2003 AMAP Greenland and the Faroe Islands 1997-2001 Vol. 3: The Environment of the Faroe Islands Editors: Katrin Hoydal & Maria Dam DANCEA Danish Cooperation for Environment in the Arctic Ministry of Environment Content INTRODUCTION 5 PREFACE 7 1 ATMOSPHERIC MERCURY AND LEAD ACCUMULATION SINCE 5420 14C YR BP AT MYRARNAR, FAROE ISLANDS 9 William Shotyk, Michael Goodsite, Fiona Roos-Barraclough, Nicolas Givelet, Gaël Leroux, Dominik Weiss, Stephen Norton and Kristina Knudsen 2 MEASUREMENTS OF GASEOUS ELEMENTAL MERCURY ON THE FAROE ISLANDS 21 Henrik Skov, Maria C. Nielsdóttir,Michael E. Goodsite, Jesper Christensen, Carsten A. Skjøth, Gerald L. Geernaert, Ole Hertel and Jóhanna Olsen 3 ATMOSPHERIC MODELLING 37 Jesper Christensen 4 RADIOACTIVITY IN FAROESE ENVIRONMENT. MEASUREMENTS FROM 1999 AND 2000 57 Hans Pauli Joensen and Henning Dahlgaard 5 AMAP FAROE ISLAND 1997 - 1998 71 Rikke Berg Larsen and Maria Dam 6 AMAP FAROE ISLANDS 1999 - 2001 HEAVY METALS 155 Jóhanna Olsen, Katrin Hoydal and Maria Dam 7 AMAP FAROE ISLANDS 1999 - 2001 POPS 221 Katrin Hoydal, Jóhanna Olsen and Maria Dam 3 Introduction In 1989 a conference on protection of the Arctic environment was held in Rovaniemi with participation of all eight circumpolar countries (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and USA). This was the start of the “Rovaniemi” process, continuing with the First Arctic Ministerial Conference in 1991, as an important step in the international cooperation for the protection of the Arctic, leading to the adoption of the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (AEPS). Some of the objectives of the AEPS are: to protect the Arctic ecosystems, including humans to review regularly the state of the Arctic environment to identify, reduce and as a final goal, eliminate pollution. Different work groups have been formed to implement the AEPS objectives. One of the initiatives is the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP). The Arctic region represents one of the last frontiers of relative pristine nature but also an area vulnerable to pollution. However, results from AMAP’s first phase (1994-1996) have shown that pollutants originating from anthropogenic activities at mid-latitudes are transported to the Arctic by atmospheric processes, ocean currents and rivers. Some of these pollutants accumulate in the Arctic environment. AMAP’s responsibilities are to monitor the levels and assess the effects of an- thropogenic pollutants in all compartments of the Arctic environment (atmospheric, terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments, and human populations with respect to human health). The work of AMAP has so far focused on three priority pollutants: persistent organic pollutants (POPs), heavy metals, and radioactivity. Each country has defined its own national implementation plan to meet the AMAP monitoring requirements. Very few monitoring programmes existed in Greenland, when the international AMAP programme was adopted. To fulfil participation in the international AMAP programme Denmark initiated a national AMAP programme covering all the selected compartments and the priority pollutants in different parts of Greenland and in the Faroe Islands. The national AMAP programme has been funded by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency since 1994 as part of the environmental support program Dancea – Danish Cooperation for Environment in the Arctic. The results from the first phase of the national AMAP programme were inter alia published in: “AMAP Greenland 1994-1996” (Environmental Project No. 356, 1997). “AMAP Greenland 1994-1996, Data Report” (Working Report No. 29, 1997). 5 AMAP’s first scientific circumpolar assessment was published in: “AMAP Assessment Report: Arctic Pollution Issues” Oslo 1998. The present report is one of four containing the results and assessment of data from the second phase (1997-2002) of the national AMAP programme in Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The four reports are compilations of a number of chapters written by different authors from several institutes. The four volumes are: Vol. 1: Human Health. Vol. 2: The Environment of Greenland. Vol. 3: The Environment of the Faroe Islands. Vol. 4: Data Report. Besides these reports scientific international AMAP Assessment reports covering the circumpolar region are prepared. 6 Preface The present report is part of the national contribution to the international Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, AMAP, for its second phase 1997- 2002. The report is a collection of manuscripts written by project- teams which have been involved in describing the environment of the Faroe Islands during he entire 5 year period or during parts of it. Responsible for the collection of these manuscripts were the project-team at the Food and Environmental Agency who have been actively taking part in the AMAP program since 1997. 