Assessment of trace metals and porphyrins in excreta of Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) in different locations of the northern coast of Chile José E. Celis & Winfred Espejo & Daniel González-Acuña & Solange Jara & Ricardo Barra Received: 11 June 2013 / Accepted: 10 October 2013 / Published online: 25 October 2013 # Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013 Abstract To add data on trace metal contamination of Humboldt penguins in the South Pacific, levels of trace metals (As, Hg, Pb, Cu, Zn, and Cd) and porphyrins (copro-, uro-, and proto-) in excreta of Humboldt penguins that inhabit some important nesting sites on the northern coast of Chile were determined. Fresh excreta were collected on Pan de Azúcar Island, Chañaral Island, and Cachagua Island, from December 2011 to January 2012. Concentration of metals was determined by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry, whereas porphyrins levels were measured by fluorimetric analysis. Concentrations (dry weight) of Cu (199.67 μgg −1 ), As (7.85 μgg −1 ), and Pb (12.78 μgg −1 ) were higher (p ≤ 0.05) in Cachagua Island. Colonies from Pan de Azúcar Island showed the highest levels of Hg (0.76 μgg −1 ), Cd (47.70 μgg −1 ), and Zn (487.10 μgg −1 ). Samples from Cachagua Island showed the highest ( p ≤0.05) levels of copro- (2.16 nmol g −1 ), uro- (2.20 nmol g −1 ), and protoporphyrins (2.23 nmol g −1 ). There was a positive correlation between the metals As, Pb, and Cu with uro-, copro-, and protoporphyrins. The results indicated that penguin colonies from Cachagua Island are more exposed to metal contamination than penguin colonies from Pan de Azúcar and Chañaral Islands, thus being more likely to develop certain diseases caused by contamination with metals. Considering biomagnification, the metals detected in the excreta of Humboldt penguins can be a source of contamination from marine environments to terrestrial ecosystems, which could also affect other living organisms. Keywords Heavy metals . Seabirds . Penguins . Excrement . Biomonitoring . Sea pollution Introduction The Humboldt penguin is a species of seabird that naturally inhabits the coast between Peru (5° S) and Chile (43° S), closely linked to the Humboldt Current, from which its name has been taken (Araya and Millie 2000). This bird is vulnerable and although it is legally protected, it is still hunted both for food and bait (Ellenberg et al. 2006). The Humboldt penguin is a bird at the top of the food chain of marine ecosystems, thus playing an important role in the ecology of the coastal zones of northern Chile (Araya and Millie 2000). There is some evidence indicating that Humboldt penguins are particularly vulnerable to human activities, which become a source of behavioral and physiological stress that alters the breeding success of these birds (Ellenberg et al. 2006). Anthropogenic activities constitute an important source of trace metals (Boersma 2008). The northern Chilean coast is continuously affected by many human actions such as mining, urban centres, local Environ Monit Assess (2014) 186:1815–1824 DOI 10.1007/s10661-013-3495-6 J. E. Celis (*) : W. Espejo : D. González-Acuña Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 537, Chillán, Chile e-mail: jcelis@udec.cl S. Jara : R. Barra Unidad de Sistemas Acuáticos, Centro de Ciencias Ambientales EULA-Chile, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile