November 1995 atmospheric sampling measured concentrations of 11 PCB congeners and chlorinated pesticides like HCB and DDT across a 39-degree latitudinal transect from 23°S to 62°S. SCIOPS researchers conducted the survey, finding PCB levels ranging from 46.2 to 985.0 picograms per cubic meter. The study includes air mass back trajectory analysis to assess pollutant origins.
Use Cases
- Analyze latitudinal gradients of HCB, ΣHCHs, and PDDTs concentrations from 23°S to 62°S to identify pollution hotspots.
- Use air mass back trajectory data to correlate measured PCB levels with potential source regions.
- Compare HCH concentration values from 1995 with historical data from 1987 and 1990 to quantify temporal decline rates.
- Model the relationship between specific PCB congener levels and atmospheric transport patterns over the Southern Ocean.
Strengths
- Covers a 39-degree latitudinal range (23°S to 62°S) across remote ocean regions.
- Reports quantified concentration ranges for multiple compound groups (e.g., PCBs: 46.2-985.0 pg m-3).
- Includes auxiliary air mass back trajectory data for source attribution.
Limitations
- Single sampling campaign from November 1995 provides only a temporal snapshot.
- Sample size (number of discrete sampling points) is not specified.
- Some compound concentrations reported as 'not detected (<0.6 pg m-3)', indicating detection limit challenges.
Provenance
- Source
- SCIOPS, via NASA Earthdata.
- Collection Method
- Atmospheric sampling and chemical analysis for organochlorine compounds, supplemented by air mass back trajectory modeling.
- Time Range
- 1995-11
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Open ocean transect in the Southwest Atlantic and Antarctic Oceans, between 23°S and 62°S latitude.