scholarly journals Scientometric Analysis of Diesel Pollutions in Antarctic Territories: A Review of Causes and Potential Bioremediation Approaches

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7064
Author(s):  
Ahmad Fareez Ahmad Roslee ◽  
Siti Aqlima Ahmad ◽  
Claudio Gomez-Fuentes ◽  
Noor Azmi Shaharuddin ◽  
Khalilah Abdul Khalil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Pathways ◽  
Petroleum Hydrocarbons ◽  
Anthropogenic Activities ◽  
Hydrocarbon Biodegradation ◽  
Scientometric Analysis ◽  
Hydrocarbon Pollution ◽  
The Past ◽  
Antarctic Treaty ◽  
Resources Exploitation ◽  
The Antarctic

Despite the continuous enforcement of Antarctic Treaty System, ATS (1961), today Antarctica is constantly plagued by hydrocarbon pollution from both legacy and present-day wastes, especially near where anthropogenic activities are the most intense. The advances of science have led to multiple breakthroughs to bolster bioremediation techniques and revamp existing laws that prevent or limit the extent of hydrocarbon pollution in Antarctica. This review serves as the extension of collective efforts by the Antarctic communities through visual representation that summarizes decades of findings (circa 2000–2020) from various fields, pertinent to the application of microbe-mediated hydrocarbons remediation. A scientometric analysis was carried out based on indexed, scientific repositories (ScienceDirect and Scopus), encompassing various parameters, including but not limited to keywords co-occurrences, contributing countries, trends and current breakthroughs in polar researches. The emergence of keywords such as bioremediation, biosurfactants, petroleum hydrocarbons, biodiesel, metagenomics and Antarctic treaty policy portrays the dynamic shifts in Antarctic affairs during the last decades, which initially focused on exploration and resources exploitation before switching to scientific research and the more recent ecotourism. This review also presents the hydrocarbonoclastic microbes studied in the past, known and proposed metabolic pathways and genes related to hydrocarbon biodegradation as well as bacterial adaptations to low-temperature condition.

scholarly journals Management and remediation of contaminated sites at Casey Station, Antarctica

Polar Record ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 37 (202) ◽  
pp. 199-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Snape ◽  
Martin J. Riddle ◽  
Jonathan S. Stark ◽  
Coleen M. Cole ◽  
Catherine K. King ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Research Priorities ◽  
Contaminated Sites ◽  
Sufficient Information ◽  
Monitoring Site ◽  
The Past ◽  
Antarctic Treaty ◽  
Technical Capability ◽  
Operational Plan ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
Casey Station

AbstractThe Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty requires that past and present work sites be cleaned up unless removal would result in greater adverse environmental impact than leaving the contaminant in its existing location. In the early 1990s Australia began the documentation of contaminated sites associated with its research stations, which resulted in an extensive record of contamination at abandoned stations and waste-disposal sites. Currently the technical capability to remediate these sites does not exist because of environmental challenges that are unique to the cold regions. Investigations indicate that clean-up operations in the past have proceeded without adequate precautions and without effective monitoring. To address these problems, three research priorities have been identified to assist meeting international and national obligations to clean up these sites. They are: understanding contaminant mobilisation processes; development of ecological risk assessment for use in monitoring and setting priorities; and development of clean-up and remediation procedures. This study provides sufficient information to guide the completion of a clean-up at Casey Station and to indicate how other similar sites should be managed. The next stage is to develop the theory into an operational plan to include detailed protocols for clean-up, monitoring, site remediation, and management of the waste stream from site to final repository. To achieve this, the Australian Antarctic Division has established a contaminated sites taskforce to facilitate the transition from research and development of techniques to implementation of suitable clean-up options.

scholarly journals Antarctic climate change and the environment: an update

Polar Record ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Turner ◽  
Nicholas E. Barrand ◽  
Thomas J. Bracegirdle ◽  
Peter Convey ◽  
Dominic A. Hodgson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Assessment Report ◽  
The Past ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Form Part ◽  
Antarctic Research ◽  
Antarctic Treaty ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
Relevant Material

ABSTRACTWe present an update of the ‘key points’ from the Antarctic Climate Change and the Environment (ACCE) report that was published by the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) in 2009. We summarise subsequent advances in knowledge concerning how the climates of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean have changed in the past, how they might change in the future, and examine the associated impacts on the marine and terrestrial biota. We also incorporate relevant material presented by SCAR to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings, and make use of emerging results that will form part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report.

