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Emerging Pollutants in Chinstrap Penguins and Krill from Deception Island (South Shetland Islands, Antarctica)
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Researchers detected perfluorinated compounds and phthalates in chinstrap penguin tissue and Antarctic krill from Deception Island, confirming that persistent organic pollutants have reached remote polar ecosystems and are accumulating through the food chain even in Antarctica.
This study aimed to evaluate the presence of emerging pollutants [perfluorinated compounds, phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA)] in chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica) and krill (Euphausia superba) from Deception Island (South Shetland Islands, Antarctica) to provide data on the occurrence of emerging pollutants in Antarctica. For this purpose, thirty-four samples were studied, including four samples of adult tissue and six samples of chick tissue, as well as krill samples from the area. The selected samples were subjected to extraction processes and subsequent analytical determination of perfluorooctane sulfonate, perfluorooctanoic acid, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and BPA using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Our results highlight that the analyzed organic pollutants, except for BPA, are clearly present in Pygoscelis antarctica and Euphausia superba from Deception Island.
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Researchers detected microplastics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals in subantarctic seabirds from remote breeding sites, finding contamination despite geographic isolation from direct pollution sources. The results confirm that oceanic and atmospheric transport pathways carry contaminants to even the most protected seabird habitats.
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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.
Presence of microplastics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals on subantarctic seabirds
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Researchers detected microplastics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals in subantarctic seabirds, finding contamination in species nesting in remote locations far from direct pollution sources. The findings indicate that ocean currents and atmospheric transport deliver contaminants to even the most isolated seabird colonies.
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Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.