Phthalates are a series of widely used chemicals in a large range of products and have endocrine disruption potentials being detrimental to human health. To our knowledge, there are no reports on phthalate exposure in the general population in Greenland. This study evaluates the phthalate exposure profiles and the influence of characteristics of 602 adults across Greenland recruited during 2000-2019. The urinary concentrations of eleven metabolites of phthalates and the phthalate alternative di-(iso-nonyl)-cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (DINCH) were measured using solid phase extraction prior to ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in negative electro-spray mode and standardized by the urinary creatinine concentration. Health risk assessment was performed by comparison of urinary metabolite levels of phthalates and DINCH using available health-based human biomonitoring guidance values (HBM-GV). The influence of characteristics on metabolite levels was assessed by multiple linear regression models. Metabolites of phthalates and DINCH were detected in more than 25 % of the spot urine samples. For certain phthalate metabolites, less than 3 % exceeded HBM-GV. Females had higher concentrations of phthalate metabolites than males. Participants from east and west regions had higher concentrations of some phthalate metabolites than those from north, Disko Bay and south regions. Age positively associated with metabolites concentrations of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and diethyl phthalate (DEP). DEHP metabolites concentrations increased with BMI and biomarker of marine food intake. Pregnancy and parity may influence the concentrations of phthalate metabolites. The phthalate exposure was age- and sex-dependent likely due to differences in lifestyle habits. Urinary concentrations of DINCH metabolites were higher in Greenlandic adults compared to other populations.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheh.2025.114695

Macroalgal carbon export estimates make assumptions about lateral transport away from the coast and vertical export to deep ocean sinks. Yet, few studies have resolved these pathways. This paper tests lateral surface transport and vertical export assumptions using the Southwest Greenland continental shelf and the Labrador Sea as a testbed. Macroalgae grow on Greenland's rocky shoreline and previous studies have documented oceanographic connectivity between coastal and offshore regions. This study analyzed 1380 Sentinel-2 satellite images to find 7973 patches of floating macroalgae on the SW Greenland shelf and in the Labrador Sea, providing evidence of their presence on the shelf and offshore waters. Since satellite imagery provides a snapshot of macroalgal positions at a given time, 305 surface drifter trajectories and a Lagrangian particle tracking model (LPTM) are used to quantify residence times and transport pathways. The average drifter-derived surface residence times on the SW Greenland shelf and the Labrador Sea are 12.1 days and 63.6 days, respectively. Applying results from studies of macroalgal longevity, the drifter-derived residence times suggest that macroalgae can remain intact during their transit of the shelf, allowing them to sink in deeper water offshore. The LPTM traced the origins and pathways of selected patches in June 2018. To explore vertical export mechanisms, a Large Eddy Simulation revealed that deep convection can transport buoyant macroalgae to depths where their gas vesicles implode, expediting sinking. These interdisciplinary findings indicate that Greenland's macroalgal ecosystems can supply detrital carbon to the adjacent shelf and open ocean and highlight the importance of testing key transport assumptions used to estimate macroalgal contributions to carbon sequestration.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.181247 

Arctic ecosystems are undergoing major changes as a result of climate change that in many cases results in habitat loss for many species. However, glacial retreat also creates new habitats, such as lakes and ponds, providing an opportunity to test how communities and food webs assemble. Here, we studied the topology of the food webs and analyzed potential drivers such as environmental variables in 16 fishless ponds of contrasting age (8 young < 50 years, 8 old > 150 years) located in an area of rapid glacial retreat on the west coast of Greenland. We tested for differences in beta diversity and nestedness of prey and consumers related to the age class of the ponds. Based on gut content analysis of zooplankton and benthic macroinvertebrates we constructed food webs and investigated the extent to which food web metrics related to pond age and environmental variables. The food items of zooplankton and benthic macroinvertebrates in the young ponds represented a subset of those present in the old ponds' food webs. Food webs of old ponds had higher taxonomic richness, higher linkage density and lower connectance, indicating higher stability. Pond age class was the main explanatory factor for most food web metrics followed by productivity, here assessed by proxies, total nitrogen (TN) and phytoplankton chlorophyll-a (Chl-a). Food webs in old ponds did not show any significant association with environmental factors. In contrast, in young ponds, connectance and trophic niche overlap were significantly related to TN and Chl-a. The different complexity patterns indicate that food web topology in newly created ponds becomes more complex and independent of environmental conditions as ponds age. These differences likely make food webs of young ecosystems more unstable and vulnerable to external disturbances than those of older ecosystems.

https://doi.org/10.1002/oik.11415