Toxic metal contamination in soil and marine sediment associated with refuse dumps at palmer station, Antarctica

Abstract

The extent of organic and metals contamination in soils from two dump sites at Palmer Station, Antarctica, was compared with reference and runoff sites to determine whether the dumps contained hazardous materials. Analyses of samples collected from the dump sites showed numerous metals at high levels and few organic compounds at generally low levels. To better assess the extent of contamination, an archived set of soil and sediment samples collected around Palmer and Old Palmer stations was obtained and analyzed for metals. The second set of samples included near‐ and off‐shore sediments, and soils collected from areas suspected of being contaminated with oil. Results indicate that soils from the Palmer Station dump areas contain high levels of most metals relative to the reference samples, but also indicate that at least some of the reference sites may be contaminated as well. Similarly, soil samples collected from areas of known oil spills at Palmer and Old Palmer appear to have elevated metal levels when compared to average levels found in granite, although conclusions are hampered by the lack of adequate reference samples. Metal concentrations in sediment samples from near the stations are slightly, but significantly, elevated for some toxic metals relative to reference sediment samples.