title: Concentration of trace elements in feathers of three Antarctic penguins: geographical and interspecific differences.
abstract: Antarctica is often considered as one of the last pristine regions, but it could be affected by pollution at global and local scale. Concentrations of Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd and Pb were determinated by ICP-MS in feathers (n = 207 individuals) of gentoo, chinstrap and Adélie penguin collected in 8 locations throughout the Antarctic Peninsula (2006-2007). The highest levels of several elements were found in samples from King George Island (8.08, 20.29 and 1.76 μg g(-1) dw for Cr, Cu and Pb, respectively) and Deception Island (203.13, 3.26 and 164.26 μg g(-1) dw for Al, Mn and Fe, respectively), where probably human activities and large-scale transport of pollutants contribute to increase metal levels. Concentrations of Cr, Mn, Cu, Se or Pb, which are similar to others found in different regions of the world, show that some areas in Antarctica are not utterly pristine.
authors.affiliation: Área de Toxicología, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain. tatiana.wuytack@ua.ac.be
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jerez
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Motas
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Palacios
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Valera
authors.forename: José Javier
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Cuervo
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barbosa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000864:Antarctic Regions; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000032:analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D005241:Feathers / Q000737:chemistry*; D046429:Spheniscidae / Q000378:metabolism*; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D014131:Trace Elements