Pollution in the Arctic

Problems

• While most Arctic regions are far removed from large industrialized areas, the environment in the high North carries traces of human-induced pollution—from soot to plastics, from methane to pesticides. To an extent, pollutants originate in the Arctic, for example, through wood combustion or oil and gas flaring. 
  
  Additionally,  the ongoing oil and gas extraction on the Arctic continental shelf has already had a devastating impact on the composition of the Arctic atmosphere. One of the main sources of Arctic air pollution is gas flaring – the practice of burning associated gas, a common byproduct of oil extraction. The joint study of Norwegian, Finnish, and Russian scholars concluded that in the Arctic region, gas flaring contributes to a much larger share of total black carbon emissions: in fact, it accounts for 42 percent of all Arctic black carbon surface concentrations when the global average is only 3 percent.
  
  Chemicals
  The Arctic Ocean basin acts like a reservoir or ‘sink’ for industrial and agricultural chemicals from Europe, Asia, and even further afield, transported there in the air and ocean currents. The cold temperatures and ice-bound environment trap the toxins in the ground, air, water, and ice, where they degrade extremely slowly. In the summer, when the ice melts, the toxins get washed into the sea and rivers. 
  
  The main contaminants in the Arctic region are heavy metals, such as mercury and lead, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as DDT, PCBs, and dioxins, which evaporate into the air but slowly degrade. These toxic materials bioaccumulate in the food chain, passing from planktonic micro-organisms to the fish that eat them and then on to larger wildlife. As they eat contaminated prey, animals at the top of the food chain, such as polar bears, seals, and whales, store more and more toxins in their fatty tissue and organs.
  
  Plastic pollutions
  The world produces 300 million tonnes of plastic every year. 40% of this is for single-use items such as carrier bags and plastic drinking bottles, and as a result of how we dispose of these items, 8 million tonnes of plastic ends up in our oceans every year. In the same way that chemicals reach the Arctic Ocean, plastic litter is also building up in this previously pristine environment. Much of the plastic is discarded fishing gear, but household litter, food wrapping, and bottles have also been discovered, originating from all over Europe and across the Atlantic.
  
  Hydrocarbon deposits
  The development of liquid hydrocarbon deposits on Russia's Arctic shelf continues. Up to 2025, the volume of oil production at the Prirazlomnoye field is expected to increase to 5 million tons. In an optimistic scenario, oil production will be established at the Dolginsky field and, possibly, at 1-2 more offshore fields. Also, up to 2025, geological exploration is planned at the licensed sites.
  
   At least 10 operating license areas for developing hydrocarbon raw materials are located in the Pechora Sea. The licenses issued are designed for a period up to 2025-2046. The total recoverable resources of 10 licensed areas in the Pechora Sea may amount to about 600 million tons of oil and 161 billion cubic meters of gas. At the same time, most of the license areas contain mainly oil deposits.
  
  Implications for biodiversity and indigenous people
  The Arctic contains some of the world’s largest untapped oil and gas reserves. However, oil extraction poses a considerable risk to Arctic ecosystems and communities. Exploration, drilling, and offshore oil production can threaten the fish and marine mammals that Arctic Indigenous peoples depend on. If their numbers decrease, then the Indigenous peoples of the Arctic will face grave challenges with secure access to food. 
  
  Whales and other marine mammals are exposed to harmful underwater noise that prevents them from navigating, finding mates, and foraging in the dark Arctic waters. Marine ecosystems in the Arctic are particularly vulnerable to oil spills from explosions, pipeline leaks, or shipping accidents.