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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Mar. Sci.
Sec. Marine Pollution
Volume 11 - 2024 |
doi: 10.3389/fmars.2024.1485062
The evaluation of trace elements and associated risk in the polar ecosystem of the Fildes Peninsula, Antarctica
Provisionally accepted- 1 South China Sea Ecological Center, Ministry of Natural Resources of the People's Republic of China, Guangzhou, China
- 2 Nansha Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Guangzhou, China
- 3 Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Survey Technology and Application of MNR, Guangzhou, China
- 4 Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
- 5 Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Guangzhou, China
- 6 Key Laboratory for Polar Science of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Polar Research Institute of China, Shanghai, China
The behavior and influence mechanisms of trace elements in Antarctic ecosystems are particularly complex and important. This study aims to assess the ecological risk to the Fildes Peninsula by systematically analyzing the distribution of trace elements, and provides a scientific basis for the protection of the Antarctic ecosystem. Trace element concentrations in the soils of the Fildes Peninsula are highest for Fe, Al, and Mg, with notable differences in distribution due to varying topographies and landscapes. Principal component analysis reveals strong correlations among Zn, Fe, Mn, Co, and Cu, and distinct patterns for Na, Ca, As, and Cr. Moss demonstrates a high enrichment capacity for Cu and Zn, often accumulating them to higher levels than soil, with significant spatial variation observed. The bioaccumulation factors (BAF) for K and Ag exceed 1 at all 12 stations, indicating a high capacity for bioaccumulation. Over half of the stations show BAF values greater than 1 for Na, Ca, and Cd, while the other trace elements have BAF values greater than 1 at only limited stations. The geo-accumulation index (Igeo) shows most trace elements in the Fildes Peninsula soils are unpolluted, with Mg, Mn, Cr, and Ni concentrations varying between unpolluted and moderate pollution, and all potential ecological risk index (PERI) values under 150 indicating low ecological risk.
Keywords: Soil, moss, Trace Elements, Fildes Peninsula, Risk Assessment
Received: 23 Aug 2024; Accepted: 18 Sep 2024.
Copyright: © 2024 Ni, Chen, Du, Lu, Luo, Zhou, Du, Qi, Chen, Deng and Dang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Sen Du, Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Guangzhou, 510301, Guangdong Province, China
Chuqian Lu, South China Sea Ecological Center, Ministry of Natural Resources of the People's Republic of China, Guangzhou, 510310, China
Guangfu Luo, Key Laboratory for Polar Science of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Polar Research Institute of China, Shanghai, 200136, China
Peng Zhou, South China Sea Ecological Center, Ministry of Natural Resources of the People's Republic of China, Guangzhou, 510310, China
Weimeng Du, Key Laboratory for Polar Science of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Polar Research Institute of China, Shanghai, 200136, China
Luyang Qi, Key Laboratory for Polar Science of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Polar Research Institute of China, Shanghai, 200136, China
Changshu Chen, South China Sea Ecological Center, Ministry of Natural Resources of the People's Republic of China, Guangzhou, 510310, China
Wei Deng, South China Sea Ecological Center, Ministry of Natural Resources of the People's Republic of China, Guangzhou, 510310, China
Aicui Dang, South China Sea Ecological Center, Ministry of Natural Resources of the People's Republic of China, Guangzhou, 510310, China
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