Toxic metal contamination in soil and sediment associated with refuse dumps at Palmer Station, Antarctica
Conference
·
OSTI ID:230868
- Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Palmer Station, one of three primary US research and logistical bases run by the National Science Foundation in Antarctica, is located on Anvers Island near the Antarctic Peninsula. The station has operated on a continuous basis since construction was completed in 1968, at which time it replaced the original station located nearby. Historically, dump sites at both Palmer and Old Palmer Stations were used to burn refuse as a waste disposal means. This practice, which is no longer being conducted, may have resulted in the distribution of toxic metals to land and marine systems nearby. To characterize the extent of this contamination, soil samples were analyzed for toxic metal concentrations in the vicinity of refuse dump sites at both Palmer Station and Old Palmer Station. Sediment samples were collected for similar analyses from the near-shore areas that receive runoff from the dump sites. These samples were collected opportunistically, and included both archived and new samples. Relative to control samples, high concentrations of virtually all toxic metals examined were found in soil samples collected in the dump sites and in the areas of runoff from the dump sites. This includes copper, lead, zinc, chromium, and arsenic. However, no evidence of elevated metal levels was found in sediment samples collected near the two stations. This likely indicates either (1) that metals are not being transported from the stations to marine sediments; or (2) if metals are being transported from the dump sites to the sediments, these sediments are rapidly transported away from the site by currents rather than accumulating in place.
- OSTI ID:
- 230868
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9511137--; ISBN 1-880611-03-1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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