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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
Zhixin Ni Zhixin Ni 1,2,3,4,5Xin Chen Xin Chen 1,2,3Sen Du Sen Du 4,5*Chuqian Lu Chuqian Lu 1,2,3*Guangfu Luo Guangfu Luo 6*Peng Zhou Peng Zhou 1,2,3*Weimeng Du Weimeng Du 6*Luyang Qi Luyang Qi 6*Changshu Chen Changshu Chen 1,2,3*Wei Deng Wei Deng 1,2,3*Aicui Dang Aicui Dang 1,2,3*
  • 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 final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    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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