Sodium and potassium in the bones of penguin and skua revealed by EPR and SR-XRF technique

Penguin and skua in the maritime Antarctic have high salt loadings in the body due to almost exclusive diet consumption of marine invertebrates. However, the storage and turnover of sodium and potassium in these animals are poorly investigated. Here we determined the concentration and microscopic distribution of the two elements in the bones of penguin and skua. The average concentrations of sodium and potassium in penguin bone were comparable with that in skua bone (0.18% and 0.82% for penguin bone; 0.19% and 0.76% for skua bone in dry weight). The ratios of sodium to calcium and potassium to calcium (0.0330 and 0.0075 for penguin, 0.0335 and 0.0082 for skua in average by weight) were somewhat higher than the reported ratios for terrestrial animals, indicating these marine animals' bone enrichment of salt. The ratios of sodium to potassium in average by weight were 6.75 and 4.65 for penguin and skua, respectively. This value is much lower compared with the bulk sea water ratio of about 27.0, implying that potassium is favorable to reside in the bone rather than sodium. Both sodium and potassium were found to significant correlation with the content of organic materials in bone based upon the intensity of native signal determined by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). It was estimated that almost all of potassium is kept within the organic phases, while about 30% of sodium is stored in organic phases and the other 70% within mineral phase. The microscopic distributions of potassium in the cross-section and/or surface were revealed by synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SR-XRF) technique. The ratio of potassium to calcium based upon the SR-XRF intensity counter varied considerably from the surface to the interior, and on the surface the highest concentration of potassium was observed in the middle section with decreasing amounts toward the edge. This indirectly documented that exchange of potassium between fluid and bone organic phase maybe occur.     

Feasibility of using reflectance spectroscopy for the analysis of bio-element concentrations in Antarctic ornithogenic sediments

Compared with traditional chemical analysis methods, reflectance spectroscopy has the advantages of speed, minimal or no sample preparation, non-destruction, and low cost. The present study explored the application of the reflectance spectroscopy within near ultraviolet-visible-near infrared region to predict bio-element compositions in the ornithogenic sediments from the maritime Antarctic. A total of 106 samples were taken from four ornithogenic sediment cores on the Ardley Island of Antarctica, 68 samples were used for building calibration equation, and 38 for prediction of nine bio-elements including P, Ca, Cu, Zn, Se, Sr, Ba, F and S. Three multivariate statistical analysis techniques, including stepwise multiple linear regression (Stepwise-MLR), principal component regression (PCR) and partial least squares regression (PLS) were used to develop mathematical relationships between the spectral data and the chemical reference data. The results showed that the regression models constructed by PCR and PLS models have no significant differences, and obviously supervisor to Stepwise-MLR. The correlations between spectra-predicted and chemically analyzed concentrations of nine bio-elements are statistically significant, and the concentration-versus-depth profiles predicted from reflectance spectra using PLS calibration model are consistent with those from actual chemical analysis. These results demonstrated the feasibility of using reflectance spectroscopy to infer bio-element concentrations in the ornithogenic sediments, and thus it is suggested that the reflectance spectroscopy could provide a rapid and valuable technique to indirectly identify whether the sediments were influenced by penguin droppings in the Antarctic region.     

南极无冰区生态与环境变化在粪土层中的记录

极地海鸟、海兽等生物排泄物的堆积层和含粪的沉积层是进行极地生态地质学研究的良好载体。从生物粪土沉积层中恢复出的企鹅、海豹数量变化记录表明,历史时期南极企鹅、海豹种群数量出现过显著的波动。在新冰期时企鹅数量锐减,气候过冷或过暖都不利于它们的生存,南极海豹数量变化也受到气候变化、海冰条件和取食行为的控制。另外,南极海豹毛和生物粪土层中还保存了过去几千年人类文明的历史信息,汞（Hg）含量的波动与人类冶金文明的盛衰存在明显的响应关系。     

