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Plastic in regurgitated pellets and mercury contamination of skua chicks on the Antarctic Peninsula
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Scientists studying seabird chicks in Antarctica found that the more plastic bits in their stomachs, the higher the mercury levels in their blood — suggesting plastic waste may be a hidden pathway for toxic metals to enter animals' bodies, not just a physical hazard. This matters because it hints that plastic pollution and heavy metal contamination may be more connected than we realized, a concern that could extend to the seafood humans eat too, since mercury and microplastics both travel up the food chain.
Plastic pollution represents a widespread threat to marine ecosystems. As top predators, seabirds are capable of ingesting substantial amounts of plastic waste, which can cause physical harm and may serve as a route for heavy metal contamination, with potential repercussions on physiology and body condition. This study investigates plastic in regurgitated pellets of brown skua Stercorarius antarcticus and south polar skua S. maccormicki chicks at Bahía Esperanza/Hope Bay, Antarctic Peninsula, and its association with blood total mercury (THg) concentrations, trophic ecology, anthropogenic activity and health markers. Regurgitated pellets (n = 445) were collected from active nests during the chick-rearing period and the plastic content was analyzed (occurrence, size, color and polymer composition). Additionally, THg concentrations and stable isotopes of carbon (δC) and nitrogen (δN), which are proxies of foraging habitat and trophic level, respectively, were determined in the blood of fully fledged chicks (n = 39). A total of 33 plastics were identified in pellets, with pink and polyvinyl chloride being the most common color (45.4%) and polymer (69.7%), respectively. A significant positive relationship was found between blood THg concentrations and the number of plastic in pellets and their surface area. Chicks with higher blood THg concentrations were fed with prey from terrestrial-coastal areas, rather than offshore/pelagic prey. Additionally, increased glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase activity was associated with higher blood THg concentrations. Based on these findings, our hypothesis is that interaction with plastics may act as an alternative exposure route of Hg to seabirds.
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Microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in Antarctica: Using penguins as biological samplers
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Researchers used penguin fecal samples collected from three species across the Antarctic Peninsula over seven breeding seasons to assess microplastic ingestion in these seabirds. Finding microplastics in Antarctic penguin feces confirms that plastic pollution has reached even remote polar food webs, with krill serving as a potential pathway for transferring microplastics to penguins.
Microplastics in Antarctic krill from the Antarctic Peninsula: distribution, composition, and exposure
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Scientists found tiny plastic particles called microplastics inside Antarctic krill, the small shrimp-like creatures that many ocean animals eat. The plastic pollution was widespread across different areas of Antarctica, with larger krill containing more plastic particles than smaller ones. This matters because krill are a key food source in ocean food chains, meaning these plastics could work their way up to fish and other seafood that humans eventually eat.
Species-, feeding type- and habitat-dependent intake of microplastics by Arctic and Antarctic marine invertebrates
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Scientists found tiny plastic bits (microplastics) in sea creatures living in remote Arctic and Antarctic waters — places far from major cities and factories — showing that plastic pollution has spread even to the most untouched corners of our oceans. Since these small creatures are eaten by fish and other animals up the food chain, this pollution could work its way toward the seafood many people eat, though more research is needed to understand exactly how much risk this poses to human health.
A critical review on synergistic toxicity: Plastics as “Trojan-Horses” for mercury biomagnification in polar avian predators
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This review paper summarizes existing research on whether microplastics act as "carriers" that increase mercury's harmful effects in polar seabirds like penguins, albatrosses, and petrels. Lab studies found aged microplastics increased mercury buildup and toxicity in animals, while field studies in wild birds also linked plastic ingestion to higher mercury levels, though results across studies were not always consistent.
Microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in Antarctica: Using penguins as biological samplers
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Researchers analyzed stomach contents of three Antarctic penguin species for microplastics and other anthropogenic particles, finding MPs in all three species and suggesting that penguins could serve as biological samplers to track plastic pollution trends in remote polar waters.
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