FROM RINK TO RIVER: TRACING BIOGEOCHEMICAL AND CONTAMINANT IMPACTS OF ICE ARENAS

Urban environments are significant contributors to biogeochemical fluxes affecting aquatic ecosystems along the land-ocean continuum. Ice hockey arenas, often overlooked in this context, serve as persistent sources of contaminants such as dissolved organic matter (DOM), microplastics, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), trace metals, and nanoparticles. These contaminants, originating from ice-making water, maintenance chemicals, and human activity, accumulate in drainage systems, ice shavings, and snow piles, potentially entering streams, rivers, and large lakes or coastal oceans. This study employs Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry to analyze the composition of DOM in ice shavings and snow piles. Results reveal that DOM is dominated by nitrogen-containing aliphatics. Additionally, we detected up to 856 microplastic particles per mL, along with trace levels of PFAS and silver nanoparticles. We assess how these contaminants may travel through waterways and contribute to biogeochemical transformations, potentially disrupting carbon and nutrient cycling, altering microbial community composition, and affecting ecosystem health in coastal zones. By linking these findings to broader biogeochemical processes and ecosystem adaptation, we emphasize the importance of considering built environments like arenas in discussions of carbon, nutrient, and contaminant fluxes across aquatic gradients. This study also explores the implications of these urban sources in the context of their contributions to Great Lake systems, such as Lake Ontario.

Presentation Preference: Oral

Primary Presenter: Ryan Hutchins, Toronto Metropolitan University (hutchins.ryan@gmail.com)

Authors:

Ryan Hutchins, Department of Chemistry and Biology, Toronto Metropolitan University  (hutchins.ryan@gmail.com)

Yanan Li, Department of Chemistry and Biology, Toronto Metropolitan University  (yanan.li@torontomu.ca)

Claire Oswald, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Toronto Metropolitan University  (coswald@torontomu.ca)

Karla Newman, Water Quality Centre, Trent University  (karlanewman@trentu.ca)

Roxana Suehring, Department of Chemistry and Biology, Toronto Metropolitan University  (roxana.suehring@torontomu.ca)

Stefania Impellizzeri, Department of Chemistry and Biology, Toronto Metropolitan University  (simpellizzeri@torontomu.ca)