title: Microanalysis of metals in barbs of a snow petrel (Pagodroma Nivea) from the Antarctica using synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence.
abstract: For the first time synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SR-XRF) microanalysis was performed throughout the total length of 4 single barbs from the primaries and secondaries of a snow petrel (Pagodroma Nivea) collected in the Antarctica. Thirteen elements (S, Mg, K, Ca, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Sr, Ba, Hg and Pb) were detected somewhere in the barbs. Variations in levels of these elements within and among the barbs were obvious, indicating nonuniform microscale distributions. Factors influencing the fluctuations of the levels of the elements were investigated using a multivariate statistical analysis method. Five factors (F1 being associated with high loadings of Ca, Sr, and Ni, F2 with high loadings of Fe and Ba, F3 with high loadings of Se and Hg, F4 with high loadings of Ca and K, and F5 with high loadings of Zn and Pb) were found to explain about 80% of the total variance. Results from the factor analysis suggested external contamination of Fe, Ba, Pb, Zn and Hg on the feathers of the snow petrel.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Polar Environment, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, PR China. zqxie@ustc.edu.cn
authors.forename: Zhouqing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Pengfei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Liguang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Siqi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yuying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000864:Antarctic Regions; D001717:Birds; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D005241:Feathers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D008670:Metals