7 1Atmospheric Mercury and Lead Accumulation Since 5420 14C yr BP at Myrarnar, Faroe Islands Shotyk, William1*, Goodsite, Michael2, Roos-Barraclough, Fiona3, Givelet, Nicolas3, Leroux, Gaël1, Weiss, Dominik4, Norton, Stephen5, and Knudsen, Kristina6 ,QVWLWXWHRI(QYLURQPHQWDO*HRFKHPLVWU\8QLYHUVLW\RI+HLGHOEHUJ,1) '+HLGHOEHUJ*(50$1<VKRW\N#XJFXQLKHLGHOEHUJGH! 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This interpretation is based on measurements of Hg 204 206 concentrations, the Hg/Se ratios, Pb and stable Pb isotopes ( Pb, Pb, 207 208 210 Pb, and Pb), and Pb age dating. These conclusions, however, should be verified using at least one more peat core from another site on the Faroe Islands. For example, the peat core which we collected at Klovinmyren is certainly suitable to evaluate in more detail the pre-anthropogenic relationship 14 between Hg, volcanic ash falls, and Se deposition since ca. 9,000 C yr BP. Selenium shows great promise as a reference element for atmospheric Hg deposition in maritime locations, and in this context the geochemistry of Se in blanket peat bogs requires and deserves further study. The large total mercury peak (498 ng Hg/g dry weight) at Myrarnar occurs between a depth of 5cm and 6cm. We can not explain this concentration by any geochemical mechanism or natural input. It is therefore our opinion that this is an anthropogenic signal. We will better be able to quantify the flux amounting from this signal with more detailed dating. Based on analysis of the Hg/selenium ration (a 17 time increase since the start of the industrial age), we expect that the mercury flux increased by the same amount. We cannot however, draw any conlusions at this time from our study as to whether the source of mercury is local, regional or from long transport. Our data also suggest that Hg fluxes in other maritime locations such as NW Scotland and the Shetland Islands, warrant detailed investigation. Finally, the long-term atmospheric deposition of natural Hg combined with the recent addition of Hg from anthropogenic sources may have lasting consequences for local ecosystems. The inventories and dynamics of Hg transformations in local soils and sediments also deserve attention. 13 14 1Atmospheric Mercury and Lead Accumulation Since 5420 14C yr BP at Myrarnar, Faroe Islands Concern has been expressed about the concentrations and chemical speciation of Hg in the food chain on the Faroe Islands, and the possible implications of these for human health. It is unclear how much of the present day Hg flux is from anthropogenic emissions, and how much from natural sources. The main goal of our study was to reconstruct a long-term record of atmospheric Hg accumulation, and to try to determine how much of the Hg flux is natural, and how much from anthropogenic sources. A peat profile monolith ca. 15 x 15 x 75 cm was collected from a blanket bog at Myrarnar, on the Island of Streymoy, Faroe Islands. The core was cut into slices of 1 cm and analyzed for total concentrations of Hg and 19 additional major and trace elements, including Pb. Mercury concentrations were measured in solid samples using the Leco 254 Hg analyser which combusts the samples in an oxygen stream, traps the Hg onto gold, and measures Hg after thermal desorption using AAS. Lead and other trace elements, including Se, were measured in solid samples using non-destructive energy dispersive XRF. In addition, the isotopic composition of Pb, often used to fingerprint anthropogenic Pb sources, was measured in acid digests of selected samples using multicollector ICP-MS. A radiocarbon age date of the last sample of the 14 core (ca. 75 cm) dates the profile at 5420 C yr BP. The vertical distribution of Hg at Myrarnar suggests that the surrounding rocks and soils have not contributed significantly to the Hg inventory of the peat core, but rather that Hg was supplied primarily, if not exclusively, by atmospheric deposition. The peat core contains abundant, visible grains of mineral matter, most likely emitted from Icelandic volcanoes which are often thought to be an important natural source of Hg. While some of the discrete volcanic events found in deeper peat layers appear to have affected the supply of Hg at some times in the pre-historical past, the pronounced peak of highly elevated Hg concentrations (up to 700 ng/g) is difficult to explain by natural emission sources alone.