Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net 1680-7367 1680-7375 7 3 2007 10.5194/acpd-7-6229-2007 http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/7/6229/2007/ http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/7/6229/2007/acpd-7-6229-2007.html http://www.atmos-chem-phys-discuss.net/7/6229/2007/acpd-7-6229-2007.pdf 6229 6254 2007-05-10 Record high peaks in PCB concentrations in the Arctic atmosphere due to long-range transport of biomass burning emissions S. Eckhardt sec@nilu.no K. Breivik S. Man\o A. Stohl Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Kjeller, Norway University of Oslo, Department for Chemistry, Oslo, Norway Soils and forests in the boreal region of the northern hemisphere are recognised as having a large capacity for storing air-borne Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), such as the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Following reductions of primary emissions of various legacy POPs, there is an increasing interest and debate about the relative importance of secondary re-emissions on the atmospheric levels of POPs. In spring of 2006, biomass burning emissions from agricultural fires in Eastern Europe were transported to the Zeppelin station on Svalbard, where record-high levels of many air pollutants were recorded (Stohl et al., 2007). Here we report on the extremely high concentrations of PCBs that were also measured during this period. 21 out of 32 PCB congeners were enhanced by more than two standard deviations above the long-term mean concentrations. In July 2004, about 5.8 million hectare of boreal forest burned in North America, emitting a pollution plume which reached the Zeppelin station after a travel time of 3–4 weeks (Stohl et al., 2006). 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