Summary

Geisz et al. report an unexpected consequence of climate change, implicating glacier meltwater as a source for DDT in coastal Antarctic seas (1). Hypothetically, glaciers may act as secondary sources for DDT and there may be a link to climate change. However, their data are sparse, variable, and insufficient to either support or reject this hypothesis. Here, we present a different perspective, focusing on dynamics in glacier runoff and concentrations of DDTs in ice, on feeding areas of the affected penguins and on time trends of DDTs in Antarctic seabirds.

Authors:van den Brink N. Riddle M. van den Heuvel-Greve M. Allison I. Snape I. van Franeker J.A. Published in: 2009 Category 1: Peer-reviewed literature Program area: Environmental Protection and Change
Read publication at dx.doi.org
van den Brink N., Riddle M., van den Heuvel-Greve M., Allison I., Snape I., van Franeker J.A. (2009) Correspondence on Geisz et al. Melting Glacier: A Probable Source of DDT to the Antarctic Marine Ecosystem, Environmental Science and Technology 43(10). 3976-3977; doi:10.1021/es8034494;

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