Baseline mercury and zinc concentrations in terrestrial and coastal organisms of Admiralty Bay, Antarctica.
This paper provides the first quantitative information on mercury in soil, coastal sediment, and in characteristic organisms of terrestrial and shallow coastal marine ecosystems from Admiralty Bay (King George Island, Antarctica). As expected for a remote area, mercury content is low in abiotic components of the ecosystem, and probably similar to natural levels. Mercury also occurs in very low concentrations in the vegetation, invertebrates and fish. These low mercury levels may be due to sulphide formation in reducing sediments of this environment. Higher concentrations of mercury occurred in bird feathers and mammal hair, indicating biomagnification. This was not found for Zinc. These results may be useful as a reference background to detect future inputs of trace elements in this remote area of the earth. Terrestrial vegetation and bird feathers are suggested as target regional biomonitors.
dos Santos
Isaac Rodrigues
IR
Departamento de Geoquímica, Universidade Federal Fluminense, 24020-007 Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
Silva-Filho
Emmanoel Vieira
EV
Schaefer
Carlos
C
Maria Sella
Silvia
S
Silva
Carlos A
CA
Gomes
Vicente
V
Passos
Maria José de A C R
MJ
Van Ngan
Phan
P
D000818:Animals; D000864:Antarctic Regions; D044822:Biodiversity; D001717:Birds; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D005399:Fishes; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000737:chemistry*; D007501:Iron / Q000032:analysis; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis*
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014131:Trace Elements; D007501:Iron; D008628:Mercury; D015032:Zinc