EXPLORING ANTARCTICA		RESEARCH PROJECTS
		Profiling hydrocarbons deposition, vertical transport and mobilization in Antarctica Researchers: 1. Dr. Hii Yii Siang (Project Leader), Kolej Universiti Sains & Teknology Malaysia 2. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mohamad Pauzi Zakaria, Universiti Putra Malaysia Project Duration: 5 years (2006-2010) Project Summary Antarctica is a pristine area which is almost free of oil pollution. Establishment of base stations by the scientific community in the area has made the area vulnerable to the threats of waste and other pollution (including fuel and lubricants from vehicles and machinery). Many areas and sites which had been used in the past for fuel storage and machinery maintenance might have been contaminated by fuel and lubricants. The activities in the area over the years have left a legacy of contaminated sites at occupied and abandoned research stations (Snape et al., 2003). Long-range transport of hydrocarbons may have been occuring since the Industrial Revolution. Due to the extreme cold in Antarctica , oil-hydrocarbons and other contaminants are most of the time trapped in the ice and snow on the continent. However, for a short period of summer, snow and ice slowly melt and water flows freely. Oil-hydrocarbons and other contaminants are released and flushed into the sea as a pulse of contamination.  Unfortunately, the short period of summer is also the most productive period of the icy-continent. Hydrocarbons may have some adverse effect of the area's productivity. Hence, it is important to understand and manage pollutants in the area. Besides, it is important to look at the sources and transport pathway of pyrogenic hydrocarbon via long-range transport. Long-range transport of hydrocarbon or vertical transport normally associated with soot-particle bound hydrocarbons which are comprised of high molecular weight PAHs. Studying transport pathway in pristine environment such as the antartic (far away from anthropogenic sources) could be very interesting and genuine. Understanding of the transport pathways may help us understand the hydrocarbon pollution on a global basis. Objectives To determine the distribution of hydrocarbons contained in Antarctic snow and ice. To study lateral and vertical transport of hydrocarbons in Antarctica . To determine hydrocarbons mobilization and deposition rate in the area. Funding Total Amount Applied: RM924,000 Total Amount Received by 2006: RM20,000