Sources and composition of chemical pollution in Maritime Antarctica (King George Island), part 2: Organic and inorganic chemicals in snow cover at the Warszawa Icefield

The study area is located on King George Island, where 90% of the area is permanently glaciated. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the inorganic and organic chemistry of snow cover in the icefield and a comparison against previous results obtained in fresh water. Snow samples were collected in the summer of 2017 in the Warszawa Icefield area. Sampling points are located along two transects: between the Arctowski Polish Polar Station and the Carlini Base (N = 4), and from the forefield to the upper part of Ecology Glacier (N = 5). In the snow samples, (1) basic ions, (2) major trace metals and metalloids (and B), and (3) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were detected and quantified. Additionally, the parameters of pH, specific electrolytic conductivity (SEC 25 ) and total organic carbon (TOC) were determined. The results show a low concentration of inorganic elements (<30 mg/L), TOC (<1 mg/L) and PAHs (0.11–1.4 ng/L) in collected snow samples. A slight increase in PAHs and heavy-metals concentration has been observed at the marginal parts of the icefield, which suggests the impact of scientific stations. Based on this result there is a need to conduct research on pollutant levels in ice cores on King George Island to assess the risk associated with rapid glacier thawing and pollution remobilisation.