《Assessment of trace metals in droppings of Adélie penguins Pygoscelis adeliae from different locations of the Antarctic Peninsula area》.pdfVIP

•Article • Advances in Polar Science doi: 10.13679/j.advps.2015.1.00001 March 2015 Vol. 26 No. 1: 1-7 Assessment of trace metals in droppings of Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) from different locations of the Antarctic Peninsula area 1* 2 2 1 José E. Celis , Winfred Espejo , Ricardo Barra , Daniel Gonzalez-Acuña , 1 2 Francisca Gonzalez Solange Jara 1 Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 537, Chillán, Chile; 2 Facultad de Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile Received 6 August 2014; accepted 7 January 2015 Abstract In recent decades, polar regions of the planet have witnessed an increase in human presence. Antarctica is considered one of the most pristine regions of the world, but it could be affected by pollution owing to anthropogenic activities, particularly in the Antarctic Peninsula. Human presence can increase the levels of some trace metals in Antarctic environments, an issue that needs to be evaluated. To acquire data of trace metal contamination in the Antarctic Peninsula region, concentrations (dry weight) of Cd, Pb, As, Cu, Hg and Zn in fresh excrement of Adélie penguins were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. During the 2012/2013 austral summer, samples were collected from four important nesting sites on the Antarctic Peninsula: Arctowski Base, Kopaitic Island (both sites in the northern Antarctic Peninsula), Yalour Isl