Major Environmental Concerns  

[ Land Degradation | Forests | Biodiversity | Marine and Ice | Ozone Depletion | Pollution | Population ]

Measurements indicate that pollutants, such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), heavy metals, radionuclides, and acidifying gases, are transported to the Arctic by the atmospheric, riverine, and ocean pathways. The Commonwealth of Independent States countries, Europe, North America, and Japan are the main sources for these long-range transported pollutants. Trends in measurements of chemicals such as DDT and toxaphene in the region indicate that developing countries, where these chemicals are still in use, also contribute to the presence of these pollutants in the Arctic region (Canadian Dept. of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, personal communication, 1996).

Although the concentration of many pollutants tends to be low in the Arctic environment, there are notable exceptions. Elevated concentrations of certain heavy metals such as cadmium and mercury have been found in Arctic sea birds, fish, and marine mammals. The levels of POPs are also high in Arctic species like the polar bear, as well as in other marine mammals. Because fish and marine mammals are a major food source for indigenous peoples in the region, the toxic contaminants they contain pose a human health risk (PAME, 1996).

Radioactive contamination is considered one of the main threats to the Arctic environment in spite of low current levels of contamination and sharp falls in caesium-137 levels in both the North and the Barents seas since the 1980s (Strand and Cooke, 1995). The main sources of radioactivity are the French La Hague and British Sellafield reprocessing plants and global fallout from atmospheric tests in the 1950s and 1960s. There are additional inputs and risks from Russia, including contamination from the Chernobyl accident, earlier dumping of liquid and solid radioactive waste, minor leakages from installation and dumping sites, and improper storage and management of spent fuel from both civil and military sources. Waste management is also an issue in the Canadian north where, prior to land use regulations, waste was abandoned with little concern for the environment. Military installations, exploration camps, and mines were the main source of these wastes (Canadian Dept. of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, personal communication, 1996).

During the cold war, the Arctic Ocean represented one of the main frontiers between the West and East. The ice-covered Arctic Ocean was a superb area for hiding submarines with strategic nuclear weapons. The Kola region in north-west Russia, the only ice-free harbour to the Atlantic, still houses the largest concentration of nuclear vessels and weapons in the world. After the end of the cold war there was a lack of resources to manage these installations. Radioactive materials were released accidentally or through leakages from these installations as well as from plants further south (Tomsk and Mayak), draining northwards. These, together with solid waste dumped into shallow waters in the Kara Sea, all represent threats to the Arctic environment, its people, and its fisheries (EEA/NPI, 1996).

Onshore and offshore exploration of oil and gas, and their transportation through pipelines and by ships, represent a risk to the region's environment. The continued use of outdated technology in some areas exacerbates this risk. The expected large onshore and offshore oil reserves of Siberia are one key area for exploration both by western and Russian companies (PAME, 1996; EPPR, 1996). The Exxon Valdez accident in Alaska and the oil spill in the Komi Republic of Russia are examples of accidental damage caused by oil-related activities. Decomposition of hydrocarbons is slower in the cold Arctic climate compared with warmer areas. This provides extra time for released contaminants to spread and extends the time that they can have an impact on the environment.

United Nations Environment Programme