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Trace elements are chemical contaminants that can be present almost anywhere on the planet. The study of trace elements in biotic matrices is a topic of great relevance for the implications that it can have on wildlife and human health. Penguins are very useful, since they live exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere and represent about 90% of the biomass of birds of the Southern Ocean. The levels of trace elements (dry weight) in different biotic matrices of penguins were reviewed here. Maps of trace element records in penguins were included. Data on exposure and effects of trace elements in penguins were collected from the literature. The most reported trace elements in penguins are aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, copper, zinc, and manganese. Trace elements have been measured in 11 of the 18 species of penguins. The most studied biotic matrices are feathers and excreta. Most of the studies have been performed in Antarctica and subantarctic Islands. Little is known about the interaction among metals, which could provide better knowledge about certain mechanisms of detoxification in penguins. Future studies of trace elements in penguins must incorporate other metals such as vanadium, cobalt, nickel, and chromium. Data of metals in the species such as Eudyptes pachyrhynchus, Eudyptes moseleyi, Eudyptes sclateri, Eudyptes robustus, Eudyptes schlegeli, Spheniscus demersus, Spheniscus mendiculus, and Megadyptes antipodes are urged. It is important to correlate levels of metals in different biotic matrices with the effects on different species and in different geographic locations.

The use of antiparasitic pesticides (APs) has been widely required by the salmon industry to treat diseases. The direct emission of chemicals in the seawater has produced uncertainty about the potential effects on nontarget organisms, such as crustaceans. The aim of this study was to assess the toxicity of three APs used by the salmon farm industry, such as emamectin benzoate (EB), cypermethrin (CP), and deltamethrin (DE), in the amphipod Monocorophium insidiosum during 10 days through whole-sediment bioassay tests. Lethal concentration by 50 % (LC50-10d) and biochemical responses, such as glutathione S-transferase (GST) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), were measured as exposure and effects end points, respectively. Acute assays for DE (7.8 μg kg(-1), confidence interval, CI95% 5-11) and CP (57 μg kg(-1), CI95% 41-77) showed more mortality than EB (890 μg kg(-1), CI95% 672-1,171). In this study, it was possible to observe sublethal responses in amphipods after 2 days of exposure to APs. Significant induction in GST and TBARS (p < 0.05) were measured for CP and EB. Lower DE concentrations showed no significant biochemical responses. M. insidiosum was sensitive to AP concentrations at μg kg(-1) in sediments. This information would allow considering the possible consequences of detected concentrations for APs in areas with intensive salmon farming activity.

Despite its importance in human life, until recently the relationship between soils and human health has been undervalued, especially in least developed countries. Currently, a holistic approach has been incorporated to identify best practices in soil science, defining it as "the task of all people concerned with the soil to direct their interest, not just towards the physical, chemical, and biological aspects, but also to those environmental, economic, social, legal, and technical aspects that affect soil use" (Abrahams 2002; Fent 2003). Considering this definition, the European Union (EU) as well as most developed countries have recognized organochlorine-contaminated sites as potential threats to the human health, threats that take different forms, such as their influence on water (e.g., drinking water resources), soil, and air as well as their interrelationships, which can directly affect human health (EC 2002; EP 2002; Bezama et al. 2004). Moreover, economic expansion and industrial growth are linked with growing lack of "greenfields" (a term that defines all areas without previous history of development): the supply of new building sites is limited and must contend with other competing uses, such as housing, recreation, nature, traffic, or agriculture (De Sousa 2001; Tedd et al. 2001). Thus, cleaning and reusing contaminated sites can be a meaningful alternative to address this issue, because most contaminated sites are located in metropolitan centres and are, therefore, prime candidates for urban development (Lorber et al. 2004).

Pollution of the environment with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) should be a global concern, especially in urbanized areas. In South American countries, where notable increase in urban populations has been observed in the past few years, reliable information about the pollution status of these urban environments is not always easily accessible, and therefore an effort to collect updated information is required. This review attempts to contribute by analyzing the existing information regarding environmental levels of PAHs in some South American countries. A regional trend for environmental PAH information is an uneven contribution, because some countries, such as Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay, and Ecuador, have reported no information at all in the scientific literature, reflecting to a certain extent the different patterns of economic, technical, and scientific development. PAH air monitoring is one of the areas that has received the most attention during the last few years, mainly in Brazil, Chile, and Argentina, where data represent a few geographical areas within the region. PAH levels in air from some urban areas in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, considered moderate to high (100-1000ng/m3), are probably among the highest values reported in the open literature. Urbanization, vehicle pollution, and wood fires are the principal contributors to the high reported levels. In more temperate areas, a clear distinction is observed between summer and winter levels. PAH monitoring in soils is very limited within the region, with few data available, and most information indicates widespread pollution. In Brazil, values for many representative ecosystems were found. In Chile, data from forestry and agricultural areas indicate in general low concentrations, in spite of a relatively high detection frequency. Pollution levels in soils are highly dependent on their closeness to PAH sources and certain cultural practices (agricultural burnings, forest fires, etc.). Water PAH levels are rarely reported in the scientific literature for South American countries. Few data were available, even though many regulatory agencies perform routine analysis of hydrocarbons in waters. No information was found specifically related to PAH compounds, which could indicate generally low PAH levels in waters. Regional PAH information for sediments also indicates higher levels. Overall, as observed for water, sediment data indicate a complex situation in densely populated areas affected by urban-industrial inputs where high PAH levels are found. In contrast, in remote areas a typical profile of diagenetic PAHs dominates. Concentrations are greatly variable and are principally related to several highly contaminated sites in Argentina and Brazil (hot spots) with levels four to five orders of magnitude higher. Even though PAHs have carcinogenic properties, little attention has been paid to the analysis of aquatic organisms except in the case of bivalves. As observed for other environmental receptors, the regional data distribution is uneven and is heavily centered in coastal environments and in a few countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Peru). The most comprehensive PAH monitoring program in the South American coastal environment is the Mussel Watch. Baseline PAH concentrations range from 200 to 700 microg kg(-1) lipids in unpolluted sites; from 1,000 to 3,000 microg kg(-1) in moderately contaminated sites; and from 4,000 to 13,000 microg/kg lipids in the most affected bivalves that come from areas of Río de la Plata (Argentine side), Recife (Brazil), and Punta Arenas (Chile). Critical data gaps exist with respect to PAH analysis in biota, including humans, in foodstuffs, and subsequent effects. Considering the high levels reported in the air compartment, risk assessment procedures in highly populated areas need to be performed. Additionally, few countries within the region have information on PAH levels. In these countries, this type of analysis needs to be performed, and the laboratory capacity needs to be built to assure the accomplishment of these objectives.