Towards high-resolution water isotope analysis in ice cores using laser ablation - cavity ring-down spectroscopy.

A new micro-destructive technique for high-resolution water isotope analysis of ice samples using a Laser Ablation (LA) system coupled with a Cavity Ring Down Spectrometer (CRDS) is presented. This method marks the first time water isotope analysis is conducted directly on the ice, bypassing the traditional steps of melting and vaporizing the ice sample, thanks to the direct transition of ice into water vapour through the laser ablation process. A nanosecond ArF laser ablation system (193 nm) with an integrated two-volume ablation chamber was successfully coupled to a CRDS analyzer, utilizing nitrogen as the carrier gas.

Calibration of Arctic ice core bromine enrichment records for past sea ice reconstructions.

Bromine in ice cores has been proposed as a qualitative sea ice proxy to produce sea ice reconstructions for the polar regions. Here we report the first statistical validation of this proxy with satellite sea ice observations by combining bromine enrichment (with respect to seawater, Br) records from three Greenlandic ice cores (SIGMA-A, NU and RECAP) with satellite sea ice imagery, over three decades. We find that during the 1984-2016 satellite-era, ice core Br values are significantly correlated with first-year sea ice formed in the Baffin Bay and Labrador Sea supporting that the gas-phase bromine enrichment processes, preferentially occurring over the sea ice surface, are the main driver for the Br signal in ice cores.

From the highway to receiving water bodies: identification and simultaneous quantification of small microplastics (< 100 µm) in highway stormwater runoff.

Highway stormwater (HSW) runoff is among the environment's most important sources of microplastics. This study aimed to characterize via vibrational spectroscopy and quantify SMPs (small microplastics < 100 µm) in HSW runoff from a trafficked highway entering a facility equipped with a filtration system and in those flowing out to the receiving water body near agricultural activities. Samples of the inlet runoff (from the highway) and outlet runoff (the discharge into the environment) were collected in different periods to investigate potential seasonal and spatial differences.

Photodegradation of bisphenol A in water and ice: identification of products using three photosensitizers.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a widespread organic micro-pollutant, found in most environments, including alpine and Arctic regions, and several matrices such as waters and aerosols. Polar regions are characterized by periods of intense irradiation with no sunset due to the continuous sunlight, while alpine areas, despite following the day-night cycle of mid-latitudes, also undergo strong irradiation. For such conditions, it is possible that a fraction of the BPA present in snow may degrade through direct photolysis, producing other unknown species with different environmental mobility and possible ecotoxic effects.