Heavy metal imprints in Antarctic snow from research and tourism

Raúl R. Cordero, Sarah Feron (), Avni Malhotra, Alessandro Damiani, Minghu Ding, Francisco Fernandoy, Juan A. Alfonso, Belkis Garcia, Juan M. Carrera, Pedro Llanillo, Paul Wachter, Jaime Pizarro (), Elise Roumeas, Edgardo Sepúlveda, Jose Jorquera, Chenghao Wang, Jorge Carrasco, Zutao Ouyang, Pedro Oyola, Maarten Loonen, Anne Beaulieu, Jacob Dana, Alia L. Khan, Gino Casassa and Choong-Min Kang
Additional contact information
Raúl R. Cordero: University of Groningen
Sarah Feron: University of Groningen
Avni Malhotra: Biological Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Alessandro Damiani: National Institute for Environmental Studies
Minghu Ding: Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences
Francisco Fernandoy: Universidad Andrés Bello
Juan A. Alfonso: Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas
Belkis Garcia: Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas
Juan M. Carrera: Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas
Pedro Llanillo: Instituto Español de Oceanografía
Paul Wachter: German Remote Sensing Data Center
Jaime Pizarro: Universidad de Santiago de Chile
Elise Roumeas: University of Groningen
Edgardo Sepúlveda: University of Arizona
Jose Jorquera: Universidad de Santiago de Chile
Chenghao Wang: University of Oklahoma
Jorge Carrasco: University of Magallanes
Zutao Ouyang: Auburn University
Pedro Oyola: Centro Mario Molina
Maarten Loonen: University of Groningen
Anne Beaulieu: University of Groningen
Jacob Dana: Western Washington University
Alia L. Khan: Western Washington University
Gino Casassa: University of Magallanes
Choong-Min Kang: Harvard School of Public Health

Nature Sustainability, 2025, vol. 8, issue 10, 1119-1129

Abstract: Abstract 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 ~2,000-km transect, from the South Shetland Islands (62° S) to the Ellsworth Mountains (79° 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.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41893-025-01616-7

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