Bioaccumulation of potentially toxic trace elements in benthic organisms of Admiralty Bay (King George Island, Antarctica)

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 79; no. 1-2; pp. 321 - 325
• Main Authors: Majer, Alessandra Pereira, Petti, Mônica Angélica Varella, Corbisier, Thais Navajas, Ribeiro, Andreza Portella, Theophilo, Carolina Yume Sawamura, Ferreira, Paulo Alves de Lima, Figueira, Rubens Cesar Lopes
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 15.02.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Admiralty Bay; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Antarctic Regions; Antarctica; Applied ecology; Aquatic Organisms - metabolism; Bays; Bioaccumulation; Biological and medical sciences; Biomagnification; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Monitoring; Food Chain; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Invertebrates - metabolism; Marine and brackish environment; Metals - metabolism; Sea water ecosystems; Synecology; Trace elements; Trace Elements - metabolism; Water Pollutants, Chemical - metabolism; Antarctic Islands; Antarctica; Antarctic Regions; PSW, Antarctica, South Shetland Is., King George I; PS, Antarctica; PSW, Antarctica, South Shetland Is., King George I., Admiralty Bay; Trace elements; Antarctica; Bioaccumulation; Admiralty Bay; Biomagnification; Marine environment; Trace element; Benthic organism; Toxicity; Polar region; Bay; Biological accumulation
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.12.015

•Toxic metals were released in the 2012 fire in the Brazilian base at Admiralty Bay.•Potentially toxic metals were measured in eight Antarctic benthos species.•The bioaccumulation of As, Cd and Pb was verified in the studied species.•The biomagnification of Cd is suggested for the studied Antarctic food web. Data about the concentration, accumulation and transfer of potentially toxic elements in Antarctic marine food webs are essential for understanding the impacts of these elements, and for monitoring the pollution contribution of scientific stations, mainly in Admiralty Bay due to the 2012 fire in the Brazilian scientific station. Accordingly, the concentration of As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn was measured in eight benthic species collected in the 2005/2006 austral summer and the relationship between concentration and trophic position (indicated by δ15N values) was tested. A wide variation in metal content was observed depending on the species and the element. In the studied trophic positions, it was observed bioaccumulation for As, Cd and Pb, which are toxic elements with no biological function. In addition, Cd showed a positive relationship between concentration and trophic level suggesting the possible biomagnification of this element.