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Matos DM, Ramos JA, Brandão ALC, Baptista F, Rodrigues I, Fernandes JO, Batista de Carvalho LAE, Marques MPM, Cunha SC, Antunes S, Paiva VH. Influence of paternal factors on plastic ingestion and brominated chemical exposure in East Tropical Atlantic Procellariid chicks. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 945:173815. [PMID: 38857804 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173815] [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: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
The presence of plastic debris and organo-brominated compounds in the marine environment poses a concern to wildlife. Plastic can absorb and release chemical compounds, making their ingestion potentially harmful, while chemical compounds have become omnipresent, with a tendency to bioaccumulate in the food web. Seabirds are often used as indicators of marine plastic pollution, yet studies on the exposure of tropical communities to plastic contamination are still scarce. In this study we monitored the amounts of plastics in faeces and organo-brominated compounds ingested/assimilated in feathers by adults and chicks of Cape Verde shearwaters and Bulwer's petrels from Cabo Verde. Anthropogenic pollutants, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and naturally generated methoxylated-PBDEs (MeO-PBDEs) were among the probed compounds. The frequency of plastic debris ingestion was similar in both species' adults and chicks, although, the characteristics of the ingested plastic differed. Frequency and number of microplastics increased throughout the nestling season for chicks from both species. All species and age groups showed the presence of PBDEs and MeO-PBDEs. Among PBDEs, Bulwer's petrels exhibited higher concentrations than Cape Verde shearwaters, and chicks had higher concentration profiles than adults. Specifically, Bulwer's petrel chicks showed higher concentrations than Cape Verde shearwater chicks. On the contrary, Cape Verde shearwater adults exhibited higher occurrence and concentrations of MeO-PBDEs when compared to Cape Verde shearwater chicks. We found no effect of plastic loadings or loadings of organohalogen contaminants on body condition or size, although harmful effects may be hidden or reveal themselves in a medium- to long-term. Feather samples from both adults and chicks were shown to be useful for comparing intraspecific contamination levels and appear suitable for the long-term assessment of organohalogen contaminants in seabirds. Species-specific foraging and feeding strategies are likely the drivers of the observed variation in organochlorine contamination burdens among seabird species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana M Matos
- University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal.
| | - J A Ramos
- University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - A L C Brandão
- University of Coimbra, Molecular Physical-Chemistry R&D Unit, Department of Chemistry, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Francisca Baptista
- University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Isabel Rodrigues
- Biosfera Cabo Verde, Sul do Cemitério, Rua 5 - Caixa Postal 233, São Vicente, Cabo Verde
| | - J O Fernandes
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Laboratório de Bromatologia e Hidrologia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - L A E Batista de Carvalho
- University of Coimbra, Molecular Physical-Chemistry R&D Unit, Department of Chemistry, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - M P M Marques
- University of Coimbra, Molecular Physical-Chemistry R&D Unit, Department of Chemistry, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal; University of Coimbra, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - S C Cunha
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Laboratório de Bromatologia e Hidrologia, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Stefan Antunes
- Biosfera Cabo Verde, Sul do Cemitério, Rua 5 - Caixa Postal 233, São Vicente, Cabo Verde
| | - V H Paiva
- University of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET - Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, Calçada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
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Cao X, Wu X, Lu R, Zheng X, Mai B. Persistent organic pollutants in feathers of various terrestrial and aquatic bird species: Interspecies difference and source apportionment. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 474:134810. [PMID: 38850936 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134810] [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: 03/02/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Feathers are regarded as important nondestructive biomonitoring tools for bird pollutants. However, external contamination of feathers by different pollutants in different bird species remains unclear. In the present study, the feathers of 16 bird species, including terrestrial, freshwater, and marine birds, were analyzed for persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Bird feathers from an abandoned e-waste recycling site had higher POP concentrations and were more correlated with the POP muscle concentrations than those from the less polluted areas. The significant and positive POP correlations between the feathers and muscles of different species indicate that feathers are a good indicator of inter-species and spatial pollution. For individual species, the most hydrophobic POPs in feathers, such as hepta- to deca-polybrominated diphenyl ethers, had higher proportions than in muscles and worse correlations with muscle POPs compared with other POPs. Results of the chemical mass balance (CMB) model revealed that the gaseous phase, internal pollution, and atmospheric particle phase were the main contributors to low-, medium-, and high-hydrophobicity POPs in feathers, respectively. Overall, this study provides a preliminary but meaningful framework for distinguishing between internal and external contamination in feathers and gives information concerning the fitness of feathers as POP indicators with specific physicochemical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingpei Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaodan Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural & Rural Pollution Abatement and Environmental Safety, College of Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Ruifeng Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaobo Zheng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural & Rural Pollution Abatement and Environmental Safety, College of Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Bixian Mai
