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Abstract Fildes Peninsula, with a high density of scientific stations, has been significantly impacted by anthropogenic activities. However, the contamination from penguins, a biovector that transports pollutants from ocean to land, has seldom been assessed. In this study, 32 lacustrine surface sediment samples on Fildes Peninsula and 8 lacustrine surface sediment samples on Ardley Island were collected to determine Cu, Zn, Pb, Ni, Cr, Cd, Co, Sb, Hg and P levels. The results showed that the heavy metal contents of lacustrine sediments on Ardley Island are significantly higher than those on Fildes Peninsula. The contaminants on Fildes Peninsula are mainly derived from anthropogenic activities, while the contaminants on Ardley Island are transported to the lacustrine sediments in the form of penguin guanos after a series of biomagnification in the food chain. The results indicated that the impact of penguin-transported contamination on Antarctic environment outweighs human activities near scientific stations in some areas. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the impacts of Antarctic animals on the Antarctic environment. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • The contamination sources in Antarctica mainly include: penguins transport, human activities and bedrock weathering. • The impact of penguin-transported contamination on Antarctic environment outweighs human activities in some areas. • Penguins transport anthropogenic contaminants to Antarctica in the form of penguin droppings through marine food web. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal contaminants in Mirror Peninsula, East Antarctica, have rarely been studied and the source and influencing factors are poorly understood. We sampled a grid of 189 topsoil samples from Mirror Peninsula and analyzed the concentrations of Zn, Cu, U, Cr, Ga, Pb, Hg, Se and As; we also calculated the chemical index of alteration (CIA), a proxy of weathering. The results show that the distributions of Cr, Ga, Cu, and Zn are associated with weathering; the distributions of As and Pb are related to vehicle use and unloading activities at the wharfs, respectively; and the distribution of Hg is likely associated with both anthropogenic impacts and biological activity. The contamination level of these heavy metals in Mirror Peninsula is relatively low and within the controllable range. Both weathering processes and anthropogenic impacts can cause the enrichment of heavy metals; thus reliable source apportionment is crucial in studying heavy metal enrichment and contamination. Image 1093 • Heavy metal contamination levels of topsoils from Mirror Peninsula, East Antarctica, are within the controllable range. • The observed spatial distribution of heavy metal concentrations is related to logistical activities and vehicle use. • Biological activities, including biomagnification along the food chain, are another source. • Enrichment of heavy metal induced by weathering process should be eliminated as natural process. Heavy metal contamination in Mirror Peninsula falls within the controllable range and various factors contributed to the enrichment of heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]