Simonetta Corsolini, Silvano Focardi, University of Siena Department of Environmental Science - Section of Applied Ecology, via delle Cerchia 3, I Siena, Italy Marco Nigro, University of Pisa Department of Human Morphology and Applied Biology - Biology and Genetics, via Volta 4, I Pisa, Italy Francesco Regoli, University of Ancona Institute of Biology and Genetics, via Ranieri, Monte d’Ago, I Ancona, Italy PNRA Project: Applied ecophysiology and ecotoxicology research for investigating natural and anthropic changes in Antarctic environments. Victoria Land Transect Project Biomarkers Xenobiotic Monitoring and Toxicity Evaluation Silvia Olmastroni, University of Siena Department of Environmental Science - Section of Applied Ecology, via delle Cerchia 3, I Siena, Italy Seabirds Ecology

CHEMICALS TO BE INVESTIGATED: Chlorinated Hydrocarbons: - pp’DDE, HCB, other chlorinated pesticides - Polychlorobyphenils (PCBs) including toxic non- ortho congeners Dioxins (PCDDs) Furans (PCDFs) Polychloronaphtalenes (PCNs) PAHs SPECIES: benthic organisms krill fish squid seals cetaceans (killer whale, minke whale) birds (penguins, petrels, skuas) SAMPLING (collaboration with other research groups): non-invasive methods (blood, biopsies, eggs, feathers, guano) fishing diving CONSERVATION OF SAMPLES: to be kept at -30°C Victoria Land Transect Project Xenobiotic Monitoring and Toxicity Evaluation Proposal

 THEN IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE PRESENCE OF POPs MAY FOLLOW A LATITUDINAL GRADIENT.  DUE TO THE LOW TEMPERATURES, POPs DEGRADATION IS VERY SLOW. ICE IS A COLD TRAP FOR POPs AND IT CAN RELEASE THEM THUS THESE COMPOUNDS MAY ENTER IN THE TROPHIC WEBS AND BIOACCUMULATE.  MIGRATORY ANIMALS, ESPECIALLY TOP PREDATORS, MAY BE ANOTHER SOURCE OF POLLUTANTS. warm and temperate emission areas high volatility (CFCs) POPs low volatility (DDT) intermediate volatility (HCB, PCBs, PCNs) GLOBAL CONTAMINANTS: POPs HAVE BEEN FOUND IN POLAR REGIONS BECAUSE OF GLOBAL FRACTIONATIONS.  POPs VAPORIZE FROM SOURCE AREAS IN THE MID- LATITUDES AND ARE TRANSPORTED TO THE HIGH LATITUDES BY AIR MASS MOVEMENTS.  IN RELATION TO THE VOLATILITY OF THE VARIOUS POPs, THEY CONDENSE AT DIFFERENT AMBIENT TEMPERATURES AND FALL OUT ON THE EARTH SURFACE AGAIN. MOST VOLATILE COMPOUNDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE TRANSPORTED TO THE POLES. Victoria Land Transect Project Xenobiotic Monitoring and Toxicity Evaluation Proposal

In warm temperature POPs evaporate POPs move in air by winds to colder places In cold temperature POPs condense and fall to earth The place where they fall out depends on POP physicochemical properties (volatility) and temperature warm and temperate emission areas high volatility (CFCs) POPs low volatility (DDT) intermediate volatility (HCB, PCBs, PCNs) Grass Hopper Effect Victoria Land Transect Project Xenobiotic Monitoring and Toxicity Evaluation Proposal

Distribution of PCBs in the open-ocean surface seawater over the Bering Sea, Western Pacific and Antarctic Ocean from 1975 to 1982 (Tanabe & Tatsukawa, 1984) Victoria Land Transect Project Xenobiotic Monitoring and Toxicity Evaluation Proposal

QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED:  ARE THE LATITUDINAL AND CONSEQUENT TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS IMPORTANT FACTORS IN THE BIOACCUMULATION OF GLOBAL CONTAMINANTS? AND ARE THE SCIENTIFIC STATIONS A LOCAL SOURCE OF POLLUTION?  DO ANIMAL MIGRATORY OR NON MIGRATORY HABITS AFFECT THE PRESENCE OF POPs (PESTICIDES, PCBs, PCNs, DIOXINS, FURANS, PAHs) IN THE TISSUES OF MARINE ORGANISMS? EXPECTATIONS:  EVALUATE THE EVENTUAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE LATITUDE AND THE TYPE OF POP ACCUMULATED BY ORGANISMS.  PROVIDE BESELINE DATA FOR THE MENTIONED POPs IN ORGANISMS OF THE ROSS SEA/VICTORIA LAND COASTS.  OUTLINE THE BIOMAGNIFICATION PROCESSES IN THE ANTARCTIC TROPHIC WEBS AND IDENTIFY THE MOST EXPOSED SPECIES BY EVALUATING XENOBIOTIC TOXICITY (USING THE DIOXIN TOXIC EQUIVALENTS APPROACH). Victoria Land Transect Project Xenobiotic Monitoring and Toxicity Evaluation Proposal