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Teachers at the University of Murcia and Miguel Jerez Silvia Motas have found traces of heavy metals and trace elements in feathers of three species of Antarctic penguins: Adelie, Chinstrap and Gentoo.
Researchers have used the feathers of penguins 207 distributed throughout the Antarctic Peninsula extremely sensitive analytical technique and reliable, with the found concentrations of aluminum, chromium, manganese, iron, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, selenium, cadmium and lead.
The results indicate that Antarctica is not without pollution and in southern areas, which accounts for most human activities, both scientific activity and the increase of tourism, pollution levels are similar to those of other a priori regions of the world's most polluted.
Human activity locally, but also through the transport of global pollutants, appear to be responsible.
The research, which involved the Arid Zone Research Station and the National Museum of Natural Sciences, CSIC, is published in the journal Environmental Pollution, specializing in environmental processes and effects of pollutants.
In addition, Professor Silvia Jerez has been recognized with honors from the Wildlife Society for his studies of Antarctic penguins.
Source: Universidad de Murcia
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