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Heavy metal imprints in Antarctic snow from research and tourism

Cordero, Raul R.
[1]; 
Feron, Sarah
[1]; 
Malhotra, Avni
[2]; 
Damiani, Alessandro
[3]; 
Ding, Minghu
[4]; 
Fernandoy, Francisco
[5]; 
Alfonso, Juan A.
[6]; 
Garcia, Belkis
[6]; 
Carrera, Juan M.
[6]; 
Llanillo, Pedro
[7]; 
Wachter, Paul
[8]; 
Pizarro, Jaime
[9]; 
Roumeas, Elise
[1]; 
Sepulveda, Edgardo
[10]; 
Jorquera, Jose
[9]; 
Wang, Chenghao
[11]; 
[12]; 
Ouyang, Zutao
[13]; 
Oyola, Pedro
[14]; 
Loonen, Maarten
[1]; 
Beaulieu, Anne
[1]; 
Dana, Jacob
[15]; 
Khan, Alia L.
[15]; 
Casassa, Gino
[12]; 
Kang, Choong-Min
[16]
  • 1
    University of Groningen
  • 2
    United States Department of Energy (DOE)
  • 3
    National Institute for Environmental Studies - Japan
  • 4
    China Meteorological Administration
  • 5
    Universidad Andres Bello
  • 6
    Venezuelan Institute Science Research
  • 7
    Spanish Institute of Oceanography
  • 8
    Helmholtz Association
  • 9
    Universidad de Santiago de Chile
  • 10
    University of Arizona
  • 11
    University of Oklahoma System
  • 12
    Universidad de Magallanes  
  • 13
    Auburn University System
  • 14
    Ctr Mario Molina
  • 15
    Western Washington University
  • 16
    Harvard University
DOI
Date Issued
2025-10
Type
Artículo
Journal
Nature Sustainability
ISSN
2398-9629
Open Access
closed
Volume
8
Start page
1119
End page
1129
Links
Antarctica, long regarded as one of the last pristine environments on Earth, is increasingly affected by human activity. As tourism surges and scientific operations expand, air pollution from local emissions is raising new environmental concerns. Here we analyse surface snow samples collected along a similar to 2,000-km transect, from the South Shetland Islands (62 degrees S) to the Ellsworth Mountains (79 degrees S), to map the geochemical fingerprints of aerosol deposition. We identify distinct spatial patterns shaped by crustal, marine, biogenic and anthropogenic sources. Notably, we detect heavy metal imprints in the snow chemistry of the northern Antarctic Peninsula, where major research stations are concentrated and marine tourism traffic is most intense. Our findings shed light on the extent of the impacts from energy-intensive local activities in Antarctica, underscoring the need for enhanced environmental monitoring and sustainable management strategies in this fragile region.
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