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Lemaire J, Mangione R, Caut S, Bustamante P. Mercury biomagnification in the food web of Agami Pond, Kaw-Roura Nature Reserve, French Guiana. Heliyon 2024; 10:e28859. [PMID: 38596056 PMCID: PMC11002669 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Freshwater ecosystems are among the most important ecosystems worldwide, however, over the last centuries, anthropogenic pressures have had catastrophic effects on them. Mercury (Hg) is one of the main environmental contaminants which globally affect ecosystems and particularly freshwater wildlife. While Hg originates from natural sources, anthropogenic activities such as agriculture, biomass combustion, and gold mining increase its concentrations. Gold mining activities are the main drivers of Hg emission in tropical ecosystems and are responsible for up to 38% of global emissions. Once in its methylated form (MeHg), mercury biomagnifies through the trophic chain and accumulates in top predators. Due to the toxicity of MeHg, long-lived predators are even more subjected to chronic effects as they accumulate Hg over time. In the present study we quantified Hg contamination in two top predators, the Black caiman Melanosuchus niger and the Agami heron Agamia agami, and in their prey in the Kaw-Roura Nature Reserve in French Guiana and evaluated the biomagnification rate in the trophic chain. Our results show that despite a TMF in the range of others in the region (4.38 in our study), top predators of the ecosystem present elevated concentrations of Hg. We have found elevated Hg concentrations in the blood of adult Black caiman (2.10 ± 0.652 μg g-1 dw) and chicks of Agami heron (1.089 ± 0.406 μg g-1 dw). These findings highlight the need to better evaluate the potential impact of Hg in freshwater top predators, especially regarding reprotoxic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémy Lemaire
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rosanna Mangione
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stéphane Caut
- Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), Departamento de Etologia y Conservacion de la Biodiversidad, Estacion Biologica de Doñana, C/ Americo Vespucio, s/n (Isla de la Cartuja), E-41092, Sevilla, Spain
- ANIMAVEG Conservation, 58 avenue du Président Salvador Allende, F-94800, Villejuif, France
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France
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Aendo P, De Garine-Wichatitsky M, Mingkhwan R, Senachai K, Santativongchai P, Krajanglikit P, Tulayakul P. Potential Health Effects of Heavy Metals and Carcinogenic Health Risk Estimation of Pb and Cd Contaminated Eggs from a Closed Gold Mine Area in Northern Thailand. Foods 2022; 11:foods11182791. [PMID: 36140919 PMCID: PMC9498197 DOI: 10.3390/foods11182791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Gold-mining activities have been demonstrated to result in significant environmental pollution by Hg, Pb, and Mn, causing serious concerns regarding the potential threat to the public health of neighboring populations around the world. The present study focused on heavy-metal contamination in the eggs, blood, feed, soil, and drinking water on chicken farms, duck farms, and free-grazing duck farms located in areas < 25 km and > 25 km away from a gold mine in northern Thailand. In an area < 25 km away, Hg, Pb, and Mn concentrations in the eggs of free-grazing ducks were significantly higher than > 25 km away (p < 0.05). In blood, Hg concentration in free-grazing ducks was also significantly higher than those in an area > 25 km away (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the Pb concentration in the blood of farm ducks was significantly higher than in an area > 25 km away (p < 0.05). The concentration of Cd in drinking water on chicken farms was significantly higher for farms located within 25 km of the gold mine (p < 0.05). Furthermore, a high correlation was shown between the Pb (r2 = 0.84) and Cd (r2 = 0.42) found between drinking water and blood in free-grazing ducks in the area < 25 km away. Therefore, health risk from heavy-metal contamination was inevitably avoided in free-grazing activity near the gold mine. The incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) in the population of both Pb and Cd exceeded the cancer limit (10−4) for all age groups in both areas, which was particularly high in the area < 25 km for chicken-egg consumption, especially among people aged 13−18 and 18−35 years old. Based on these findings, long-term surveillance regarding human and animal health risk must be strictly operated through food chains and an appropriate control plan for poultry businesses roaming around the gold mine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paweena Aendo
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Michel De Garine-Wichatitsky
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- CIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- ASTRE, University Montpellier, CIRAD (French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development), INRAE (French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment), 34000 Montpellier, France
| | - Rachaneekorn Mingkhwan
- Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | | | - Pitchaya Santativongchai
- Bio-Veterinary Science (International Program), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Praphaphan Krajanglikit
- Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University Kamphaeng Saen Campus, Nakhon Pathom 73140, Thailand
| | - Phitsanu Tulayakul
- Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University Kamphaeng Saen Campus, Nakhon Pathom 73140, Thailand
- Kasetsart University Research and Development Institute, 50 Ngam Wong Wan Rd., Lat Yao, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
- Correspondence:
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Jouanneau W, Sebastiano M, Rozen-Rechels D, Harris SM, Blévin P, Angelier F, Brischoux F, Gernigon J, Lemesle JC, Robin F, Cherel Y, Bustamante P, Chastel O. Blood mercury concentrations in four sympatric gull species from South Western France: Insights from stable isotopes and biologging. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 308:119619. [PMID: 35709917 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a toxic trace element widely distributed in the environment, which particularly accumulates in top predators, including seabirds. Among seabirds, large gulls (Larus sp) are generalist feeders, foraging in both terrestrial and marine habitats, making them relevant bioindicators of local coastal Hg contamination. In the present study, we reported blood Hg concentrations in adults and chicks of four different gull species breeding on the French Atlantic coast: the European herring gull (Larus argentatus), the Lesser black-backed gull (L. fuscus), the Great black-backed gull (L. marinus) and the Yellow-legged gull (L. michahellis). We also investigated the potential role of foraging ecology in shaping Hg contamination across species, using the unique combination of three dietary tracers (carbon, nitrogen and sulfur stable isotopes) and biologging (GPS tracking). A high concentration of Hg was associated with high trophic position and a marine diet in gulls, which was corroborated by birds' space use strategy during foraging trips. Adults of all four species reached Hg concentrations above reported toxicity thresholds. Specifically, adults of Great black-backed gulls had a high trophic marine specialized diet and significantly higher Hg concentrations than the three other species. Blood Hg was 4-7 times higher in adults than in chicks, although chicks of all species received mainly marine and high trophic position prey, which is expected to be the cause of blood Hg concentrations of toxic concern. By using both stable isotopes and GPS tracking, the present study provides compelling insights on the main feeding habits driving Hg contamination in a seabird assemblage feeding in complex coastal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Jouanneau
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France.
| | - Manrico Sebastiano
- Unité Physiologie Moléculaire et Adaptation, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, UMR 7221 CNRS/MNHN, 7 Rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France; Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - David Rozen-Rechels
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IRD, INRAE, Université Paris Est Créteil, Institut d'écologie et des Sciences de l'environnement de Paris (iEES-Paris), Paris, France
| | - Stephanie M Harris
- School of Ocean Sciences, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, LL59 5AB, United Kingdom; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, USA
| | - Pierre Blévin
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France; Akvaplan-niva AS, Fram Centre, P.O. Box 6606 Langnes, 9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - François Brischoux
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Julien Gernigon
- Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO), 17300, Rochefort, France
| | | | - Frédéric Robin
- Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO), 17300, Rochefort, France
| | - Yves Cherel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés, LIENSs, Univ. La Rochelle, CNRS, 17000, La Rochelle, France; Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 1 Rue Descartes, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
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Carravieri A, Vincze O, Bustamante P, Ackerman JT, Adams EM, Angelier F, Chastel O, Cherel Y, Gilg O, Golubova E, Kitaysky A, Luff K, Seewagen CL, Strøm H, Will AP, Yannic G, Giraudeau M, Fort J. Quantitative meta-analysis reveals no association between mercury contamination and body condition in birds. