The Arctic describes the geography of the area covered in AMAP s assessment and some features of the Arctic environment. Physical pathways of contaminants transport focuses on the movement of contaminants with air masses, ocean currents, and waterways, specifically addressing the Arctic as a recipient of contaminants from other areas. Polar ecology discusses adaptations of Arctic plants and animals to the polar environment that make them especially susceptible to the effects of contaminants. It also describes biological pathways and food webs in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. Peoples of the North gives an introduction to Arctic lifestyles with a focus on indigenous populations.
Special emphasis is placed on the role of traditional foods in a cultural context.
The following four chapters, Persistent organic pollutants , Heavy metals , Radioactivity , and Acidification and Arctic haze , contain syntheses of the circumpolar assessment of priority pollutants, describing their toxicology, levels, trends, and effects on Arctic plants and animals. Petroleum hydrocarbons describes the actual and potential effects of oil exploitation in the Arctic. Two global environmental issues and their potential effects on the Arctic environment are covered in the chapter Climate change, ozone depletion, and ultraviolet radiation . It also presents the first results of AMAP s human health monitoring program.