南极阿德雷岛湖泊沉积:企鹅粪土层识别

在 CHINARE- 1 5考察期间 ,采集了南极阿德雷岛 Y2湖 67.5cm长的一支湖芯。室内分析测试了部分化学元素的含量 ,与南极西湖沉积物、新鲜企鹅粪、阿德雷岛鸟粪土和南沙太平岛鸟成土的元素特征进行对比后指出该湖泊沉积物为企鹅粪土。元素的聚类分析结果表明该粪土的元素标型组合包括 P、S、Sr、Ba、Cu、Zn、Se、Ca和 F等 9种元素。这为进一步解释其中所记录的气候环境事件提供了依据。     

上海-南极洋面大气N2O的δ^15N与δ^18O时空变化特征

在中国第22次南极科学考察期间,采用Tedlar气袋采集了“雪龙号”考察船航线上洋面大气样品以及东南极米洛半岛近地面大气样品（采样时间分别为地方时上午10：00和夜间22：00）,在室内通过带有全自动预GC浓缩接口（PreCon）的Thermo Finnigan MAT-253同位素质谱仪,对这些大气样品中N20的同位素组成进行了高精度地测量;并分析了其δ^15N与δ^18O空间变化规律．上海-南极洋面大气N2O的δ^15N与δ^18O平均分别为（7．21±0．50）‰和（44．52±0．52）‰．由30°N往南极随着纬度的变化,δ^15N（6．05‰～7．88‰）呈线性增加趋势,增加率为0．01‰/纬度,δ^18O（43．05‰～48．78‰）则呈现较大的波动;且δ^15N气温、N2O浓度呈负相关,而与δ^18O呈弱的正相关．东南极米洛半岛近地面大气N2O的δ^15N与δ^18O夏季变化趋势相一致,且二者呈显著正相关,而与N2O浓度呈显著负相关;不同地点大气N2O的δ^15N与δ^18O平均分别为（7．46±0.39）％。和（44．6±0．45）‰,略高于洋面大气N2O的δ^15N与δ^18O;而显著高于北半球低纬度大气N2O的δ^15N与δ^18O值．分析讨论了引起地面大气N2O的δ^15N与δ^18O空间变化的主导因素．提供了全球大区域洋面大气N2O的同位素资料,有助于定量评估全球与区域大气N2O的净收支．     

南极阿德雷岛企鹅粪土沉积物分子地球化学特征

本文分析了南极阿德雷岛Y2湖企鹅粪土沉积层的有机地球化学组成与分布。结果表明企鹅粪土沉积层中正构烷烃以C23为主峰,主要来源于冻土湖沼苔藓植物,样品中高含量的烯烃说明其有机质保存良好。醇类以高浓度的植醇和胆甾烷醇为主,胆甾烷醇和胆甾醇浓度曲线一致,并与企鹅粪土层中的无机元素标型组合的曲线相似,可以作为灵敏的企鹅数量指示剂。酸类组分中以C18饱和脂肪酸为主,在南极低温的环境下,C18∶2酸浓度很低,在很多层次中未检测到,可能是因为Y2沉积物中C18酸以及C18∶2酸主要受企鹅粪影响,而非植被影响。同时在酸性组分中也发现高浓度的胆甾酸。Y2湖中的甾类标志物,甾烯、甾醇、胆甾酸均以C27结构为主,组成单一,低浓度的甾烯和高浓度的甾醇,胆甾酸说明甾类化合物主要受企鹅粪便影响,甾醇和胆甾酸保存良好。综合Y2湖的生物标志物的性质,该沉积物有机质保存良好,主要来源于企鹅粪。     

Molecular organic geochemistry of ornithogenic sediment from Svalbard, Arctic

The molecular biomarker compositions of the ornithogenic sediments (YN), from Svalbard, Arctic were investigated. The results showed that n-alkanes had a bimodal pattern and their odd-even preference was not obvious. The alkanes contained unresolved complex mixtures (UCM) and relatively high levels of pristine and retene, indicating pollution from the nearby coal mines. The n-alkanols in the sediments had even-to-odd preference, and they might originate mainly from modern biota. Sistosterol, the main sterol in herbivores feces, was the dominant sterol, indicating that sitosterol might be a good biomarker of input from the birds feces in the sediments. The fatty acids of the sediments showed acid. The α-hydroxyl acids and ω-hydroxyl fatty acids were also detected in the sediments. In summary, the organic matters in the YN sediments were from the adjacent coal mines, bird feces, and plants.     

