Arctic seabirds transport marine-derived contaminants.
Long-range atmospheric transport of pollutants is generally assumed to be the main vector for arctic contamination, because local pollution sources are rare. We show that arctic seabirds, which occupy high trophic levels in marine food webs, are the dominant vectors for the transport of marine-derived contaminants to coastal ponds. The sediments of ponds most affected by seabirds had 60 times higher DDT, 25 times higher mercury, and 10 times higher hexachlorobenzene concentrations than nearby control sites. Bird guano greatly stimulates biological productivity in these extreme environments but also serves as a major source of industrial and agricultural pollutants in these remote ecosystems.
Blais
Jules M
JM
Centre for Advanced Research in Environmental Genomics, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5 Canada. jblais@science.uottawa.ca
Kimpe
Lynda E
LE
McMahon
Dominique
D
Keatley
Bronwyn E
BE
Mallory
Mark L
ML
Douglas
Marianne S V
MS
Smol
John P
JP
D000818:Animals; D001110:Arctic Regions; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology; D003634:DDT / Q000032:analysis; D017753:Ecosystem; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene / Q000032:analysis; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D011157:Population Dynamics
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D006581:Hexachlorobenzene; D003634:DDT; D008628:Mercury