciers in the Chugach National Forest and Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska, USA, were investigated for the presence 4-nonylphenol (NP). Average concentrations for snow, ice, melt water, and glacial till were 0.77 ± .017 µg/L snow water, 0.75 ± .006 µg/L, 0.26 ± .053 µg/L, and 0.016 ± .004 µg/gram respectively. All samples showed the presence of 4NP. 4NP deposition downstream from glaciers will depend more on the ionic strength of the water than organic carbon to drive partitioning and deposition. Laboratory studies of partition coefficients (KP ) showed that ionic strength contributed 59% of the driving force behind partitioning, while organic carbon contributed 36%. Evidence was found for interaction between organic carbon and the aqueous phase. The 4NP Setschenow constants (Ks ) were determined for particle types with varying percent organic carbon. Ks increased with percent organic carbon. These relationships will shape further studies of 4NP deposition into the environment downstream of glacier outflow. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2022 SETAC.