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Jankovská I, Karešová V, Michlová T, Kunc P, Knížková I, Ševčík R, Sloup V, Langrová I. Significance of Intestinal Helminth Infection and Animal Sex for Mercury Concentrations in Two Rodent Species. J Wildl Dis 2023; 59:504-508. [PMID: 37270297 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-22-00129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We compared the effects of animal gender, species, and intestinal helminth burden on mercury concentrations in rodents. Total mercury concentrations were determined in the liver and kidney tissues of 80 small rodents (44 yellow-necked mice, Apodemus flavicollis, and 36 bank voles, Myodes glareolus) captured in the Ore Mountains (northwest Bohemia, Czech Republic). Overall, 25/80 (32%) of animals were infected by intestinal helminths. The differences in mercury concentration between rodents infected and not infected with intestinal helminths were not statistically significant. Statistically significant differences in mercury concentrations were found only between voles and mice (that were not infected with intestinal helminths). This suggests the differences may be associated with host genetics. Apodemus flavicollis body tissues had significantly lower (P=0.01) mean Hg concentrations (0.032 mg/kg) than Myodes glareolus (0.279 mg/kg), provided that animals were not infected by intestinal helminths; if the animals were infected by intestinal helminths, the difference between both groups was insignificant. The effect of gender in this study was significant only for voles (without helminth infection); for mice (either with or without helminth infection) the differences between genders were not significant. Myodes glareolus males had significantly lower (P=0.03) Hg concentrations in liver and kidney tissues (0.050 mg/kg) than Myodes glareolus females (0.122 mg/kg). These results reveal the importance of considering species and gender when evaluating mercury concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Jankovská
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Karešová
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Michlová
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Kunc
- Institute of Animal Science, Přátelství 815, 104 00 Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic
| | - Ivana Knížková
- Institute of Animal Science, Přátelství 815, 104 00 Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic
| | - Richard Ševčík
- Department of Spatial Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, 165 21 Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Vladislav Sloup
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Iva Langrová
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic
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Sures B, Nachev M, Selbach C, Marcogliese DJ. Parasite responses to pollution: what we know and where we go in 'Environmental Parasitology'. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:65. [PMID: 28166838 PMCID: PMC5294906 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2001-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental parasitology deals with the interactions between parasites and pollutants in the environment. Their sensitivity to pollutants and environmental disturbances makes many parasite taxa useful indicators of environmental health and anthropogenic impact. Over the last 20 years, three main research directions have been shown to be highly promising and relevant, namely parasites as accumulation indicators for selected pollutants, parasites as effect indicators, and the role of parasites interacting with established bioindicators. The current paper focuses on the potential use of parasites as indicators of environmental pollution and the interactions with their hosts. By reviewing some of the most recent findings in the field of environmental parasitology, we summarize the current state of the art and try to identify promising ideas for future research directions. In detail, we address the suitability of parasites as accumulation indicators and their possible application to demonstrate biological availability of pollutants; the role of parasites as pollutant sinks; the interaction between parasites and biomarkers focusing on combined effects of parasitism and pollution on the health of their hosts; and the use of parasites as indicators of contaminants and ecosystem health. Therefore, this review highlights the application of parasites as indicators at different biological scales, from the organismal to the ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernd Sures
- Aquatic Ecology and Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, D-45141, Essen, Germany.,Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, PO Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Milen Nachev
- Aquatic Ecology and Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 5, D-45141, Essen, Germany.
| | - Christian Selbach
- Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa
| | - David J Marcogliese
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Water Science and Technology Directorate, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, St. Lawrence Centre, 105 McGill Street, 7th floor, Montreal, QC, H2Y 2E7, Canada.,St. Andrews Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 531 Brandy Cove Road, St, Andrews, NB, E5B 2 L9, Canada
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Jankovská I, Miholová D, Romočuský S, Petrtýl M, Langrová I, Kalous L, Sloup V, Válek P, Vadlejch J, Lukešová D. Importance of fish gender as a factor in environmental monitoring of mercury. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 21:6239-6242. [PMID: 24374660 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-013-2459-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2013] [Accepted: 12/12/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Total mercury concentrations were determined in the gonadal tissues of 15 female and 10 male European perch (Perca fluviatilis) from one location of the stream "Jevanský potok" located about 30 km from Prague (Czech Republic). Tissue samples were frozen at -26 °C in polypropylene containers until further processing, which was carried out using an Advance Mercury Analyser (single purpose atomic absorption spectrometer). Mercury concentrations were present in all analysed gonad samples, and ranged from 2.3 to 12.7 μg/kg wet weight. However, we determined a mean Hg concentration (9.45 μg/kg) in male gonads that was 2.4 times greater than that of female gonads (3.9 μg/kg). This is an important finding when taking into account fish sex in environmental pollution monitoring (especially for mercury contamination).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Jankovská
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, 165 21, Prague 6, Suchdol, Czech Republic,
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