POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON COMPOSITION AND POTENTIAL SOURCES FORSEDIMENT SAMPLES FROM THE BEAUFORT-SEA AND BARENTS-SEA

Understanding the sources and pathways of pollutant transport to the A rctic is fundamental to our custody of this sensitive ecosystem. To ac hieve such an understanding, we need to go beyond a catalog of environ mental concentrations. Sediments, which are a final sink for particle- active contaminants, can provide a valuable resource to assess fluxes and sources of contaminants. Here, we interpret PAH distributions from widely distributed Arctic marine sediments both as indicators of anth ropogenic contribution and to illuminate transport pathways, We use pr incipal components analysis (PCA) to reveal the potential sources of P AHs and their geochemistry in sediments from the Beaufort and Barents Seas. PCA distinguishes between natural and anthropogenic inputs and s upports a direct linkage between anthropogenic emissions and Arctic co ntamination. In the Beaufort Sea, PAHs and triterpenes reflect strong Mackenzie River-dominated inputs of natural PAHs and petroleum which o verwhelm anthropogenic sources. In the Barents Sea, PAH and triterpene concentrations are generally 2-20 times lower than in the Beaufort Se a while the anthropogenic contribution is greater. Samples from the NW Barents Sea and from deep in cores contain natural, predominantly pet rogenic material.