Is Antarctica, considered the driest, windiest and coldest region on the planet and, therefore, traditionally inaccessible to man, a victim of pollution? A team of researchers from the University of Murcia, the Arid Zones Experimental Station and the National Museum of Natural Sciences of the CSIC have evaluated the impact that human activity produces in the Antarctic environment, studying the effects of
Adelie, Chinstrap and Gentoo penguin specieswithin the PINGUCLIM project. Taking samples in the feathers of 207 penguins, collected in eight locations distributed throughout the Antarctic peninsula, they have measured the concentrations of various elements such as aluminum, chromium, manganese, iron, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, selenium, cadmium and lead.
The results reflect that there is aincreased heavy metal pollution from the south to the north of the Antarctic Peninsula. It is in this area where most of the human activities in Antarctica are concentrated, both due to the development of scientific activity and the increase in the presence of tourists. Specifically, the South Shetlands are the highest levels of varioustoxic elements such as chromium, manganese, copper, lead or selenium in the feathers of these birds.
These levels are also similar to those found in other, a priori, more polluted regions of the planet, showing that some areas of Antarctica are not free of contamination. Human activity at the local level, but also through theglobal pollutant transport, seem to be responsible.
