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Preliminary data on enviornmental distribution of mercury in northern Victoria Land, Antarctica

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 May 2004

R. Bargagli
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Biology, University of Siena, Via delle Cerchia 3, 53100 Siena, Italy
E. Battisti
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Biology, University of Siena, Via delle Cerchia 3, 53100 Siena, Italy
S. Focardi
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Biology, University of Siena, Via delle Cerchia 3, 53100 Siena, Italy
P. Formichi
Affiliation:
Department of Environmental Biology, University of Siena, Via delle Cerchia 3, 53100 Siena, Italy

Abstract

Concentrations of mercury were measured in soil and two species of epilithic macrolichens (Umbilicaria decussata and Usnea antarctica) collected along of the coast of northern Victoria Land coast. Most of the soil samples had a very low mercury content, whereas lichens had levels higher than in other remote areas. Although a possible contamination of samples cannot be completely excluded, the relevance to bioaccumulation of the very slow growth rate of lichens and of volcanic activity are discussed.

Type
Papers—Life Sciences and Oceanography
Copyright
© Antarctic Science Ltd 1993

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