Polar Star n°2, 2750 polluted sites in the Arctic – 2009
n°2
2750 polluted sites in the Arctic
The cold temperatures and permafrost have been considered by Arctic countries as a mode of confinement and an eternal repository for pollutants. But for several years, it has been known that rivers, lakes, and groundwater have been contaminated by the migration of pollutants originating from landfills and other contaminated sites. This mobilization of pollution comes from temperature fluctuations, melting snow, rain, changing levels of groundwater and flooding. The ice has not fulfilled its purpose as a cocoon in trapping pollutants. With global warming in view, the progressive rupture of the “cold chain” would be an ecological disaster and would accelerate the release of waste.
