The penguin feathers as bioindicator of Antarctica environmental state

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 362; no. 1; pp. 259 - 265
• Main Authors: Metcheva, R., Yurukova, L., Teodorova, S., Nikolova, E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier B.V 01-06-2006; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Antarctic Regions; Antarctica; Applied ecology; Arsenic - analysis; Aves; Biological and medical sciences; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on vertebrates; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Feather; Feathers - chemistry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Heavy metals; Major essential elements; Marine; Marine and brackish environment; Metals - analysis; Phosphorus - analysis; Pygoscelis antarctica; Pygoscelis papua; Spheniscidae - metabolism; Sulfur - analysis; Trace elements; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Antarctica; Southern Ocean; Antarctic Regions; PS, Antarctica; Major essential elements; Pygoscelis papua; Feather; Antarctica; Pygoscelis antarctica; Trace elements; Heavy metals; Cadmium; Biological indicator; Biological monitoring; Heavy metal; Trace element; Vertebrata; South Shetland Islands; Water pollution; Polar region; Biological accumulation; Aves; Environmental monitoring; Chemical contamination
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2005.05.008

Concentrations of biogenic and toxic elements (Na, K, Mg, Ca, P, S, Fe, Cu, Zn, Co, Mn, Se, Ni, Sr, Al, Cd, Pb, As) were determined for the first time in feathers of gentoo penguin (
Pygoscelis papua) and chinstrap penguin (
Pygoscelis antarctica) from Antarctica. A comparison of element levels was performed among these species in years 2002–2003. Penguins molt annually and this fact allows defining precisely the concentrations of accumulated toxic elements and heavy metals in plumage every year. A continual environmental biomonitoring could establish a possible trend to contamination of the Antarctica sea zones. The penguin feather is an excellent subject for monitoring because penguins have long life span, permanent ecological niche and dominate the aviafauna in Antarctica. Because of its remoteness, Antarctica is believed to be unpolluted. The relatively elevated levels of Cd established are due to the Cd-enrichment of the Antarctic marine food chain. Because of great bioaccumulation of lead in feathers, the concentration of Pb in penguin feather was higher (4–8 times) compared to that of Cd. In both penguin species the levels of Zn were 1.9 times higher than respective Fe levels. The concentrations of most of the investigated elements were significantly higher in
P. papua than in
P. antarctica and this probably could be explained by the different diet and feeding habit of these species.