Assessment of trace metals in droppings of Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) from different locations of the Antarctic Peninsula area

In recent decades, polar regions of the planet have witnessed an increase in human presence. Antarctica is considered one of the most pristine regions of the world, but it could be affected by pollution owing to anthropogenic activities, particularly in the Antarctic Peninsula. Human presence can increase the levels of some trace metals in Antarctic environments, an issue that needs to be evaluated. To acquire data of trace metal contamination in the Antarctic Peninsula region, concentrations (dry weight) of Cd, Pb, As, Cu, Hg and Zn in fresh excrement of Adélie penguins were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. During the 2012/2013 austral summer, samples were collected from four important nesting sites on the Antarctic Peninsula: Arctowski Base, Kopaitic Island (both sites in the northern Antarctic Peninsula), Yalour Island and Avian Island (both sites in the southern Antarctic Peninsula). Data showed that Adélie penguin excreta had significantly higher levels (mg·kg-1) of As, Cd, Hg, Pb and Cu at Arctowski Base and Kopaitic Island, both sites that have major anthropogenic activities that probably contributed to increased metal levels. The levels of trace metals in Adélie penguins were similar to those reported in excreta of Antarctic species in previous studies, and lower than those in excreta of other Antarctic animals. Data suggest that metals ingested by these penguin species that feed in the sea, end up in terrestrial ecosystems

Biomagnification of Tantalum through Diverse Aquatic Food Webs

Tantalum (Ta) is a technology-critical element (TCE) that is growing in global demand because of its use in electronic and medical devices, capacitors, aircraft, and hybrid cars. Despite its economic relevance, little is known about its environmental concentrations and the trophodynamics of Ta in aquatic food webs have not been studied. Invertebrates and fishes from coastal marine food webs representing different climatic zones in northwestern Chile, western Chilean Patagonia, and the Antarctic Peninsula were sampled and analyzed for Ta. The trophic level (TL) of species was assessed with nitrogen stable isotopes (δ¹⁵N), and carbon stable isotopes (δ¹³C) were used to trace energy flow in the food webs. Levels of Ta varied among taxa and sites, with the highest values found in fishes (0.53–44.48 ng g^–1dry weight) and the lowest values found in invertebrates (0.11–7.80 n ng g^–1dry weight). The values of δ¹³C ranged from −11.79 to −25.66 ‰. Ta biomagnified in all four aquatic food webs, with slopes of log Ta versus TL ranging from 0.16 to 0.60. This has important implications as little is known about its potential toxicity and there may be increased demand for TCEs such as Ta in the future

Persistence, bioaccumulation and vertical transfer of pollutants in long-finned pilot whales stranded in Chilean Patagonia

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