Analysis of Persistent Organochlorines in an Alpine Environment

This project is to take place during the summer of 2007 in the high alpine region of the Himalaya in Nepal. I will be sampling on an altitude gradient and analyzing how the concentrations orgonochlorines change based on altitude. I will be using in-situ sampling technique with solid-phase microextraction units. This research is vary important because it has been shown that concentrations of semi-volatile organochlorines increase in snow as altitude increases. However, no sampling has been done above 3100 meters that look at the altitude gradient. There is a possibility that the Himalaya has served as a reservoir during the past 50 yrs for these compounds, thus leading to possible “pulse” releases as glaciers melt.