In areas on the ice continent where people have been, the concentration of particles containing heavy metals is ten times greater than 40 years ago, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Sustainability. The continent otherwise has one of the world's most pristine environments.
The change has occurred as the number of annual tourists has increased from 20,000 to 120,000 over the past two decades, according to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators.
"The increased human presence in Antarctica raises concerns about pollution from the combustion of fossil fuels," the study states. Although electric-powered vessels are now beginning to emerge, tourist ships usually use fossil fuels, which contain nickel, copper, zinc, and lead.
The snow melts faster in Antarctica due to the presence of polluting particles in areas visited by tourists, says the study's co-author Raul Cordero to the news agency AFP.
The researchers have traveled 2,000 kilometers over four years to measure the pollution. But even research expeditions in the area contribute to the pollution. An expedition that stays for a longer period can have ten times as great an impact as a single tourist, according to Cordero, who is active at Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (RUG) in the Netherlands.
