A new study published in Nature Sustainability warns that surging tourism and expanding research bases are polluting the southern continent, accelerating snow melting and threatening fragile ecosystems already at risk from climate change. Researchers from Chile, Germany and the Netherlands spent four years travelling 2,000 kilometres across Antarctica to measure contamination. They found that in areas where humans have an active presence, concentrations of toxic metals such as nickel, copper and lead are now 10 times higher than they were four decades ago.  “The increasing human presence in Antarctica raises concerns about pollutants from fossil fuel combustion, including those from ships, aircraft, vehicles and supporting infrastructure,” the authors wrote. (Euronews)