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Lèche A, Gismondi E, Martella MB, Navarro JL. First assessment of persistent organic pollutants in the Greater rhea (Rhea americana), a near-threatened flightless herbivorous bird of the Pampas grasslands. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:27681-27693. [PMID: 33515150 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-12614-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are still globally distributed and can exert different effects on ecosystems. Little is known about the occurrence of these contaminants in terrestrial birds from South America. In this study, POPs were assessed for the first time in a flightless herbivorous species from the Pampas grasslands, the Greater rhea (Rhea americana). Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were determined in 18 samples of feathers from free-ranging and captive individuals inhabiting four sites with different land uses in central Argentina. Among the 16 POPs tested in those feathers, 6 PCBs (28, 52, 101, 138, 153, and 180) and 8 OCPs (α-HCH, β-HCH, γ-HCH, p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDD, o,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDT, and HCB) were quantified. No PBDEs were detected. The total concentration of POPs was higher in populations living in an intensive crop production area (agriculture 159 ng g -1 and farm: 97.53 ng g-1) compared with the population in an urban area (zoo 45.86 ng g-1) and an agroecosystem with extensive rearing of livestock (cattle rearing 36.77 ng g-1). PCBs were the most abundant pollutants in all the populations studied. Lower chlorinated CB 52 and CB 101 were the principal PCB congeners detected, representing at least 70% of the total quantified. All populations studied showed a DDE + DDD/DDT ratio > 1, indicating a historical application of this insecticide. This study provides a new contribution to the scarce data on POP concentrations in South American bird species. Further investigations are needed to evaluate their potential effects on the health of individuals and populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvina Lèche
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Rondeau 798, CP 5000, Córdoba, Argentina.
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Rondeau 798, 5000, Cordoba, CP, Argentina.
| | - Eric Gismondi
- Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Ecotoxicology (LEAE) - Freshwater and OceaniC sciences Unit of reSearch (FOCUS), Chemistry Institute, University of Liège, Bât. B6C, 11 allée du 6 Août, B-4000 Sart-Tilman, Liège, Belgium
| | - Mónica B Martella
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Rondeau 798, CP 5000, Córdoba, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Rondeau 798, 5000, Cordoba, CP, Argentina
| | - Joaquín L Navarro
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Rondeau 798, CP 5000, Córdoba, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Rondeau 798, 5000, Cordoba, CP, Argentina
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Departamento de Diversidad Biológica y Ecología, Cátedra de Problemática Ambiental, Cordoba, Argentina
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Della Costa NS, Navarro JL, Busso JM, Marin RH, Martella MB. Distribution and concentration of maternal progesterone in the yolk of Greater Rhea eggs (Rhea americana). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2018; 327:143-148. [PMID: 29356448 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Revised: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Progesterone is the most concentrated maternal yolk steroid characterized to date in birds; however, no information about it is available in ratite eggs. We collected freshly laid eggs from zoo-housed Greater Rhea females (Rhea americana) bred under similar rearing conditions during two breeding seasons to characterize concentration and distribution of maternal yolk progesterone. After high-performance liquid chromatography analysis, yolk hormone was measured using a commercial electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Progesterone concentrations were found to vary significantly among the yolk layers, supporting a follicular origin for this steroid in Greater Rhea eggs. Additionally, highly similar mean absolute yolk progesterone concentrations were detected between 2013 and 2015 breeding seasons (1,332.98 ± 82.59 and 1,313.59 ± 85.19 ng/g, respectively). These values are also comparable to those found in some domestic carinate species. Findings suggest that at population level, when rearing conditions are similar, mean absolute yolk maternal progesterone concentrations also appear bounded. Future research on the factors and mechanisms that regulate progesterone deposition in Greater Rhea eggs is needed to better understand whether its levels depend on different rearing conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Soledad Della Costa
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA, CONICET-UNC) and Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Joaquín Luis Navarro
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA, CONICET-UNC) and Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Juan Manuel Busso
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos (IIBYT, CONICET-UNC), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Raúl Héctor Marin
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos (IIBYT, CONICET-UNC), Córdoba, Argentina.,Cátedra de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba
| | - Mónica Beatriz Martella
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA, CONICET-UNC) and Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
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Della Costa NS, Marin RH, Busso JM, Hansen C, Navarro JL, Martella MB. Influence of the rearing system on yolk corticosterone concentration in captive Greater Rheas (Rhea americana). Zoo Biol 2016; 35:246-50. [PMID: 26928950 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Revised: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 02/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Many environmental conditions elevate plasma corticosterone in laying birds, leading to elevated hormone accumulation in the egg. We investigated whether maternal yolk corticosterone levels in Greater Rheas differ between fresh eggs collected from an intensive (IRS) and a semi-extensive (SRS) rearing system. After HPLC validation, yolk corticosterone was measured using a corticosterone (125) I radio-immunoassay kit. Results (mean ± SE) showed that eggs collected from the IRS exhibited a significantly higher corticosterone concentration than eggs from SRS (89.88 ± 8.93 vs. 45.41 ± 5.48 ng/g yolk, respectively). Our findings suggest that rearing conditions under an intensive scheme (e.g., small pens with bare ground, no direct foraging and handling) might be perceived as more stressful for Greater Rhea females than semi-extensive rearing conditions (e.g., low animal density distributed in extensive areas and direct foraging), which would result in the transfer of higher yolk corticosterone levels. A better understanding of environmental conditions and female traits that affect yolk corticosterone deposition provides a background for future studies concerning the roles of maternal corticosterone on offspring development. Zoo Biol. 35:246-250, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia S Della Costa
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA, CONICET-UNC) and Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Rondeau 798, (X5000AVP) Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Raul H Marin
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, (IIBYT, CONICET-UNC), and Cátedra de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sársfield 1611, (X5000AVP) Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Juan M Busso
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, (IIBYT, CONICET-UNC), and Cátedra de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sársfield 1611, (X5000AVP) Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Cristian Hansen
- Laboratorio de Análisis Clínicos Especializados (LACE), Av. Vélez Sársfield 562, (X5000AVP) Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Joaquín L Navarro
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA, CONICET-UNC) and Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Rondeau 798, (X5000AVP) Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Mónica B Martella
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA, CONICET-UNC) and Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Rondeau 798, (X5000AVP) Córdoba, Argentina
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Vera Cortez M, Valdez DJ, Navarro JL, Martella MB. Efficiency of antipredator training in captive-bred greater rheas reintroduced into the wild. Acta Ethol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-014-0206-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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