Accumulation of semivolatile organic compounds in Antarctic vegetation: A case study of polybrominated diphenyl ethers

Antarctic plant communities are dominated by lichens and mosses which accumulate semivolatile organic compounds (SOCs) such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) directly from the atmosphere. Differences in the levels of PBDEs observed in lichens and mosses collected at King George Island in the austral summers 2004–05 and 2005–06 are probably explained by environmental and/or plant parameters. Contamination of lichens showed a positive correlation with local precipitation, suggesting that wet deposition processes are a major mechanism controlling the uptake of most PBDE congeners. These findings are in agreement with physical–chemical data supporting that tetra- through hepta-BDEs in the Antarctic atmosphere are basically bound to aerosols. Conversely, accumulation of PBDEs in mosses appears to be controlled by other environmental factors and/or plant-specific characteristics. Model simulations demonstrated that an ocean–atmosphere coupling may have played a role in the long-range transport of less volatile SOCs such as PBDEs to Antarctica. According to simulations, the atmosphere is the most important transport medium for PBDEs while the surface ocean serves as a temporary storage compartment, boosting the deposition/volatilization “hopping” effect similarly to vegetation on continents.

► Tetra- through hepta-BDEs are mostly bound to particles in the Antarctic atmosphere.
► There is a positive correlation between PBDEs in lichens and rainfall/snowfall.
► Atmospheric wet deposition processes drive the uptake of PBDEs by lichens.
► Ocean–atmosphere coupling may play a role in the LRAT of PBDEs to Antarctica.
► The surface ocean may boost the “hopping” effect in the LRAT of SOCs.