The significance of the grasshopper effect on the atmospheric distribution of persistent organic substances

Abstract

Slowly degradable, semivolatile organic compounds (SOCs) may undergo more than one volatilization‐transport‐deposition cycle through the atmosphere (multi‐hopping). The significance of this process for the potential for long‐range transport (LRT) is addressed for the first time. We use a multicompartment model which in turn is based on a general circulation model. The results suggest that both transport by single‐hopping and multi‐hopping contribute significantly to LRT of DDT and γ‐HCH (lindane) and to accumulation in high latitudes. A larger fraction of the molecules transported by multi‐hopping than of the molecules transported by single‐hopping is deposited to the world's oceans. Multi‐hopping prevails in the boundary layer far from the source regions. However, single‐hopping contributes an almost equal amount to the deposition of DDT and γ‐HCH in the Arctic.