Potential for bioremediation of hydrocarbon polluted soils in the Maritime Antarctic

2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.P. Luz ◽  
E.M.P. Ciapina ◽  
R.C. Gamba ◽  
M.S. Lauretto ◽  
E.W.C. Farias ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bacterial Community ◽  
Petroleum Hydrocarbons ◽  
South Shetland Islands ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Polluted Soils ◽  
Bacterial Populations ◽  
Soil Microcosms ◽  
Antarctic Treaty ◽  
The Antarctic

Human activity in the Antarctic requires the use of petroleum hydrocarbons as the main energy source for a variety of operations. In the current study, in situ soil microcosms were constructed in the proximity of the Brazilian Antarctic Station Comandante Ferraz, King George Island, South Shetland Islands, to analyse the effect of oil amendment on the indigenous bacterial community in contaminated and uncontaminated sites to assess the potential for bioremediation. Microcosms were sampled for heterotrophic and hydrocarbon-degrader bacterial counts, pH, temperature, moisture, nutrient levels and petroleum hydrocarbons. Total organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus contents were generally low in the Antarctic cryosols. According to statistical analysis based on Colony Forming Unit numbers, significant bacterial populations were present in all microcosms, with larger numbers observed in oil amended than in non-amended soils. Aliphatic and aromatic fractions of diesel fuel were detected in the soil microcosms, and significant quantities were removed during the experiment. These results strongly suggest that the cold-adapted bacterial community present in soils around the Brazilian Antarctic station has the potential to adapt and utilize the oil as a carbon source. This knowledge can contribute both to bioremediation technology and the goals of the the Antarctic Treaty which prohibits the introduction of foreign organisms into the region.

Antarctic Treaty Summit: Science-Policy Interactions in International Governance

2009 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 527-541
Author(s):  
Paul Arthur Berkman
Keyword(s):  
Science Policy ◽  
50Th Anniversary ◽  
International Governance ◽  
Washington Dc ◽  
Open Forum ◽  
Policy Interactions ◽  
The Past ◽  
Antarctic Treaty ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
The City

Abstract For the past five decades, the Antarctic Treaty has provided a firm foundation for ongoing international cooperation to successfully manage nearly ten percent of the Earth for “peaceful purposes only ... on the basis of freedom of scientific investigation.” Growing from seven claimant and five non-claimant signatories, the Antarctic Treaty now engages 47 nations, representing nearly 90 percent of humankind. To assess the legacy lessons of the Antarctic Treaty and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its December 1, 1959 signature in the city where it was adopted in “in the interest of all mankind” – the Antarctic Treaty Summit: Science-Policy Interactions in International Governance will be convened in Washington, DC at the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, from November 30 to December 3, 2009. The Antarctic Treaty Summit will provide a unique open forum for scientists, legislators, administrators, lawyers, historians, educators, executives, students and other members of civil society to share insights. Together, this international and interdisciplinary group of stakeholders will explore science-policy achievements and precedents for sustained peaceful governance of international spaces that cover nearly 75 percent of the Earth’s surface beyond national jurisdictions.

Identifying national interests in Antarctica: the case of Canada

Polar Record ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 32 (183) ◽  
pp. 335-346
Author(s):  
Peter J. Beck
Keyword(s):  
National Interests ◽  
The Past ◽  
Policy Objectives ◽  
Antarctic Treaty ◽  
Politics And Law ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
Antarctic Treaty System

ABSTRACTDuring the past decade, most publications on Antarctic politics and law have concentrated upon broader developments at the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS) level. Less attention has been devoted to the nature of national interests in Antarctica and ways of balancing different policy objectives through time. Canada, though failing to accede to the Antarctic Treaty until 1988, offers a useful case study illuminating the broad range of interests influencing the policy of individual governments toward Antarctica, and particularly the reasons why states lacking clear national interests therein participate in the ATS. For Canada, Antarctica has always been viewed principally from an Arctic perspective. The resulting low priority of Antarctica explains Canada's initial non-involvement in the ATS. However, by the late 1980s, accession to the Antarctic Treaty was deemed desirable on policy grounds, even if Canada assumed only alow key role in the ATS, at least until 1994–1995, when the appointment of an Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs was apparently followed by a more active bi-polar strategy.

scholarly journals The need for geological protection in Antarctica?

1990 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 285-285
Author(s):  
K. Birkenmajer
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Waste Disposal ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Terrestrial Plants ◽  
The Past ◽  
Breeding Grounds ◽  
Antarctic Treaty ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
The Antarctic

During the past 30 years or so, the primary objects of environmental protection in Antarctica were living organisms such as penguins and seals, and their breeding grounds, terrestrial plants and their habitats. The ever growing threats to the icy continent, resulting from increasing human activities, lead SCAR, the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties (ATCPs), and recently also the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programmes (COMNAP) to seek improved measures for conservation of the Antarctic fauna and flora, to actively participate in the preparation of conventions for protection of seals and other marine living organisms, and to elaborate a mandatory code for waste disposal.

scholarly journals Selecting Antarctic Specially Protected Areas: Important Bird Areas can help

2000 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Cooper ◽  
Eric Woehler ◽  
Lee Belbin
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Scientific Investigations ◽  
The Past ◽  
Antarctic Treaty ◽  
Habitat Matrix ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
Specially Protected Areas ◽  
Selection Of

