The toxicant XRF-analysis of gentoo penguin feather of Petermann Island colony, Antarctic Peninsula

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The toxicant XRF-analysis of gentoo penguin
feather of Petermann Island colony, Antarctic
Peninsula

• Andreev A.A. (1), Andreev A.V.(1), Shnyukov S.E.
  (1), Milinevsky G.P. (1, 2), Morozenko V.R (1),
  Kursa M.O. (1, 2)
•  
• (1) National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv
• (2) National Antarctic Scientific Center of
  Ukraine, Kyiv
• science_at_uac.gov.ua
• The work was supported by grant INTAS-2001 -
  0571

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Objective The results of the study the element
migration processes in Antarctic ecosystem and
heavy metal accumulation in gentoo penguin
feather/guano are discussed. Method The work
is based on XRF multi-element method of analysis
with 1 10 microgram/g detection limit for an
element with atomic number above 20.
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Idea Particular kinds of feathers and their
different parts can accumulate different amounts
of elements. The moulting plumage analysis is a
useful biology monitor for metal pollution
because the plumage renews annually. It gives a
possibility for comparison and forecasting the
environmental changes.
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There are feather samples of 39 gentoo penguins
from head and chest collected at Petermann in
2005 season and 120 guano samples for four sites
of colony.
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Penguins flying birds Adélie and gentoo
penguins blue-eyed shags Wilsons storm-petrel
south polar skuas Petermann Island
appears to represent the southernmost breeding
population of gentoo penguin.
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Feather sampling at Petermann Is
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The samples were developed using wet air
oxidation in nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide
with precipitation on spectral pure carbonic
dust. The guano was dried at 30 degree Celsius.
All feather samples and 40 guano samples have
been analyzed. The percentage of Fe, Cu, Zn,
Ni, Pb, Se, Sr, Br, Au, Bi elements was
determined.
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High resolution spectrometer for micro-volume
analysis
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Feather head XRF-spectrum contained Au
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Feather and guano microelement content comparison
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Conclusion The data of the southernmost gentoo
population are important as an indicator of the
possible changes in the ecological system of
Antarctic Peninsula. The further investigations
in this direction help to understand the elements
migration processes in the Antarctic ecosystem.