Researchers at McGill University have found that snow absorbs polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are pollutants that are both toxic and carcinogenic. With air pollution claiming up to eight million lives per year worldwide, having knowledge on how these pollutants interact with snow is crucial to try and fix the global issue. A study was conducted in a frozen glass sphere simulation and what they found was snow takes up airborne particulate matter and alters the concentrations of nanoparticles. They also found that colder temperatures, once having interacted with snow, increase the presence of smaller nanoparticles in the air above the snow.
Air pollutants are also being trapped in the snow pack and change chemical compositions creating additional pollutants. This is a concern that researchers have as this winter's snow begins to melt. More research will need to be conducted once this season passes to understand further the effects of the trapping of these chemicals. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170404160052.htm
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April 2017
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