A Review of the Properties, Transport, and Fate of Organophosphate Esters in Polar Snow and Ice

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are emerging organic pollutants widely used as industrial flame retardants and plasticizers in recent years. These compounds have been detected in various environmental media. Snow, a fundamental component of glaciers, plays a key role in the effective removal of organic pollutants from the atmosphere. Consequently, glacier accumulation zones receive substantial deposits containing OPEs, making them significant sinks for OPEs. The presence of OPEs in snow and ice serves as a natural archive for studying their environmental behavior and fate. This review examines the occurrence, sources, and impacts of OPEs in polar and middle-to-low-latitude glaciers based on a comprehensive analysis of the existing literature. Studies indicate that OPE concentrations in snow and ice are generally low, primarily influenced by long-range atmospheric and oceanic transport, with additional contributions from local anthropogenic activities. With global warming, snow and ice meltwater has become a secondary source of OPEs, posing a threat to the cryosphere ecosystems. As research on OPEs in snow and ice is still in its early stages, this review provides valuable insights into their environmental behavior and future research directions.