Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Removal of Exogenous Materials from the Outer Portion of Frozen Cores to Investigate the Ancient Biological Communities Harbored Inside
Published on: July 3, 2016
Trends and sources of perchlorate in Arctic snow
Vasile I Furdui1, Frank Tomassini
1Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Toronto, ON, M9P 3 V6. vasile.furdui@ontario.ca
Abstract:
Samples from the Devon Island ice cap (Nunavut, Canada) were used to calculate the annual input of atmospheric formed perchlorate. Depth samples collected in the spring of 2006 were dated between 1996 and 2005. An optimized ion chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (IC-MS/MS) method with direct injection allowed detection of perchlorate in all analyzed samples. Concentrations varied between 1 and 18 ng L(-1), showed seasonality, and were correlated with the total ozone levels from the area. A significant correlation was observed between chloride and perchlorate only for data sets corresponding to peak perchlorate concentrations. Data available suggests that perchlorate from the Arctic snow was formed in the atmosphere following two different mechanisms. Stratospheric chlorine radicals reacted with ozone year around, producing concentrations of perchlorate correlated with the total ozone level. The second pathway was specific to the summer months, when the amounts of perchlorate were correlated with the chloride concentrations, suggesting a possible tropospheric formation. Analysis of a deep ice core sample confirmed that perchlorate was present in precipitation at similar concentration more than 2000 years ago. Perchlorate ion represents a sink for the stratospheric chlorine, being removed via precipitation. The estimated amount of perchlorate that reached the Arctic in 2005 was 41-86 t.
Related Concept Videos
Precipitation of Ions
The equation that describes the equilibrium between solid calcium carbonate and its solvated ions is:
Types of Coprecipitation
Sometimes, ions in a crystal lattice can undergo isomorphous replacement by inclusions of similar charge and size. For...
Gravimetry: Inorganic And Organic Precipitating Agents
Precipitation and Co-precipitation
Precipitation Gravimetry
In determining nickel by gravimetric analysis, a precipitant of ethanolic dimethylglyoxime is added to a hot nickel salt solution. This is quickly followed by the dropwise addition of dilute ammonia solution until precipitation occurs. A...
Precipitation Titration Curve: Analysis