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Environmental Protection and Resources Utilization, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Deep Earth Science, Guangzhou 510640, China
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3
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Bighetti GP, Souza RC, Carvalho HRA, Silva CC, Torres JPM. Feather's Composition of South Polar Skua (Stercorarius maccormicki) Using WDXRF. Biol Trace Elem Res 2024; 202:2272-2278. [PMID: 37542592 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-023-03799-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the feathers' composition of South polar skua (Stercorarius maccormicki) using WDXRF, evaluating the concentration of essential and non-essential elements in the feathers, and dividing it into rachis and barb parts. We collected South polar skuas feathers from Hennequin Point, King George Island, South Shetland, Antarctic Peninsula in January of 2013. Our results show that 18 elements were observed in the composition of the feathers, with a different concentration between the rachis and barbs, qualitatively and quantitatively. Only 3 elements observed were classified as non-essentials but still mostly elements do not have a function described in the literature to the feathers. According to our knowledge, this is the first study that uses this technique to evaluate the concentration of different elements in the feathers. The findings of this study highlight the use of alternative techniques to biomonitoring elements in the ecosystem and bring baseline information for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- G P Bighetti
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - R C Souza
- Grupo Crowfoot de Métodos de Raios-X, Universidade Do Estado Do Amazonas, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - H R A Carvalho
- Grupo Crowfoot de Métodos de Raios-X, Universidade Do Estado Do Amazonas, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - C C Silva
- Grupo Crowfoot de Métodos de Raios-X, Universidade Do Estado Do Amazonas, Manaus, AM, Brazil
| | - J P M Torres
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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Mnisi LN, Zondi N, Pikirayi I. Consumptive and Non-Consumptive Uses of Water Beetles ( Aquatic coleopterans) in Sub-Saharan Traditional Rituals. INSECTS 2023; 14:795. [PMID: 37887807 PMCID: PMC10607599 DOI: 10.3390/insects14100795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
The use of wild animals in customary rituals and as a sustenance resource is a longstanding tradition within sub-Saharan Africa. The emergence of commercial trade, has, however, created unattainable demands and has led to the overexploitation of animals. These demands are threatening the conservation of animal species exploited in this trade. Comparatively little research effort has been dedicated to invertebrate species, and, specifically, their non-commercial uses. We explored the uses of water beetles in traditional rituals. We investigate the extent to which each of the non-commercial uses of water beetles exhibits consumptive and non-consumptive use features. The concepts are contested as their application for describing human-animal interactions has been challenged because of insufficient physiological and conservation data on the implications for animals of such interactions. The inadequacy of the available data pertaining to the use of animal resources was particularly pronounced. Most research efforts are skewed towards vertebrates at the expense of invertebrates. Regardless, the study shows that most non-commercial exploitation and uses of water beetles were mainly non-destructive and, if consumptive, the uses could be described as mainly non-lethal consumptive or sub-lethal consumptive. Rituals that could be described as lethal-consumptive comprised a smaller fraction of the uses of water beetles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucky Nhlanhla Mnisi
- Department of African Languages, University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa;
| | - Nompumelelo Zondi
- Department of African Languages, University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa;
| | - Innocent Pikirayi
- Department of Anthropology, Archaeology and Development Studies, University of Pretoria, Hatfield 0028, South Africa;
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Roque I, Lourenço R, Marques A, Martínez-López E, Espín S, Gómez-Ramirez P, García-Fernández AJ, Roulin A, Rabaça JE. A First Record of Organochlorine Pesticides in Barn Owls (Tyto alba) from Portugal: Assessing Trends from Variation in Feather and Liver Concentrations. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2022; 109:436-442. [PMID: 35871684 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-022-03576-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We evaluated feathers as a non-destructive biomonitoring tool documenting organochlorine pesticides (OCP) in liver and checked possible trends in pesticide use in two areas based on OCP concentrations in barn owls (Tyto alba). We measured the concentrations of 16 OCP in 15 primary feathers and 15 livers from barn owl carcasses collected on roadsides in Tagus Valley and Évora regions, south Portugal. Total OCP mean concentration was 8 120 ng g-1 in feathers and 178 ng g-1 in livers. All compounds were detected in feathers while in livers δ-HCH, endosulfan sulphate, p,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDD were not detected. The high β-HCH and heptachlor concentrations in feathers most likely derived from external endogenous contamination. P,p'-DDE was the OCP with the highest hepatic concentration. Both matrices indicated an exposure to recently released heptachlor. The differing OCP concentrations between Tagus Valley and Évora seem to reflect differences in land-use and pesticide use histories of the two locations, and/or faster degradation of OCP in the Tagus area.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Roque
- MED-Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, LabOr-Laboratory of Ornithology, IIFA - Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554, Évora, Portugal.
