RECENT findings by a group of Americanresearchers suggest that even the remotecontinent of Antarctica exhibits evidence of contamination, mainly due toscientific support activities, an ever increasing number of visitors, shipoperations, atmospheric fallout and disposal practices. And all these pose a serious threat to the marine environment ofthe continent (Environmental Scienceand Technology, Vol 29, No 5).
A team led by Mahlon C Kennicutt iiof the Geochernical and EnvironmentalResearch Group of the Texas A&MUniversity, and consisting of environmentalists of many us research institutesstudied 2 scientific locations in the icycontinent - the Palmer Station, located on Anvers Island in the Antarcticpeninsula, and McMurdo Station,located on Ross Island. They reportedconcrete evidence of the presence ofpolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated bi-phenyls (PCBS), pesticides and trace metal concentration at the 2 sites.
Says Kennicut, "Local releases offossil fuels in the scientific research stations, disposal of waste materials, aging of ship and station structures have beenthe potential sources of contamination.High concentration of PCBS were detected from sediments and organisms fromWinter Quarters Bay (near McMurdo Station)."
The commonly used fuels in the scientific research stations, include diesel fuel arctic, diesel fuel marine, and leaded and unleaded gasoline, have also contributed to the problem. Wastewaterreleases, in the form of sanitary sewage,laboratory discharges, brine from desalinators, fuel spills due to leakagefrom the fuel pipelines, and visiting ships have greatly added to the contamination of the marine environment.
These findings are significantbecause cold temperatures in the icycontinent tends to immobilise the contaminants, and this is likely to have dangerous consequences in the long run."Contaminants are detectable inAntarctic organisms, and the expectation is that the contaminants are transported along the food chain. In somecases, the levels of bioaccumulation ofcontaminants in marine organisms hasbeen found comparable to thoseobserved in inclustrialised areas," argues Kennicutt.