Polybrominated diphenyl ethers,polychlorinated dibenzo-dioxins,-furans,and-biphenyls in three species of antarctic penguins

Background, Aims and Scope Fish-eating seabirds are recognized to be at risk of accumulating toxic contaminants due to their high position in the trophic web and to their low ability to metabolize xenobiotic compounds. Penguins are widely distributed in Antarctica and represent an important fraction of the Antarctic biomass. They feed mainly on krill and, depending on krill availability, also on fish. It has been reported that predators may be a sink for volatile and toxic chemicals and this may pose a serious environmental problem. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), polychlorinated dibenzo-dioxins (PCDDs),-furans (PCDFs), and-biphenyls (PCBs), including non-ortho congeners, hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and p,p′-DDE, were quantified in three species of Antarctic Pygoscelids in order to evaluate their accumulation patterns. The potential toxicity of twenty-two dioxin-like congeners was assessed and expressed as 2,3,7,8-tetraCDD equivalents (TEQs). Differences between males and females were investigated. Methods Blood samples of the Adélie penguin Pygoscelis adeliae, Chinstrap penguin Pygoscelis antarctica and Gentoo penguin Pygoscelis papua were collected at Admiralty Bay, King George Is (62°10′39″ S, 58°26′46″ W) in February 2004. Halogenated hydrocarbons were identified and quantified using gas chromatography coupled with gas chromatography mass spectrometry analyses. Results are expressed on a wet weight basis. Results and Discussion HCB, p,p′-DDE and ΣPCBs were higher in Adélie penguins (6.7±6.1, 8.2±3.3 and 9.8±3.8 ng/g, respectively) than in Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins, both of which showed values in the same order of magnitude, but approximately 40% lower than Adélie penguins. Hexa-CBs ranged 35–45% of the residue. Low-chlorinated PCBs (nos. 70+76+95+56+60+101) accounted for 40–60% in the three species. PCB101 made up 15% of the residue in Adélie penguins. PBDEs were 291±477, 107±104 and 116±108 pg/g in Adélie, Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins, respectively; the most abundant congeners were BDE47 in Adélie and Chinstrap penguins and BDE17 in Gentoo penguins. PCDDs were 22±32, 6.5±7.4 and 18±23 pg/g in Adélie, Chinstrap and Gentoo penguins, respectively. PCDFs were higher in Adélie penguins and lower in Chinstrap penguins. PCDDs/Fs and PBDEs were higher in males than in females of Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins; differences in concentrations were likely related to the partial detoxification that occurs in females during egg formation. Of the four non-ortho PCBs measured, PCB126 occurred at the highest concentrations and contributed the majority of the non-ortho PCB-TEQ in Gentoo and Chinstrap penguins. The highest TEQs were found in the Gentoo penguin and due mainly to PCDDs and non-ortho PCBs. Conclusions POP concentrations in penguins were lower than those found in seabird species from other areas of the world. Different chemical accumulation patterns were observed in relation to species and sex; the Adélie penguin showed the highest POP levels. Dissimilar ecological or metabolic features may be involved; the diverse timing of reproduction steps can be responsible for those differences; moreover, Adélie penguins feed on krill (a fatty resource) more abundantly than the other two species during the rearing period. Recommendation and Outlook The South Shetland Islands might be subjected to a higher chemical impact with respect to the rest of Antarctica, due to their being near South America. Because penguins are fish-eating birds showing low detoxifying capacities and key-species in Antarctic ecosystems, further studies on their xenobiotic metabolism should be carried out.     

南极冰盖冻融的时空分析

采用改进的小波变换的南极冰盖冻融探测算法,利用微波辐射计1978~2013年的SMMR和SSM/I数据对南极冰盖冻融状况进行监测,分析了南极冰盖近34年的整体冻融时空变化特征,结果表明:从空间分布来看,南极冰盖的融化区域主要分布在南极边缘的各个冰架区,融化强度受地物覆盖类型、地理位置和海拔等因素的影响;从时间分布上来看,南极冰盖的融化面积年际变化较大,1991年的融化面积最大,为1518750km2,1999年融化面积最小,为565000km2,且融化面积的年际变化具有周期性;南极冰盖的融化具有很强的季节性,融化一般集中在11月至次年2月,在1月达到融化顶峰.     