| | - R Lourenço
- MED-Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, LabOr-Laboratory of Ornithology, IIFA - Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554, Évora, Portugal
| | - A Marques
- MED-Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, LabOr-Laboratory of Ornithology, IIFA - Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554, Évora, Portugal
| | - E Martínez-López
- Area of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - S Espín
- Area of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland
| | - P Gómez-Ramirez
- Area of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - A J García-Fernández
- Area of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - A Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Building Biophore, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - J E Rabaça
- MED-Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, LabOr-Laboratory of Ornithology, IIFA - Universidade de Évora, Pólo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554, Évora, Portugal
- Department of Biology, School of Sciences and Technology, University of Évora, 7002-554, Évora, Portugal
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Randulff ST, Abbasi NA, Eulaers I, Nygård T, Covaci A, Eens M, Malarvannan G, Lepoint G, Løseth ME, Jaspers VLB. Feathers as an integrated measure of organohalogen contamination, its dietary sources and corticosterone in nestlings of a terrestrial bird of prey, the northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 828:154064. [PMID: 35240173 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we evaluated the suitability of body feathers, preen oil and plasma for estimation of organohalogen compound (OHC) exposure in northern goshawk Accipiter gentilis nestlings (n = 37; 14 nests). In addition, body feathers received further examination concerning their potential to provide an integrated assessment of (1) OHC exposure, (2) its dietary sources (carbon sources and trophic position) and (3) adrenal gland response (corticosterone). While tetrabromobisphenol A was not detected in any sample, the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides, polybrominated diphenyl ethers and hexabromocyclododecane in body feathers (median: 23, 19, 1.6 and 3.5 ng g-1 respectively), plasma (median: 7.5, 6.2, 0.50 and 1.0 ng g-1 ww, respectively) and preen oil (median: 750, 600, 18 and 9.57 ng g-1 ww, respectively) suggests analytical suitability for biomonitoring of major OHCs in the three matrices. Furthermore, strong and significant associations (0.20 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.98; all P < 0.05) among the OHC concentrations in all three tissues showed that body feathers and preen oil reliably reflect circulating plasma OHC levels. Of the dietary proxies, δ13C (carbon source) was the most suitable predictor for variation in feather OHCs concentrations, while no significant relationships between body feather OHCs and δ15N (trophic position) were found. Finally, body feather corticosterone concentrations were not related to variation in OHC concentrations. This is the first study to evaluate feathers of a terrestrial bird of prey as an integrated non-destructive tool to jointly assess nestling ecophysiology and ecotoxicology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sina T Randulff
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Naeem A Abbasi
- College of Earth and Environmental Sciences (CEES), University of the Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam campus, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - Igor Eulaers
- Arctic Research Centre, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Torgeir Nygård
- Unit for Terrestrial Ecology, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Centre, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Govindan Malarvannan
- Toxicological Centre, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Gilles Lepoint
- Laboratory of Trophic and Isotopes Ecology (LETIS), UR FOCUS, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Mari E Løseth
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Oslo, Norway
| | - Veerle L B Jaspers
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
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Quadri-Adrogué A, Gómez-Ramírez P, García-Fernández AJ, García GO, Seco-Pon JP, Miglioranza KSB. Feather mercury levels in beached Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) in northern Argentina during the non-breeding season. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:24793-24801. [PMID: 34826079 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-17539-7] [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: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a great concern for marine environments. Bird feathers have been widely used to assess Hg pollution. In this study, we determine mercury concentrations in body feathers of juvenile Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) from the southeastern sector of Buenos Aires province, Argentina, during a non-breeding season, considering both sexes. Hg levels, considering both females and males together, ranged between 265.5 and 1515.52 ng/g. These levels are well below the concentrations in feathers suggested for taking actions focused on the protection of seabirds. Non-significant differences between sexes regarding Hg levels were found, probably because juveniles were sexually immature and females did not excrete Hg by egg laying yet. Hg concentrations found in this study were an order of magnitude higher than those reported 10 years ago for the species in breeding areas on the Argentine coast. Thus, the present study provides relevant information indicating a possible increase of Hg pollution in the southwestern region of the Atlantic Ocean and thus trigger for the development of monitoring programs and regional strategies to improve the conservation status of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustina Quadri-Adrogué
- Laboratorio de Ecotoxicología y Contaminación Ambiental, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Vertebrados, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Pilar Gómez-Ramírez
- Toxicology and Risk Assessment Research Group, IMIB‑Arrixaca, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - Antonio Juan García-Fernández
- Toxicology and Risk Assessment Research Group, IMIB‑Arrixaca, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - Germán Oscar García
- Laboratorio de Vertebrados, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC) (UNMDP-CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Juan Pablo Seco-Pon
- Laboratorio de Vertebrados, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina.
