Summary
There is growing evidence that the Antarctic is increasingly exposed to chemical stressors. Antarctica is impacted by global issues such as climate change and long-range transport of chemicals. Furthermore, expanding tourism and research activities (including logistical activities serving their conduct or preparation) can affect the pristine environment. To date, there is a lack of systematic approaches and data to study and assess chemical pollution of the Antarctic environment and to derive knowledge-based measures for its protection. In particular, synergies between the Environmental Specimen Banks (ESBs) and National Antarctic Programs (NAPs) can be a straightforward way to guarantee that current and future monitoring actions will be representative and continuous, procedures will be harmonized, quality control of the analytical data will be established, and that future generations will be offered the opportunity for retrospective studies. A systematic and efficient sample and data collection plan should also improve the effective use of scientific information, accelerate decision-making for environmental protection measures and, consequently, promote the future conservation of the Antarctic environment and its dependent and associated ecosystems. The purpose of this paper is to outline the progress that has been made in establishing an international network – following ATCM XLIII/IP021 submitted by Germany and Italy – aimed at promoting and coordinating a more structured sample and data collection of environmental contamination in the Antarctic. This paper follows the discussion at the Expert Workshop 'Act now – Legacy and Emerging Contaminants in Polar Regions' co-hosted by the German Environment Agency (UBA) and the Institute of Coastal Environmental Chemistry, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon (Geesthacht, Germany) in January 2022. In order to have a sufficiently comprehensive and up to date data basis for this workshop and further work, UBA has commissioned a report to review studies on the occurrence of emerging organic contaminants (EOCs) in both the Arctic and the Antarctic and to evaluate the long-range environmental transport processes of EOCs via ocean currents and the atmosphere from continental sources to polar regions.
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