Stimulation of gaseous phosphine production from Antarctic seabird guanos and ornithogenic soils

Matrix-bound phosphine (MBP) is a general term used to indicate non-gaseous reduced phosphorus compounds that are transformed into phosphine gas upon reaction with bases or acids. Antarctic seabird guanos and ornithogenic soils were used as materials to compare the different digestion methods for transforming matrix-bound phosphine into phosphine gas. The results demonstrated that more phosphine gas in most of Antarctic environmental materials was formed of matrix-bound phosphine by caustic digestion than by acidic digestion. The comparative study on different digestion methods also revealed that the fraction of MBP converted to gaseous phosphine during the digestion depended on the temperature. The optimal digestion temperature was close to 70℃ and the optimal digestion time was about 20 min. Acidic conditions were more favorable for the release of matrix-bound phosphine compared to the central[u1] conditions. The proper additional water dilution can increase the production and emission of phosphine from the Antarctic penguin guanos.     

Monitoring atmospheric nitrous oxide background concentrations at Zhongshan Station, east Antarctica

At present,continuous observation data for atmospheric nitrous oxide(N_2O) concentrations are still lacking,especially in east Antarctica.In this paper,nitrous oxide background concentrations were measured at Zhongshan Station(69°22′25″S,76°22′14″E),east Antarctica during the period of 2008–2012,and their interannual and seasonal characteristics were analyzed and discussed.The mean N_2O concentration was 321.9 n L/L with the range of 320.5–324.8 n L/L during the five years,and it has been increasing at a rate of 0.29% year-1.Atmospheric N_2O concentrations showed a strong seasonal fluctuation during these five years.The concentrations appeared to follow a downtrend from spring to autumn,and then increased in winter.Generally the highest concentrations occurred in spring.This trend was very similar to that observed at other global observation sites.The overall N_2O concentration at the selected global sites showed an increasing annual trend,and the mean N_2O concentration in the Northern Hemisphere was slightly higher than that in the Southern Hemisphere.Our result could be representative of atmospheric N_2O background levels at the global scale.This study provided valuable data for atmospheric N_2O concentrations in east Antarctica,which is important to study on the relationships between N2 O emissions and climate change.     

南极企鹅粪土地层、机体组织与卵中POPs含量分布及其生态环境意义

对南极阿德雷岛企鹅栖息地粪土混合地层进行210Pb定年,同时采用气相色谱－电子捕获检测器 (GC－ECD)内标定量法测定了企鹅栖息地粪土混合地层及其机体组织中的有机氯污染物分布.结果表明:粪土混合地层中表层的有机氯污染物含量最高,w(PCBs),w(HCHs)和w(DDTs)分别为0.92,0.42和0.70 ng/g. 与非栖息地的比较表明,通过有鸟类活动的粪土混合地层(营巢和粪便)输入的PCBs和OCPs比无鸟类生命途径的高. 因此,海鸟成为将有机氯污染物带到南极大陆的媒介和途径. 有机氯污染物主要分布在企鹅机体的脂质和脂肪中,其中脂肪和尾臀腺中的含量最高,脂肪中w(PCBs),w(HCB),w(HCHs) 和w(DDTs)分别为126.9～277.0,43.2～197.0, 未检出～20.7 和79.4～110.1 ng/g. 蛋卵中w(PCBs), w(DDTs),w(HCB)和w(HCHs)分别为0.4～0.9,2.4～10.3,6.0～10.2和0.1～0.4 ng/g,总积蓄水平依次为HCB>DDTs>PCBs>HCHs. 对比PCBs在企鹅体内的积累与排出(粪土和产卵)过程可知,前者占主导地位.在南极企鹅机体组织和卵中检出PCBs和OCPs表明,有机氯农药可在鸟类动物体内积累与代间转移,在相当长的时期内难以消除.      

Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis fingerprinting of soil bacteria in the vicinity of the Chinese Great Wall Station, King George Island, Antarctica

Bacterial diversity was investigated in soil samples collected from 13 sites around the Great Wall Station, Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica, using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of 16S rRNA genes. The classes α-, β-, and γ-Proteobacteria, as well as the phylum Actinobacteria, were found to be the dominant bacteria in the soils around the Great Wall Station. Although the selected samples were not contaminated by oil, a relationship between soil parameters, microbial biodiversity, and human impact was still seen. Sample sites in human impacted areas showed lower bacterial biodiversity (average H′= 2.65) when compared to nonimpacted sites (average H′= 3.05). There was no statistically significant correlation between soil bacterial diversity and total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen, or total phosphorus contents of the soil. Canonical correlation analysis showed that TOC content was the most important factor determining bacterial community profiles among the measured soil parameters. In conclusion, microbial biodiversity and community characteristics within relatively small scales (1.5 km) were determined as a function of local environment parameters and anthropogenic impact.     

