Distribution of hexachlorobenzene concentrations in spruce needle samples across Alaska

Summary: "The global distribution of persistent organic pollutants has initiated considerable effort towards understanding long range atmospheric transport and partitioning of these potentially damaging compounds. Apparent latitude dependent concentration gradients of organic pollutants in otherwise pristine environments has given rise to a global fractionation model, coined the cold finger effect. According to the cold finger theory, semi-volatile persistent organic pollutant will show a preference for partitioning from the atmosphere to the ground and vegetation at northern latitudes. Here we present a study of hexachlorobenzene in spruce needle samples across Alaska, which offers a large range of climates, from its southern coastal [...]