Ah Tow Lemese, Cowan Don A
Advanced Research Centre for Applied Microbiology, Department of Biotechnology, University of the Western Cape, 7535 Bellville,Cape Town, South Africa.
Extremophiles. 2005 Oct;9(5):385-9. doi: 10.1007/s00792-005-0452-5. Epub 2005 Jun 10.
Continental Antarctic is perceived as a largely pristine environment, although certain localized regions (e.g., parts of the Ross Dependency Dry Valleys) are relatively heavy impacted by human activities. The procedures imposed on Antarctic field parties for the handling and disposal of both solid and liquid wastes are designed to minimise eutrofication and contamination (particularly by human enteric bacteria). However, little consideration has been given to the significance, if any, of less obvious forms of microbial contamination resulting from periodic human activities in Antarctica. The predominant commensal microorganism on human skin, Staphylococcus epidermidis, could be detected by PCR, in Dry Valley mineral soils collected from heavily impacted areas, but could not be detected in Dry Valley mineral soils collected from low impact and pristine areas. Cell viability of this non-enteric human commensal is rapidly lost in Dry Valley mineral soil. However, S. epidermidis can persist for long periods in Dry Valley mineral soil as non-viable cells and/or naked DNA.
尽管南极大陆的某些局部地区（如罗斯属地干谷的部分地区）受到人类活动的影响相对较大，但它仍被视为一个基本未受污染的环境。为处理和处置固体及液体废物而对南极野外考察队实施的程序，旨在尽量减少富营养化和污染（尤其是人类肠道细菌造成的污染）。然而，对于南极地区定期人类活动所导致的不太明显的微生物污染形式（如果有）的重要性，人们几乎没有给予关注。在从受影响严重地区采集的干谷矿质土壤中，通过聚合酶链反应（PCR）能够检测到人类皮肤上主要的共生微生物——表皮葡萄球菌，但在从低影响和未受污染地区采集的干谷矿质土壤中却检测不到。这种非肠道人类共生菌的细胞活力在干谷矿质土壤中会迅速丧失。然而，表皮葡萄球菌可以以无活力的细胞和/或裸露的DNA形式在干谷矿质土壤中长时间存活。
