ArcticNanoCon: investigating one of the Arctic ecosystem's most vital components

Although the Arctic has been less exposed to industry and urbanisation, it faces urgent environmental threats from climate change, shifts in biological diversity, and the accumulation of contaminants. Addressing these challenges requires more knowledge about colloidal matter— suspended nanoscale particles of organic and inorganic matter which are commonly found in water, air, and soil. They are one of the Arctic ecosystem's most vital components, found in ice cores, marine systems and atmospheric processes.

Colloidal matter influence processes like contaminant transport, cloud formation, and ice stability. Despite their importance in the Arctic, their role is poorly understood. But this knowledge gap exists largely due to limitations in current analytical methods.

Our project seeks to establish ArcticNanoCon, a Consortium for the Investigation of Colloidal Matter in the Arctic using Advanced Nanoscopy. Making use of advanced microscopy and spectroscopy tools, ArcticNanoCon will develop international capabilities to analyze colloids in ice, air, soil, water, and living organisms at nanoscopic scales.

This Iceland-UK partnership will advance research on how colloids affect climate, nutrient cycles, and the build-up of toxic substances, driving both scientific innovation and education.

ArcticNanoCon will develop a new international analytical capability and platform (from field sampling to data interpretations) for the detection and analysis of colloidal matter in ice cores, air, soil, water, and biota at a nanoscopic resolution, the scale at which most biogeochemical reactions occur.

It will produce a workflow for the sampling, isolation, and characterisation of biogenic, inorganic and organic colloidal matter found in

1. Arctic ice cores
2. Atmosphere
3. Soil, rivers and seawater
4. the Arctic food web

ArcticNanoCon will be tasked with answering these research questions: 

1. What are the current states of colloidal matter in Arctic ice cores, air, soil, water, and living organisms?
2. How do aerosols affect the Arctic climate?
3. What processes drive the interactions, changes, and toxicity of nanoparticulate pollutants in the Arctic’s land and atmosphere?
4. How does climate change impact the movement, interactions, and availability of essential nutrients in the Arctic?
5. Can we predict how engineered nanoparticles will behave, transform, and impact the Arctic environment and climate before they are introduced?

Closing knowledge gaps

These knowledge gaps exist because current methods can't fully detect or analyze the properties of colloids especially at the nanoscale. The measurement of anthropogenically generated nanoparticles must also take place against a background of naturally occurring particles originating from forest fires, volcanoes, ocean spray, and soil erosion.

To address these challenges and develop an understanding of hydro-biogeochemical processes in the Arctic at the nanoscale, we need new methods able to better detect and characterise the colloidal matter and its interactions.

Project team

This is a NERC-funded collaboration comprising

• Dr Elma Lahive | UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
• Dr Gbotemi Adediran | School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds
• Dr Halldór Pálmar Halldórsson | University of Iceland 
• Dr Hermann Dreki Guls | University of Iceland
• Sandra Dögg Georgsdóttir | University of Iceland

The project will utilise the CoreMiS platform which is dedicated to the study of environmental samples (eg nanoparticles, microorganisms) and nano-scale chemical reactions in diverse environments.