Concentration of fifty-six elements in excreta of penguins from the Antarctic Peninsula area

José E. Celis; Winfred Espejo; Gustavo Chiang; Daiki Kitamura; Shosaku Kashiwada; Nelson J. O'Driscoll

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115133

Concentration of fifty-six elements in excreta of penguins from the Antarctic Peninsula area

José E. Celis, Winfred Espejo, Gustavo Chiang, Daiki Kitamura, Shosaku Kashiwada, Nelson J. O'Driscoll

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Seabird feces as indicators of the exposure to environmental contaminants have been studied worldwide. Penguins are indicator species for marine pollution, but their role as biovectors of rare earth elements (REEs) to ecosystems have been little studied. The present study quantified the concentration of REEs and trace elements (TEs) in feces of gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua). Adult penguin excreta from Fildes Bay (King George Island) and Yelcho Base (Palmer Archipelago) were collected and then analyzed by ICP-MS. Among REEs, levels ranged from 0.0038 to 1.02 μg g⁻¹ d.w. for Lu and Ce, respectively. For TEs, the levels varied widely through the sample set, with Al, Fe, Sr, Zn and Ti as the highest mean levels, particularly at Fildes Bay. The data show that gentoo penguins act as a biovector organism by transporting TEs and REEs from the sea to land via excreta, reaffirming that this species acts as an important biovector organism in Antarctic ecosystems. The potential impacts of this process on Antarctic ecosystems needs further research.

Original language	English
Article number	115133
Journal	Marine Pollution Bulletin
Volume	192
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115133
Publication status	Published - Jul 2023

Keywords

Emerging contaminants
Excrement
Heavy metals
REEs
Seabirds
Southern Hemisphere
Trace elements

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Oceanography
Aquatic Science
Pollution

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115133

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title = "Concentration of fifty-six elements in excreta of penguins from the Antarctic Peninsula area",

abstract = "Seabird feces as indicators of the exposure to environmental contaminants have been studied worldwide. Penguins are indicator species for marine pollution, but their role as biovectors of rare earth elements (REEs) to ecosystems have been little studied. The present study quantified the concentration of REEs and trace elements (TEs) in feces of gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua). Adult penguin excreta from Fildes Bay (King George Island) and Yelcho Base (Palmer Archipelago) were collected and then analyzed by ICP-MS. Among REEs, levels ranged from 0.0038 to 1.02 μg g−1 d.w. for Lu and Ce, respectively. For TEs, the levels varied widely through the sample set, with Al, Fe, Sr, Zn and Ti as the highest mean levels, particularly at Fildes Bay. The data show that gentoo penguins act as a biovector organism by transporting TEs and REEs from the sea to land via excreta, reaffirming that this species acts as an important biovector organism in Antarctic ecosystems. The potential impacts of this process on Antarctic ecosystems needs further research.",

keywords = "Emerging contaminants, Excrement, Heavy metals, REEs, Seabirds, Southern Hemisphere, Trace elements",

author = "Celis, {Jos{\'e} E.} and Winfred Espejo and Gustavo Chiang and Daiki Kitamura and Shosaku Kashiwada and O'Driscoll, {Nelson J.}",

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year = "2023",

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doi = "10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115133",

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AU - Celis, José E.

AU - Espejo, Winfred

AU - Chiang, Gustavo

AU - Kitamura, Daiki

AU - Kashiwada, Shosaku

AU - O'Driscoll, Nelson J.

PY - 2023/7

Y1 - 2023/7

N2 - Seabird feces as indicators of the exposure to environmental contaminants have been studied worldwide. Penguins are indicator species for marine pollution, but their role as biovectors of rare earth elements (REEs) to ecosystems have been little studied. The present study quantified the concentration of REEs and trace elements (TEs) in feces of gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua). Adult penguin excreta from Fildes Bay (King George Island) and Yelcho Base (Palmer Archipelago) were collected and then analyzed by ICP-MS. Among REEs, levels ranged from 0.0038 to 1.02 μg g−1 d.w. for Lu and Ce, respectively. For TEs, the levels varied widely through the sample set, with Al, Fe, Sr, Zn and Ti as the highest mean levels, particularly at Fildes Bay. The data show that gentoo penguins act as a biovector organism by transporting TEs and REEs from the sea to land via excreta, reaffirming that this species acts as an important biovector organism in Antarctic ecosystems. The potential impacts of this process on Antarctic ecosystems needs further research.

AB - Seabird feces as indicators of the exposure to environmental contaminants have been studied worldwide. Penguins are indicator species for marine pollution, but their role as biovectors of rare earth elements (REEs) to ecosystems have been little studied. The present study quantified the concentration of REEs and trace elements (TEs) in feces of gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua). Adult penguin excreta from Fildes Bay (King George Island) and Yelcho Base (Palmer Archipelago) were collected and then analyzed by ICP-MS. Among REEs, levels ranged from 0.0038 to 1.02 μg g−1 d.w. for Lu and Ce, respectively. For TEs, the levels varied widely through the sample set, with Al, Fe, Sr, Zn and Ti as the highest mean levels, particularly at Fildes Bay. The data show that gentoo penguins act as a biovector organism by transporting TEs and REEs from the sea to land via excreta, reaffirming that this species acts as an important biovector organism in Antarctic ecosystems. The potential impacts of this process on Antarctic ecosystems needs further research.

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KW - Heavy metals

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Concentration of fifty-six elements in excreta of penguins from the Antarctic Peninsula area

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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