Element concentrations of environmental concern in surface sediment samples from a broad marine area of 25 de Mayo (King George) Island, South Shetland Islands

CURTOSI, ANTONIO; HERNÁNDEZ, EDGARDO A.; CURTOSI, ANTONIO; HERNÁNDEZ, EDGARDO A.; PELLETIER, EMILIEN; MAC CORMACK W.P.; PELLETIER, EMILIEN; MAC CORMACK W.P.; VODOPIVEZ, CRISTIAN L.; SPAIRANI, LEONARDO U.; VODOPIVEZ, CRISTIAN L.; SPAIRANI, LEONARDO U.

SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2019 vol. 646 p. 757 - 769

0048-9697

WesternAntarctica (WA) constitutes the area with the highest human presence in thewhite continent and also the region where the effects of global warming aremore evident worldwide. Such human presence represents a potential risk ofpollution with both, organic and inorganic contaminants. Global warming alsocould modify dynamics and transport of the pollutants, increasing summer waterrunoff, ice melting and iceberg scouring. Under this fast-changing scenario,knowledge about the concentration of contaminants is essential to evaluate the environmentalstatus of this ecologically relevant area. In this work, we performed the firstregional-scale monitoring of 9 trace elements (Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Pb, Cdand Hg), as well as Fe and Mn, in surface sediment from 64 sites comprising sixdifferent areas in Maxwell Bay, 25 de Mayo (King George) Island. Targetelements were quantified in surface sediment samples (20-30 m depth) obtainedduring two summer Antarctic expeditions: 2010/11 and 2011/12 by inductivelycoupled plasma linked to a quadrupole mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). Based on theaverage values observed for the reference areas, baseline values were definedfor the studied region. A regional enrichment in Cu (compared with the globalmean upper crust) was observed and related to the widespread mineralization ofvolcanic rocks. The most anthropized area (South Fildes)mainly showed sediment class 3 (moderately polluted) for Pb, Cd and Hg with anumber samples revealing some highly contaminated hot spots. Although elementalcontamination in some samples close to scientific stations or sites wherelogistic operations were evidenced, a pollution pattern was not clearlyidentified. The present work represents the first regional-scale attempt todefine the basal levels and the anthropic impacts in this region of the WA andalso provides the first data about Hg levels in surface sediment of the studyarea.