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1253-1271. [PMID: 35174617 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Mercury contamination is a major threat to the global environment, and is still increasing in some regions despite international regulations. The methylated form of mercury is hazardous to biota, yet its sublethal effects are difficult to detect in wildlife. Body condition can vary in response to stressors, but previous studies have shown mixed effects of mercury on body condition in wildlife. Using birds as study organisms, we provide the first quantitative synthesis of the effect of mercury on body condition in animals. In addition, we explored the influence of intrinsic, extrinsic and methodological factors potentially explaining cross-study heterogeneity in results. We considered experimental and correlative studies carried out in adult birds and chicks, and mercury exposure inferred from blood and feathers. Most experimental investigations (90%) showed a significant relationship between mercury concentrations and body condition. Experimental exposure to mercury disrupted nutrient (fat) metabolism, metabolic rates, and food intake, resulting in either positive or negative associations with body condition. Correlative studies also showed either positive or negative associations, of which only 14% were statistically significant. Therefore, the overall effect of mercury concentrations on body condition was null in both experimental (estimate ± SE = 0.262 ± 0.309, 20 effect sizes, five species) and correlative studies (-0.011 ± 0.020, 315 effect sizes, 145 species). The single and interactive effects of age class and tissue type were accounted for in meta-analytic models of the correlative data set, since chicks and adults, as well as blood and feathers, are known to behave differently in terms of mercury accumulation and health effects. Of the 15 moderators tested, only wintering status explained cross-study heterogeneity in the correlative data set: free-ranging wintering birds were more likely to show a negative association between mercury and body condition. However, wintering effect sizes were limited to passerines, further studies should thus confirm this trend in other taxa. Collectively, our results suggest that (i) effects of mercury on body condition are weak and mostly detectable under controlled conditions, and (ii) body condition indices are unreliable indicators of mercury sublethal effects in the wild. Food availability, feeding rates and other sources of variation that are challenging to quantify likely confound the association between mercury and body condition in natura. Future studies could explore the metabolic effects of mercury further using designs that allow for the estimation and/or manipulation of food intake in both wild and captive birds, especially in under-represented life-history stages such as migration and overwintering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Carravieri
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle, 17000, France
| | - Orsolya Vincze
- Centre for Ecological Research-DRI, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, 18/C Bem tér, Debrecen, 4026, Hungary.,Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, 5-7 Clinicilor street, Cluj-Napoca, 400006, Romania
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle, 17000, France.,Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 1 rue Descartes, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D, Dixon, CA, 95620, U.S.A
| | - Evan M Adams
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Road, Portland, ME, 04103, U.S.A
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 405 Route de Prissé la Charrière, Villiers-en-Bois, 79360, France
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 405 Route de Prissé la Charrière, Villiers-en-Bois, 79360, France
| | - Yves Cherel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 405 Route de Prissé la Charrière, Villiers-en-Bois, 79360, France
| | - Olivier Gilg
- UMR 6249 CNRS-Chrono-environnement, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 16 route de Gray, Besançon, 25000, France.,Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique (GREA), 16 rue de Vernot, Francheville, 21440, France
| | - Elena Golubova
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique (GREA), 16 rue de Vernot, Francheville, 21440, France.,Institute of Biological Problems of the North, Russian Academy of Sciences, Portovaya Str., 18, Magadan, RU-685000, Russia
| | - Alexander Kitaysky
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2140 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, U.S.A
| | - Katelyn Luff
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Chad L Seewagen
- Great Hollow Nature Preserve and Ecological Research Center, 225 State Route 37, New Fairfield, CT, 06812, U.S.A
| | - Hallvard Strøm
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø, NO-9296, Norway
| | - Alexis P Will
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2140 Koyukuk Drive, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, U.S.A
| | - Glenn Yannic
- Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique (GREA), 16 rue de Vernot, Francheville, 21440, France.,UMR 5553 CNRS-Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, 2233 Rue de la Piscine, Saint-Martin d'Hères, Grenoble, 38000, France
| | - Mathieu Giraudeau
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle, 17000, France.,Centre de Recherches en Écologie et en Évolution de la Santé (CREES), MIVEGEC, UMR IRD 224-CNRS 5290-Université de Montpellier, Domaine La Valette, 900 rue Breton, Montpellier, 34090, France
| | - Jérôme Fort
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle, 17000, France
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