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC) (UNMDP-CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina.
| | - Karina Silvia Beatriz Miglioranza
- Laboratorio de Ecotoxicología y Contaminación Ambiental, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, 7600, Mar del Plata, Argentina
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC) (UNMDP-CONICET), Mar del Plata, Argentina
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8
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Picone M, Distefano GG, Corami F, Franzoi P, Redolfi Bristol S, Basso M, Panzarin L, Volpi Ghirardini A. Occurrence of rare earth elements in fledgelings of Thalasseus sandvicensis. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 204:112152. [PMID: 34606838 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are increasingly exploited for crucial new technologies, and their massive use in the past decades has significantly increased their environmental concentrations. Although their effects have been extensively studied in vitro and in vivo in model species, little is known of their accumulation and potential toxic effects in wildlife, including waterbirds. In the present work, we measured the concentrations of REEs in feathers of young Sandwich tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) about 16-20 days old to assess whether the accumulation of these elements may be a concern in Venice's Lagoon, one of the most important wetlands of the Mediterranean area for breeding and migrating birds. The REE concentrations detected in the Sandwich tern were the highest among those reported in the literature for bird's feathers (940.9 ± 223.0 ng g-1), although in the study area industrial activities related to REEs mining, processing and disposal are absent. In particular, Lanthanum (La) was more abundant in the feathers than other REEs and accounted for 73-97% of total REEs detected. Analysis of bird's food indicated that diet is a relevant route of exposure to REEs for young terns; however, concentration in fishes are relevantly higher than in the feathers for all REEs other than La. The study evidenced the need to collect more information concerning the occurrence of REEs both in the abiotic matrices (i.e. water and sediments) and in living organisms of different trophic levels to improve the general knowledge concerning the fate of REEs in the aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Picone
- Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica, Università Ca' Foscari, Campus Scientifico via Torino 155, I-30170 Mestre, Venezia, Italy
| | - Gabriele Giuseppe Distefano
- Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica, Università Ca' Foscari, Campus Scientifico via Torino 155, I-30170 Mestre, Venezia, Italy.
| | - Fabiana Corami
- Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica, Università Ca' Foscari, Campus Scientifico via Torino 155, I-30170 Mestre, Venezia, Italy; Istituto per la Dinamica dei Processi Ambientali, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Torino 155, I-30170 Mestre, Venezia, Italy
| | - Piero Franzoi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica, Università Ca' Foscari, Campus Scientifico via Torino 155, I-30170 Mestre, Venezia, Italy
| | - Simone Redolfi Bristol
- Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica, Università Ca' Foscari, Campus Scientifico via Torino 155, I-30170 Mestre, Venezia, Italy
| | | | - Lucio Panzarin
- Associazione Naturalistica Sandonatese, C/o Centro Didattico Naturalistico il Pendolino, via Romanziol 130, 30020, Noventa di Piave, Venezia, Italy
| | - Annamaria Volpi Ghirardini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica, Università Ca' Foscari, Campus Scientifico via Torino 155, I-30170 Mestre, Venezia, Italy
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9
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Monclús L, Løseth ME, Dahlberg Persson MJ, Eulaers I, Kleven O, Covaci A, Benskin JP, Awad R, Zubrod JP, Schulz R, Wabakken P, Heggøy O, Øien IJ, Steinsvåg MJ, Jaspers VLB, Nygård T. Legacy and emerging organohalogenated compounds in feathers of Eurasian eagle-owls (Bubo bubo) in Norway: Spatiotemporal variations and associations with dietary proxies (δ 13C and δ 15N). ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 204:112372. [PMID: 34774833 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The occurrence of organohalogenated compounds (OHCs) in wildlife has received considerable attention over the last decades. Among the matrices used for OHCs biomonitoring, feathers are particularly useful as they can be collected in a minimally or non-invasive manner. In this study, concentrations of various legacy OHCs -polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs)-, as well as emerging OHCs -per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and organophosphate ester flame retardants (OPEs)- were determined in feathers of 72 Eurasian eagle-owls (Bubo bubo) from Norway, with the goal of studying spatiotemporal variation using a non-invasive approach. Molted feathers were collected at nest sites from northern, central and southern Norway across four summers (2013-2016). Additionally, two museum-archived feathers from 1979 to 1989 were included. Stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen isotopes (δ15N) were used as dietary proxies. In total, 11 PFAS (sum range 8.25-215.90 ng g-1), 15 PCBs (4.19-430.01 ng g-1), 6 OCPs (1.48-220.94 ng g-1), 5 PBDEs (0.21-5.32 ng g-1) and 3 OPEs (4.49-222.21 ng g-1) were quantified. While we observed large variation in the values of both stable isotopes, suggesting a diverse diet of the eagle-owls, only δ13C seemed to explain variation in PFAS concentrations. Geographic area and year were influential factors for δ15N and δ13C. Considerable spatial variation was observed in PFAS levels, with the southern area showing higher levels compared to northern and central Norway. For the rest of OHCs, we observed between-year variations; sum concentrations of PCBs, OCPs, PBDEs and OPEs reached a maximum in 2015 and 2016. Concentrations from 1979 to 1989 were within the ranges observed between 2013 and 2016. Overall, our data indicate high levels of legacy and emerging OHCs in a top predator in Norway, further highlighting the risk posed by OHCs to wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Monclús