Preliminary determination of calcium, phosphorus, and the calcium/phosphorus ratio in cortical bone of Chinstrap penguin using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence analysis

Synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence （SR-XRF） approach was applied to analyzing of Chinstrap penguin （ Pygoscelis Antarctica） cortical bone. The method enabled the in situ determination of Ca and P concentrations and the Ca/P ratio in cortical bone. The preliminary results show that ： （ 1 ） there is the bone site-related difference for Ca and P concentrations. The mean values for the investigated parameters （ on a dry-weight basis） are： 30.7% （Ca） and 14.9% （P） for the femoral cortical bone, 21.4% （Ca） and 11.5% （P） for wing cortical bone. （2） The variation for the Ca/P ratio in cortical bone is lower than those for Ca and P separately. This is in agreement with the previous report that the specificity of the Ca/P ratio is better than that of Ca and P concentrations and is more reliable for the diagnosis of bone disorders. The authors suggest that further studies be conducted to establish norreal values of Ca, P and Ca/P ratio for polar animals and provide a basis for the diagnosis of bone disorders.     

菲尔德斯半岛3种金发藓植株的同步辐射X射线荧光分析

为了研究南极不同苔藓植株及其器官间的元素组成和分布的差异 ,我们利用同步辐射X射线荧光对菲尔德斯半岛 3种金发藓植株进行了重元素分析。这 3种植物是高山金发藓(Polytrichumalpinum) ,桧叶金发藓 (P .juniperinum)和极地金发藓 (P .alpestre)。它们所含的元素种类大致相同 ,主要有K、Ca、Mn、Fe、Cu、Zn和Sr等 ,这说明在菲尔德斯半岛 3种金发藓植株的生境条件是相似的。但是 ,在Polytrichumalpinum叶内 ,K峰远大于Ca ,Ca峰大于Fe ;在P .juniperinum植物叶片中 ,K峰大于Ca ,而Ca峰接近于Fe ;在P .alpestre叶内 ,K、Ca和Fe峰几乎相等。通过对P .alpestre不同部位进行X荧光分析 ,并用荧光计数法表示元素相对含量 ,我们发现各部位间的元素含量差异很大。在顶芽处 ,K的含量最高 ,K/Ca比等于 1 .30 ,而其他部位的K/Ca比均小于 1。在假根部位 ,Mn的含量在所有部位中是最高的 ,并且Mn/Fe比值最大 ,为 0 .2 1。在老叶片和假根部位 ,Cu/Zn比分别等于 1 .2 0和 1 .84,而其他部位的Cu/Zn比均小于 1。特别是这两个部位还出现了Br元素 ,这可能与器官的衰老有关。     

北极新奥尔松古海鸟粪土层的识别

对采自北极新奥尔松(Ny-lesund)一级海岸阶地上的海蚀凹槽沉积剖面进行沉积岩相学、同位素地球化学和元素地球化学研究,结果显示该剖面的70-118 cm段显著受到了海鸟粪沉积的影响,为含贝壳的海鸟粪土沉积层。该段粪土沉积层中大多数元素的浓度随深度表现出明显的波动特征,其中TOC、TN、Se、Sr、CaO、Pb、As、Zn等元素含量在深度剖面上表现出较为一致的垂向变化趋势。对粪土层的元素地球化学数据进行了聚类分析,结果表明在浓度剖面上具有较好协同关系的上述元素组合与海鸟粪有机质的输入密切相关,这些具有显著地球化学性质差异的元素共生组合是北极新奥尔松粪土沉积层的生物地球化学组合的标型特征,它们的含量变化主要受控于海鸟粪对沉积物的影响程度。海鸟粪土生物地球化学标型组合特征的识别为进一步研究该地区12-4 ka B.P.的海鸟生态系统和气候演化记录提供了科学基础。