Priority Organic Pollutants and Endocrine‐Disrupting Compounds in Arctic Marine Sediments (Svalbard Islands, Norway).

This study focuses on the occurrence, distribution, and potential ecological risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and phenolic endocrine-disrupting compounds (PEDCs)—specifically bisphenol A (BPA), 4-nonylphenol (4-NP), and its monoethoxylate (NP1EO) and diethoxylate (NP2EO) precursors—in surface marine sediments of the Arctic Kongsfjorden fjord (Svalbard, Norway). Sampling during the 2018 and 2019 summer melt seasons revealed consistent PAH concentrations dominated by low-ring congeners indicative of petrogenic sources, with local anthropogenic activities near Ny-Ålesund village and glacier meltwater inputs identified as primary contamination sources. PEDC levels, notably 4-NP and NP1EO, decreased from 2018 to 2019 but were highest near human settlements and glacier-influenced sites, suggesting both local pollution and remobilization from ice. Risk assessments comparing contaminant concentrations to sediment quality guidelines indicated that current PAH and PEDC levels do not pose significant risks to the benthic community, though ongoing monitoring is recommended given climate change impacts and increasing regional human activities.