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Mari Engvig Løseth
- Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Sognsveien 72, 0855, Oslo, Norway
| | - Marie J Dahlberg Persson
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Igor Eulaers
- Norwegian Polar Institute, FRAM Centre, 9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Oddmund Kleven
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Høgskoleringen 9, 7034, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Jonathan P Benskin
- Stockholm University, Department of Environmental Science, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Raed Awad
- Stockholm University, Department of Environmental Science, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden; IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, 10031, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jochen P Zubrod
- University of Koblenz-Landau, IES Landau, Fortstrasse 7, 76829, Landau, Germany; Zubrod Environmental Data Science, Friesenstrasse 20, 76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Ralf Schulz
- University of Koblenz-Landau, IES Landau, Fortstrasse 7, 76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Petter Wabakken
- Faculty of Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biochemistry, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Evenstad, 2480, Koppang, Norway
| | - Oddvar Heggøy
- BirdLife Norway, Sandgata 30b, 7012, Trondheim, Norway; University Museum of Bergen, University of Bergen, 5020, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Magnus Johan Steinsvåg
- Department of Environmental Affairs, County Governor of Vestland, 6863, Leikanger, Norway
| | - Veerle L B Jaspers
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Torgeir Nygård
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Høgskoleringen 9, 7034, Trondheim, Norway
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10
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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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11
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Tongue ADW, Fernie KJ, Harrad S, Drage DS, McGill RAR, Reynolds SJ. Interspecies comparisons of brominated flame retardants in relation to foraging ecology and behaviour of gulls frequenting a UK landfill. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 764:142890. [PMID: 33131861 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This study quantifies and compares concentrations and profiles of legacy and alternative (alt-) brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in the eggs of three gull (Laridae) species of international/UK conservation concern - great black-backed gulls (Larus marinus; n = 7), European herring gulls (L. argentatus; n = 16) and lesser black-backed gulls (L. fuscus; n = 11) in relation to their foraging ecology and behaviour in order to investigate potential exposure pathways at a remote landfill in western Scotland, UK. Egg concentrations of sum (∑) polybrominated diphenyl ethers (∑8PBDEs) in all three species exceeded those for most reported avian species using landfill, except for those in North America. Despite relatively high detection frequencies of ∑hexabromocyclododecanes (∑3HBCDDs) (94-100%), concentrations of ∑8PBDEs exceeded ∑3HBCDDs and ∑5alt-BFRs, with ∑8PBDE levels similar in all three species. Egg carbon isotopic (δ13C) values highlighted a greater marine dietary input in great black-backed gulls that was consistent with their higher BDE-47 levels; otherwise, dietary tracers were minimally correlated with measured BFRs. ∑3HBCDD egg concentrations of herring gulls markedly exceeded those reported elsewhere in Europe. Decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE) was the only alt-BFR detected (6-14% detection rate), in a single egg of each species. The great black-backed gull egg contained the highest concentration of DBDPE measured in biota to date globally and provides strong evidence for its emerging environmental presence as a BDE-209 replacement in UK wildlife. Correlations between δ13C (dietary source) and some measured BFRs in eggs suggest multiple routes of BFR exposure for gulls frequenting landfill through their diet, behaviour, preening, dermal exposure and likely inhalation. The frequent use of landfill by herring gulls and their increased egg BFR burdens suggest that this species may be an important bioindicator of BFR emissions from such sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D W Tongue
- Centre for Ornithology, School of Biosciences, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
| | - Kim J Fernie
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate, Environment & Climate Change Canada (ECCC), Burlington, ON L7S 1A1, Canada.
| | - Stuart Harrad
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Daniel S Drage
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Rona A R McGill
- Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, NERC Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry Facility, East Kilbride G75 0QF, UK
| | - S James Reynolds
- Centre for Ornithology, School of Biosciences, College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; The Army Ornithological Society (AOS), c/o Prince Consort Library, Knollys Road, Aldershot, Hampshire GU11 1PS, UK
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12
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Quadri-Adrogué A, Seco Pon JP, García GO, Castano MV, Copello S, Favero M, Beatriz Miglioranza KS. Chlorpyrifos and persistent organic pollutants in feathers of the near threatened Olrog's Gull in southeastern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 272:115918. [PMID: 33143978 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The use of bird feathers to assess environmental contamination has steadily increased in ecotoxicological monitoring programs over the past decade. The Olrog's Gull (Larus atlanticus) is a species endemic to the Atlantic coast of southern South America, constituting one of the three threatened gull species listed in the entire American continent. The aim of this study was to assess the exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and chlorpyrifos in the Near Threatened Olrog's Gull through the analysis of body feathers sampled at the Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon, the main wintering area of the species in Argentina, controlling for sex and age class. Chlorpyrifos showed the highest concentrations among all contaminants and groups of individuals (X¯ = 263 ng g-1), while among POPs the concentration of organochlorine pesticides was higher than polychlorinated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers, likely indicating the current use of these agricultural contaminant in the region. The highest values of total POP concentrations (males X¯ = 280 ng g-1, females X¯ = 301 ng g-1) were found in juvenile gulls, likely as a consequence of the incorporation of pollutants during the breeding season. Subadult and adult birds showed difference between sexes in the concentration of contaminants, with higher levels in males than females. The results highlight the need to include birds of different sex and age classes in order to better understand the variation in pollutants loads. The present study provides relevant information to improve the conservation status of the Olrog's Gull and new insights about the environmental health of the Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon, Argentina, a MAB-UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. However, there is a continued need for long-term monitoring programs focusing on this threatened species to understand the effects of pollutants on its population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustina Quadri-Adrogué
- Laboratorio de Ecotoxicología y Contaminación Ambiental, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes, 3350, Mar del Plata (7600), Argentina; Laboratorio de Vertebrados, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes, 3350, Mar del Plata (7600), Argentina
| | - Juan Pablo Seco Pon
- Laboratorio de Vertebrados, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes, 3350, Mar del Plata (7600), Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC) (UNMDP-CONICET), Argentina.
| | - Germán Oscar García
- Laboratorio de Vertebrados, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes, 3350, Mar del Plata (7600), Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC) (UNMDP-CONICET), Argentina
| | - Melina Vanesa Castano
- Laboratorio de Vertebrados, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes, 3350, Mar del Plata (7600), Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC) (UNMDP-CONICET), Argentina
| | - Sofia Copello
- Laboratorio de Vertebrados, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes, 3350, Mar del Plata (7600), Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC) (UNMDP-CONICET), Argentina
| | - Marco Favero
- Laboratorio de Vertebrados, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes, 3350, Mar del Plata (7600), Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC) (UNMDP-CONICET), Argentina
| | - Karina Silvia Beatriz Miglioranza
- Laboratorio de Ecotoxicología y Contaminación Ambiental, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes, 3350, Mar del Plata (7600), Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC) (UNMDP-CONICET), Argentina
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13
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Pitre C, Ponette-González AG, Rindy JE, Lee A, Doherty D, Fry M, Johnson JA. Bird feathers are potential biomonitors for airborne elemental carbon. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2021; 193:35. [PMID: 33409602 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-020-08804-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Birds can serve as effective biomonitors of air pollution, yet few studies have quantified external particulate matter accumulation on bird feathers. Biomonitoring of airborne elemental carbon (EC) is of critical significance because EC is a component of particulate matter with adverse effects on air quality and human health. To assess their effectiveness for use in EC monitoring, we compared EC accumulation on bird feathers at two sites that differed in vehicular traffic volume in an urban environment within the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area, USA. Moulted flight feathers from domestic chickens were experimentally exposed to ambient EC pollution for 5 days in two urban microenvironments 1.5 km distant from each other that differed in traffic volume--adjacent to an interstate highway and a university campus bus stop. Feathers near the highway accumulated approximately eight times more EC (307 ± 34 μg m-2 day-1), on average, than feathers near the bus stop (40 ± 9 μg m-2 day-1). These findings indicate that EC accumulation on feathers varies over short distances within urban areas and that bird feathers potentially can be used for biomonitoring airborne EC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Pitre
- Department of Geography and the Environment, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #305279, Denton, TX, USA
- Albrecht Daniel Thaer - Institute for Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences, Humboldt University of Berlin, Invalidenstraße 42, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexandra G Ponette-González
- Department of Geography and the Environment, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #305279, Denton, TX, USA.
