Tracing the footprints of Arctic pollution: Spatial variations in toxic and essential elements in Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) faeces

Malin Andersson Stavridis; Susanne Brix Røed; Brage Bremset Hansen; Øyvind Mikkelsen; Tomasz Maciej Ciesielski; Bjørn Munro Jenssen

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167562

Tracing the footprints of Arctic pollution: Spatial variations in toxic and essential elements in Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) faeces

Sci Total Environ. 2024 Jan 1:906:167562. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167562. Epub 2023 Oct 5.

Authors

Malin Andersson Stavridis¹, Susanne Brix Røed², Brage Bremset Hansen³, Øyvind Mikkelsen⁴, Tomasz Maciej Ciesielski⁵, Bjørn Munro Jenssen⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Arctic Technology, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), P.O. Box 156, N-9171 Longyearbyen, Norway; Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway. Electronic address: malins@unis.no.
² Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway.
³ Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway; Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway.
⁴ Department of Arctic Technology, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), P.O. Box 156, N-9171 Longyearbyen, Norway; Department of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway.
⁵ Department of Arctic Technology, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), P.O. Box 156, N-9171 Longyearbyen, Norway; Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway.
⁶ Department of Arctic Technology, University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), P.O. Box 156, N-9171 Longyearbyen, Norway; Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway. Electronic address: bjorn.munro.jenssen@ntnu.no.

PMID: 37802349
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167562

Abstract

The Arctic is an accumulation zone of long-range transported pollution. In addition, local anthropogenic activities further contribute to regional pollution levels. The Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) is a suitable organism for studying and monitoring exposure to anthropogenic pollutants at the base of the terrestrial Arctic food web, and reindeer faeces have been promoted as non-invasive means of biomonitoring contaminant exposure. This study used HR-ICP-MS to analyse levels and composition of 16 elements in Svalbard reindeer faeces (n = 96) and soil (n = 9) from two locations on Svalbard, with the aim to assess whether local anthropogenic pollution influences element bioavailability. One of the sampling areas, the Nordenskiöld coast, is situated on the west coast of Spitsbergen, close to the Arctic Ocean and relatively far from local anthropogenic sources. The other sampling area, Adventdalen, is located further inland and close to Longyearbyen, the largest settlement of the archipelago. There was a significant difference in faecal elemental concentration and composition between the Adventdalen and Nordenskiöld coast reindeer populations. Elements of geogenic origin (e.g., Al, Cu and Fe) were found at higher levels in faeces from Adventdalen. In comparison, levels of Ca, Se and the toxic elements Cd and Pb were higher in faecal samples from the Nordenskiöld coast. The significantly higher levels of faecal Cd and Pb at Nordenskiöld coast may be due to marine input, dietary differences between the populations, or possible anthropogenic influence from the nearby settlement of Barentsburg. There was, however, a decoupling in elemental composition between faecal and soil samples, which may derive from a selective vegetational uptake of elements from the soil. The results suggest that reindeer are exposed to a range of elements and that faeces can be used to monitor the exposure to bioavailable environmental levels of both essential and toxic elements in terrestrial ecosystems.

Keywords: Biomonitoring; Faeces; Svalbard reindeer; The Arctic; Toxic metals.

MeSH terms

Animals
Arctic Regions
Cadmium
Ecosystem
Environmental Monitoring / methods
Feces
Lead
Reindeer*
Soil
Svalbard

Substances

Cadmium
Lead
Soil