Body mass and parental decisions in the Antarctic petrel Thalassoica antarctica : how long should the parents guard the chick?

In Procellariiformes, the parents guard the chick after it has attained homeothermy. This strategy may reduce the probability that a small chick is taken by predators, but is costly as only one parent can forage at a time. The decision to leave the chick may therefore be a compromise between the chick's vulnerability to predators, the body condition of the parent on the nest and whether the foraging parent returns in time. We studied how the number of days that parents guarded the chick was related to the body mass of the parent at the nest and the time the foraging parent spent at sea in the Antarctic petrel Thalassoica antarctica. We also examined how the body mass of the parent on the nest and the duration of the foraging trips influenced the chicks' body condition at the end of the guarding period. When the foraging parent did not return to the nest in time to relieve its mate, the number of days the parent on the nest kept guarding the chick was positively related to its body mass on arrival in the colony. The number of days the foraging parent spent at sea was positively related to the body mass of its mate, but those that returned in time had a shorter stay at sea relative to their mate's body mass than those that did not return before their mate had left. Apparently, both the body mass of the parent at the nest and the ability of the foraging parent to adjust its stay at sea to the mate's body mass is important for the number of days the parents guard the chick and also the chick's body condition at this point. The inability to return to the nest before the mate has left may be the result of needing a minimum amount of time at sea to find food, or because some parents having low foraging success and therefore prolong their stay at sea. Received: 10 October 1997 / Accepted after revision: 14 March 1998     

Persistent organic pollutants in soils and sediments from James Ross Island, Antarctica

Soil and sediment samples from James Ross Island were analyzed for their PCB, OCP and PAH contents. Soil concentrations ranged between 0.51 and 1.82 ng g(-1) for seven indicator PCB congeners, between 0.49 and 1.34 ng g(-1) for HCH congeners, between 0.51 and 3.68 ng g(-1) for the sum of p,p'-DDT, DDE, and DDD, and between 34.9 and 171 ng g(-1) for the sum of 16 EPA PAHs. Sediment levels from 0.32 to 0.83 ng g(-1) were found for PCBs, from 0.14 to 0.76 ng g(-1) for HCHs, from 0.19 to 1.15 ng g(-1) for DDTs, and from 1.4 to 205 ng g(-1) for PAHs. A prevalence of low-mass PAHs, less chlorinated PCBs, and more volatile chemicals indicates that the long-range atmospheric transport from populated areas of Africa, South America, and Australia is the most probable contamination source for the solid matrices in James Ross Island.     

Historical record of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCPs) in marine sediment cores from Admiralty Bay, King George Island, Antarctica

This paper describes the first results of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCPs) in sediment cores of Admiralty Bay, Antarctica. These markers were used to assess the local input of anthropogenic materials (particulate and organic compounds) as a result of the influence of human occupation in a sub-Antarctic region and a possible long-range atmospheric transport of combustion products from sources in South America. The highest SCPs and PAHs concentrations were observed during the last 30 years, when three research stations were built in the area and industrial activities in South America increased. The concentrations of SCPs and PAHs were much lower than those of other regions in the northern hemisphere and other reported data for the southern hemisphere. The PAH isomer ratios showed that the major sources of PAHs are fossil fuels/petroleum, biomass combustion and sewage contribution generally close to the Brazilian scientific station.     

南极菲尔德斯半岛空气微生物含量初报

南极菲尔德斯半岛外空气微生物的采样站分作３种类型，类型Ｉ．科考站及附近区域，类型Ⅱ．大型动物出没区，类型Ⅲ大型动物少，且保持荒凉状态区，结果显示，Ｉ类型区室外空气微生物含量明显高于Ⅲ类型区，平均Ｉ区有４９９４ｃｆｕ．ｍ＾－３，Ⅲ区仅１６ｃｕｆ．ｍ＾－３，结果提示，菲尔德斯半岛空气微生物已受到人类活动的干扰。