| | - Jenna E Rindy
- Department of Geography and the Environment, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #305279, Denton, TX, USA
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anna Lee
- Department of Studio Art, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 1155 Union Circle #305100, USA
| | - Dornith Doherty
- Department of Studio Art, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 1155 Union Circle #305100, USA
| | - Matthew Fry
- Department of Geography and the Environment, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #305279, Denton, TX, USA
| | - Jeff A Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle #310559, Denton, TX, USA
- Wolf Creek Operating Foundation, 1026 Soldier Creek Road, Wolf, WY, 82844, USA
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14
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González-Gómez X, Simal-Gándara J, Fidalgo Alvarez LE, López-Beceiro AM, Pérez-López M, Martínez-Carballo E. Non-invasive biomonitoring of organic pollutants using feather samples in feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 267:115672. [PMID: 33254606 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
A large portion of organic pollutants (OPs) represent a potential hazard to humans and living beings due to their toxic properties. For several years, birds have been used as biomonitor species of environmental pollution. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polybrominated biphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organophosphate pesticides (OPPs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and pyrethroids (PYRs) were assessed in body feather samples of 71 feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica) collected from Asturias and Galicia (NW Spain). The percentage of detection for all chemical groups were above 90% in studied birds. The general pattern was dominated by PAHs (mean value ± standard deviation (SD) 32 ± 15 ng/g) followed by OCPs (3.8 ± 1.1 ng/g), PYRs (3.4 ± 3.8 ng/g), PCBs (1.6 ± 1.0 ng/g), OPPs (1.3 ± 0.70 ng/g) and PBDEs (0.80 ± 0.30 ng/g). Significant differences were observed between age, location and gender suggesting different sources of exposure and accumulation pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiana González-Gómez
- Analytical and Food Chemistry Department, Agri-Food Research and Transfer Cluster (CITACA), Campus da Auga, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Vigo, 32004, Ourense, Spain.
| | - Jesús Simal-Gándara
- Analytical and Food Chemistry Department, Agri-Food Research and Transfer Cluster (CITACA), Campus da Auga, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Vigo, 32004, Ourense, Spain.
| | - Luis Eusebio Fidalgo Alvarez
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, 27003, Spain.
| | - Ana María López-Beceiro
- Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, 27003, Spain.
| | - Marcos Pérez-López
- Toxicology Area, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UEX), Caceres, 10003, Spain.
| | - Elena Martínez-Carballo
- Analytical and Food Chemistry Department, Agri-Food Research and Transfer Cluster (CITACA), Campus da Auga, Faculty of Sciences of the University of Vigo, 32004, Ourense, Spain.
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15
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Souza JS, Kasper D, da Cunha LST, Soares TA, de Lira Pessoa AR, de Carvalho GO, Costa ES, Niedzielski P, Torres JPM. Biological factors affecting total mercury and methylmercury levels in Antarctic penguins. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 261:127713. [PMID: 32738710 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Penguins in Antarctica occupy high trophic levels, thus accumulating high amounts of mercury (Hg) through bioaccumulation and biomagnification. Blood reflects the current levels of contaminants circulating in the body, while feathers are known as the main route of Hg elimination in birds. Studies sampling chicks and adults can provide a comprehensive picture of bioaccumulation and local contamination. Three pygoscelid species (Pygoscelis adeliae, Pygoscelis antarcticus and Pygoscelis papua) have circumpolar distributions being the ideal sentinels of Antarctic environmental pollution. This study aimed to assess Hg contamination of the pristine Antarctic region using non-destructive penguin samples. Fieldwork was carried out during the austral summer of 2013/2014 in the South Shetland Islands, off the north-west Antarctic Peninsula. Concentrations of total Hg (ng.g-1 dw) in blood ranged from 39 to 182 in chicks and 45 to 581 in adults, while concentrations in feathers ranged from 73 to 598 in chicks and 156 to 1648 in adults. Most Hg in feathers (about 70%) is accumulated in the form of methylmercury. Differences were demonstrated in mercury bioaccumulation were related to species and age, but not to sex. To our knowledge this is the first study to report MeHg levels in both juvenile and adult pygoscelid penguins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Silva Souza
- Laboratório de Radioisótopos Eduardo Penna Franca, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho 373, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Ul. Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 8, 61-614 Poznań, Poland.
