The objective of this project is to determine anthropogenic pollution indicators as well as biological marker compounds in antarctic sediments by characterizing organic compounds present in trap particulates, surface sediments, and sediment cores. These will be related to their probable sources, such as aeolian transport, marine productivity, human activities, etc. The project will initially concentrate on lipid components. Lipids are modified within the water column, with further digenetic changes occurring after incorporation into the sediment. In the antarctic environment this process should stand out because of abundant marine productivity and negligible higher plant debris, and may show evidence of the influence of human activities and the influx of global pollution. A detailed organic geochemical analysis of free and bound lipids from sediments and particulates, and total lipids from potential biogenic material, will be carried out to characterize sources, estimate fluxes, and study the digenesis of organic compounds. The result will be a better understanding of paleo-oceanographic conditions and biogeochemical processes of the region, as well as a more definitive identification of chemical tracers of global pollution.
