Trace metals in Antarctic organisms and the development of circumpolar biomonitoring networks
Our present knowledge of Antarctic ecosystems is probably still insufficient to interpret and monitor early ecologically significant effects of climate change and local or remote human activities. With regard to metals of toxicological and environmental concern, available data from snow samples indi...
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ftunivsiena:oai:usiena-air.unisi.it:11365/6376 2024-02-11T09:58:45+01:00 Trace metals in Antarctic organisms and the development of circumpolar biomonitoring networks BARGAGLI, R. Bargagli, R. 2001 STAMPA http://hdl.handle.net/11365/6376 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0161-5_2 eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000171629700002 volume:171 firstpage:53 lastpage:110 numberofpages:58 journal:REVIEWS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY http://hdl.handle.net/11365/6376 doi:10.1007/978-1-4613-0161-5_2 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-2942747455 info:eu-repo/semantics/article 2001 ftunivsiena https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0161-5_2 2024-01-23T23:20:48Z Our present knowledge of Antarctic ecosystems is probably still insufficient to interpret and monitor early ecologically significant effects of climate change and local or remote human activities. With regard to metals of toxicological and environmental concern, available data from snow samples indicate that their biogeochemical cycle only changed in restricted areas (within a few hundred meters or a few kilometers of human settlements). Only Pb and perhaps Cu show some perceptible indication of large-scale alterations caused by anthropogenic emissions in Antarctica and elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere. In any case, the Antarctic continent and surrounding Southern Ocean are in relatively pristine environmental condition. It has therefore been supposed for many years that because Antarctic organisms evolved in isolation, they were not exposed to and were not adapted to cope with enhanced bioavailability of toxic metals in their environment. Data summarized in this review seem to deny this supposition, showing widespread accumulation of two of the most toxic metals (Hg and Cd) in marine organisms (benthic and pelagic) and cryptogams from icefree areas of Victoria Land. There have been few studies on the ecotoxicology of metals in Antarctic organisms, but available data provide no evidence that these are more sensitive to metals than related species from temperate seas. Indeed, some of the highest concentrations of Hg and Cd ever reported have been measured in tissues of apparently healthy vertebrates from the Southern Ocean. As in other marine areas of enhanced upwelling, the surface waters of the Southern Ocean have high Cd concentrations in spring, at the beginning of the algal bloom, and the metal is adsorbed or absorbed by phytoplankton and zooplankton. Some species of crustaceans (e.g., caridean decapods and hyperiid amphipods), which are important components of the diet of cephalopods, seabirds, seals, and whales, have very high concentrations of Cd. This metal therefore accumulates in the liver (or ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Southern Ocean Victoria Land Università degli Studi di Siena: USiena air Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic Victoria Land 53 110 |
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Università degli Studi di Siena: USiena air |
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ftunivsiena |
language |
English |
description |
Our present knowledge of Antarctic ecosystems is probably still insufficient to interpret and monitor early ecologically significant effects of climate change and local or remote human activities. With regard to metals of toxicological and environmental concern, available data from snow samples indicate that their biogeochemical cycle only changed in restricted areas (within a few hundred meters or a few kilometers of human settlements). Only Pb and perhaps Cu show some perceptible indication of large-scale alterations caused by anthropogenic emissions in Antarctica and elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere. In any case, the Antarctic continent and surrounding Southern Ocean are in relatively pristine environmental condition. It has therefore been supposed for many years that because Antarctic organisms evolved in isolation, they were not exposed to and were not adapted to cope with enhanced bioavailability of toxic metals in their environment. Data summarized in this review seem to deny this supposition, showing widespread accumulation of two of the most toxic metals (Hg and Cd) in marine organisms (benthic and pelagic) and cryptogams from icefree areas of Victoria Land. There have been few studies on the ecotoxicology of metals in Antarctic organisms, but available data provide no evidence that these are more sensitive to metals than related species from temperate seas. Indeed, some of the highest concentrations of Hg and Cd ever reported have been measured in tissues of apparently healthy vertebrates from the Southern Ocean. As in other marine areas of enhanced upwelling, the surface waters of the Southern Ocean have high Cd concentrations in spring, at the beginning of the algal bloom, and the metal is adsorbed or absorbed by phytoplankton and zooplankton. Some species of crustaceans (e.g., caridean decapods and hyperiid amphipods), which are important components of the diet of cephalopods, seabirds, seals, and whales, have very high concentrations of Cd. This metal therefore accumulates in the liver (or ... |
author2 |
Bargagli, R. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
BARGAGLI, R. |
spellingShingle |
BARGAGLI, R. Trace metals in Antarctic organisms and the development of circumpolar biomonitoring networks |
author_facet |
BARGAGLI, R. |
author_sort |
BARGAGLI, R. |
title |
Trace metals in Antarctic organisms and the development of circumpolar biomonitoring networks |
title_short |
Trace metals in Antarctic organisms and the development of circumpolar biomonitoring networks |
title_full |
Trace metals in Antarctic organisms and the development of circumpolar biomonitoring networks |
title_fullStr |
Trace metals in Antarctic organisms and the development of circumpolar biomonitoring networks |
title_full_unstemmed |
Trace metals in Antarctic organisms and the development of circumpolar biomonitoring networks |
title_sort |
trace metals in antarctic organisms and the development of circumpolar biomonitoring networks |
publishDate |
2001 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/11365/6376 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0161-5_2 |
geographic |
Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic Victoria Land |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Southern Ocean The Antarctic Victoria Land |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Southern Ocean Victoria Land |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Southern Ocean Victoria Land |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/wos/WOS:000171629700002 volume:171 firstpage:53 lastpage:110 numberofpages:58 journal:REVIEWS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY http://hdl.handle.net/11365/6376 doi:10.1007/978-1-4613-0161-5_2 info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/scopus/2-s2.0-2942747455 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0161-5_2 |
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53 |
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110 |
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1790594489637666816 |