Human footprint on the water quality from the Northern Antarctic Peninsula region
Metadatos
Mostrar el registro completo del ítemAutor
Postigo, Cristina; Moreno Merino, Luis; López-García, Ester; López-Martínez, Jerónimo; López de Alda, MirenEditorial
Elsevier
Materia
Polar region Hydrochemistry Emerging organic contaminants Anthropogenic impact Risk assessment
Fecha
2023-07-05Referencia bibliográfica
C. Postigo et al. Human footprint on the water quality from the northern Antarctic Peninsula region. Journal of Hazardous Materials 453 (2023) 131394 [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131394]
Patrocinador
MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and “ESF investing in your future” - grant RYC2020-028901-I; MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 - grant CEX2018-000794-S,; MCIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and “ERDF A way of making Europe” - GEOCHANGES (grant RTI2018-098099-B-I00); Universidad de Granada / CBUA - funding for open access chargeResumen
This study assessed the human footprint on the chemical pollution of Antarctic waters by characterizing inorganic
and selected organic anthropogenic chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) in inland freshwater and coastal
seawater and the associated risk. Nicotine and tolytriazole, present in 74% and 89% of the samples analyzed, respectively,
were the most ubiquitous CECs in the investigated area. The most abundant CECs were citalopram,
clarithromycin, and nicotine with concentrations reaching 292, 173, and 146 ng/L, respectively. The spatial distribution
of CECs was not linked to any water characteristic or inorganic component. The contamination pattern
by CECs in inland freshwater varied among locations, whereas it was very similar in coastal seawater. This suggests
that concentrations in inland freshwater may be ruled by environmental processes (reemission from ice, atmospheric
deposition, limited photo- and biodegradation processes, etc.) in addition to human activities. After
risk assessment, citalopram, clarithromycin, nicotine, venlafaxine, and hydrochlorothiazide should be considered
of concern in this area, and hence, included in future monitoring of Antarctic waters and biota. This work
provides evidence of the fact that current measures taken to protect the pristine environment of Antarctica from
human activities are not effective to avoid CEC spread in its aquatic environment.