ICE-BREAKERS are polluting Antarctica’s supposedly pristine seas with toxic chemicals. Samples collected from the ocean floor at McMurdo Sound have been found to contain high levels of tributyltin (TBT), a key component of antifouling paints used to coat the ships’ hulls. The site is close to a turning circle used by ice-breakers cutting paths for tourists and scientists visiting US and New Zealand bases.
“The levels are close the maximum you’ll find anywhere, apart from ship grounding sites,” says Andrew Negri of the Australian Institute of Marine Science in Townsville, Queensland, who led the study, which will be published in Marine Pollution Bulletin.…