A key element in Antarctic conservation over the past forty years has been area protection. In pursuit of this and the protection of continuing scientific investigations 59 protected areas have so far been agreed by the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings. Although both flora and fauna have been protected under this regime there has only been the habitat matrix devised by SCAR as a guide to selection of areas. What could we do to improve the process of identification and selection?

scholarly journals Exploitation of Antarctic Iced Freshwater: A Call To Unfreeze Legal Discourse

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-77
Author(s):  
Ana Costov ◽  
Jessica Appelmann
Keyword(s):  
Legal Discourse ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Environmental Implications ◽  
Freshwater Resources ◽  
Environmental Impact Assessments ◽  
Antarctic Treaty ◽  
Resources Exploitation ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
Antarctic Treaty System ◽  
High Seas

While discussed within the Antarctic Treaty System during the 1970s-1980s, the idea of iceberg harvesting was laid on ice due to the lack of adequate technologies and scientific knowledge on the potential environmental implications. However, the State Parties to the ATS envisioned the possibility of reopening the legal discourse. For that purpose, iced freshwater resources exploitation was excluded from the scope of the Madrid Protocol containing a ban on all mineral mining activities within the scope ratione loci of the ATS. However, during the negotiations, it was agreed that if the prospect of iceberg harvesting was ever to be realised, the environmental protection provisions under the Madrid Protocol should apply. The present paper provides an analysis of whether the potential exploitation of iced freshwater resources proves realistic within the existing legal framework under the Antarctic Treaty System and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and discusses which rules States would need to adhere to when engaging in such activities. It arrives at the conclusion that, as to now, there is no prohibition of iceberg harvesting for freshwater use under international law. Nevertheless, both within the scope of the ATS and in the high seas, environmental regulations restrict the implementation of the activity and, therefore, require comprehensive environmental impact assessments to be conducted before the commencement of the activity. Furthermore, as ownership allocation of icebergs is not regulated under the relevant treaties, the present paper examines two legal regimes that may potentially govern iceberg acquisition in the high seas, namely, res nullius and res communis. Finally, as private efforts have become more far-reaching in the recent decades, an overview of the current state of practice is presented, highlighting the observed advantages and potential drawbacks. Conclusively, the present paper advocates for the reopening of the legal discourse on the subject matter before the commencement of exploitation activities so as to ensure that the fragile Antarctic environment is protected and preserved for the benefit of all humankind in accordance with the object and purpose of the ATS. 

scholarly journals Sea-Borne Tourism in Antarctica: Avenues for Further Intergovernmental Regulation

2005 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Jaap Molenaar
Keyword(s):  
International Association ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
International Regulation ◽  
The Past ◽  
Cruise Tourism ◽  
Antarctic Treaty ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
Antarctic Treaty System

AbstractDuring the past 3,5 decades, sea-borne (cruise) tourism in Antarctica has steadily intensified and diversified. So far, the States involved in the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS), who have collectively assumed a mandate as well as a responsibility for governing Antarctica, have been relatively passive as a collective and have largely relied on direct and indirect regulation from outside the ATS, most importantly on self-regulation by the tourism industry through the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). In view of the gradual intensification and diversification of Antarctic tourism, the abovementioned responsibility of the Consultative Parties to the Antarctic Treaty (ATCPs) and the need to safeguard the international legitimacy of the ATS, this article examines avenues for further international regulation by the ATCPs. This is in part done by exploring the meaning of the acronym IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated) in the sphere of Antarctic sea-borne tourism, to what extent it occurs and how some forms can be addressed.

New Problems—Old Solutions

1974 ◽  
Vol 9 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 91-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunnar Skagestad ◽  
Kim Traavik
Keyword(s):  
Final Section ◽  
The Novel ◽  
International Court Of Justice ◽  
The Past ◽  
International Court ◽  
Solution Models ◽  
Antarctic Treaty ◽  
The Antarctic ◽  
Opening Up ◽  
General Regulation

The verdict in 1933 by the Permanent International Court of Justice in the so-called ‘Eastern Greenland Case’ brought to the fore the dilemma of adapting the traditional sovereignty concept to the novel political/legal problems characterizing the ‘new territories’. With the opening up of other ‘new territories’ for exploration and subsequent exploitation, this dilemma has grown ever more acute in recent years. This chapter highlights some general regulation problems in ‘new territories’, gives a description of attempts made to solve such problems in the past, and identifies the key elements in the various ‘solution models’ (notably the Svalbard Treaty, the Antarctic Treaty and the Continental Shelf Convention). These elements are described and analysed comparatively, with a certain emphasis on the somewhat divergent preconditions prevalent in the three separate examples. In the final section, the authors proceed to discuss the applicability of the old solution models to the present and emerging regulation problems in the new territories.

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