Heavy Metals Contamination in Century-Old Manmade Technosols of Hope Bay, Antarctic Peninsula

Author(s)

Bueno Guerra, Marcelo Braga ^[1] ; Schaefer, Carlos Ernesto G. R. ^[2] ; Rosa, Paula de Freitas ^[1] ; Simas, Felipe N. B. ^[2] ; Pereira, Thiago T. C. ^[2] ; Pereira-Filho, Edenir Rodrigues ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed Sao Carlos, UFSCar, Grp Appl Instrumental Anal, Dept Chem, BR-13565905 Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Vicosa, UFV, Dept Soil Sci, BR-36570000 Vicosa, MG - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: WATER AIR AND SOIL POLLUTION; v. 222, n. 1-4, p. 91-102, NOV 2011.
• Web of Science Citations: 18

Abstract

Technosols are anthropogenic soils that may be strongly impacted by heavy metal deposition, which have not yet been described in Antarctica. In this paper, we present a chemical study of what is supposedly the oldest manmade soil from Antarctic Peninsula, developed in the vicinity of Trinity House and Nordenskjold Hut at Hope Bay. Chemical and morphological soil attributes indicate that a former ornithogenic site (penguin rookery) was further subjected to human disturbance, following local exploration since 1903. We detected very high amounts of heavy metals such as Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn. For the most impacted site, pseudototal concentrations of these elements reach 47, 2,082, 19,381, and 5,225 mg kg(-1), respectively. Enrichment factors were calculated using Zr as reference element, and high values were found for these contaminated sites, qualifying some of them as extremely polluted. Also, both the mobilizable and mobile fraction of Cd and Pb indicate the need of intervention in the affected area. These findings are all consistent with the human impacts and strong contamination. Strong positive correlation between the pseudototal concentrations of Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn indicates a similar source of pollution. These soils may represent the oldest Technosols in Antarctic Continent. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 07/04515-4 - Combination of atomic absorption spectrometry with sequential determination and thermospray flame furnace atomic absorption spectrometry
• Grantee: Edenir Rodrigues Pereira Filho
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 09/09481-6 - Evaluation of cupper, manganese and zinc concentrations in Antartica soils using sequential extraction and chemometric tools
• Grantee: Paula de Freitas Rosa Remiro
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• FAPESP's process: 08/08260-3 - Chemical analyses of environmental samples from Antartica: spectrometric determination of Cd, Cr, Ni and Pb, use of micro X-Ray fluorescence with synchrotron radiation and application of chemometric tools
• Grantee: Marcelo Braga Bueno Guerra
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)