Determination Of Selected Parameters/Analytes In Surface Water Samples Collected In The Surroundings Of The Capital Of Spitsbergen (Longyearbyen)

Polar regions are extremely sensitive to pollution such as harmful gases, particles or toxic substances which affect the Arctic climate and ecosystems. Spitsbergen, as well as all Arctic region, because of its geographically distant location and lack of industry sector, should be free of chemical pollution. Despite this, many pollutants could be found in the Polar environment, for example in freshwaters. Their occurrence is related with the global distillation process (Grasshopper effect) in which the contaminants from lower latitudes are transferred to the higher latitudes, resulting in the pollution of Arctic area.The purpose of the research was to determine the selected parameters: TOC (Total Organic Carbon) and formaldehyde, phenols in samples of freshwaterwater (surface water) collected in the area surrounding the capital of Spitsbergen (Longyearbyen). The aim was to investigate the pollution of Arctic freshwater. The obtained results of detected compounds may confirm the role of transport of contaminants over large distances in pollution of Polar regions.