| | - Daniele Kasper
- Laboratório de Radioisótopos Eduardo Penna Franca, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho 373, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Larissa Schmauder Teixeira da Cunha
- Laboratório de Radioisótopos Eduardo Penna Franca, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho 373, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Tuany Alves Soares
- Laboratório de Radioisótopos Eduardo Penna Franca, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho 373, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Adriana Rodrigues de Lira Pessoa
- Laboratório de Radioisótopos Eduardo Penna Franca, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho 373, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Oliveira de Carvalho
- Laboratório de Radioisótopos Eduardo Penna Franca, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho 373, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Erli Schneider Costa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ambiente e Sustentabilidade, Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Sul, Unidade Universitária Hortênsias, Rua Assis Brasil 842, 95400-000, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Przemysław Niedzielski
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Ul. Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 8, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - João Paulo Machado Torres
- Laboratório de Radioisótopos Eduardo Penna Franca, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho 373, 21941-902, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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16
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Groffen T, Lasters R, Bervoets L, Prinsen E, Eens M. Are Feathers of a Songbird Model Species (The Great Tit, Parus major) Suitable for Monitoring Perfluoroalkyl Acids (PFAAs) in Blood Plasma? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:9334-9344. [PMID: 32634304 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c00652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Feathers have been shown to be useful in the biomonitoring of environmental contaminants, such as metals and persistent organic pollutants. However, little is known regarding the levels of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in feathers and the applicability of these structures for the biomonitoring of these compounds. In the present study, we report the extent to which feathers are suitable for monitoring PFAA concentrations in the blood plasma of an insectivorous songbird model species, the great tit (Parus major), settled at and in the vicinity of a fluorochemical plant in Antwerp, Belgium. For most of the target analytes (out of the 15 investigated), the feather PFAA concentrations near the plant are the highest ever reported in free-living birds. As PFAA concentrations did not differ in the adjacent sites, no pollution gradient with distance from the plant was observed. In addition, the PFAA concentrations were not associated with the age and sex of the birds. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) concentrations were significantly higher in P. major feathers than in blood plasma, but for most other PFAAs, these differences were not observed. The concentrations of perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and PFOA in P. major feathers and plasma were significantly and positively correlated when combining data from all sites but often not at individual sites. This result was likely caused by lower sample sizes at the individual sites and the use of matrices that represent different time periods. Our results suggest that P. major feathers cannot be used to estimate PFOA and PFOS concentrations in blood plasma, except when there is a great deal of variation in pollutant concentrations among sites/individual birds. Both matrices represent different time frames, providing complementary information on environmental PFAA concentrations, as illustrated by the observation that more PFAA compounds could be detected in P. major feathers than in blood plasma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thimo Groffen
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological Research, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Robin Lasters
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological Research, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Lieven Bervoets
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological Research, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Els Prinsen
- Integrated Molecular Plant Physiology Research (IMPRES), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
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17
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Sun J, Covaci A, Bustnes JO, Jaspers VLB, Helander B, Bårdsen BJ, Boertmann D, Dietz R, Labansen AL, Lepoint G, Schulz R, Malarvannan G, Sonne C, Thorup K, Tøttrup AP, Zubrod JP, Eens M, Eulaers I. Temporal trends of legacy organochlorines in different white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) subpopulations: A retrospective investigation using archived feathers. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 138:105618. [PMID: 32169675 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the spatiotemporal patterns of legacy organochlorines (OCs) is often difficult because monitoring practices differ among studies, fragmented study periods, and unaccounted confounding by ecological variables. We therefore reconstructed long-term (1939-2015) and large-scale (West Greenland, Norway, and central Sweden) trends of major legacy OCs using white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) body feathers, to understand the exposure dynamics in regions with different contamination sources and concentrations, as well as the effectiveness of legislations. We included dietary proxies (δ13C and δ15N) in temporal trend models to control for potential dietary plasticity. Consistent with the hypothesised high local pollution sources, levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) and hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) in the Swedish subpopulation exceeded those in the other subpopulations. In contrast, chlordanes (CHLs) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) showed higher concentrations in Greenland, suggesting the importance of long-range transport. The models showed significantly decreasing trends for all OCs in Sweden in 1968-2011 except for CHLs, which only decreased since the 1980s. Nevertheless, median concentrations of DDTs and PCBs remained elevated in the Swedish subpopulation throughout the 1970s, suggesting that the decreases only commenced after the implementation of regulations during the 1970s. We observed significant trends of increasing concentrations of PCBs, CHLs and HCB in Norway from the 1930s to the 1970s/1980s and decreasing concentrations thereafter. All OC concentrations, except those of PCBs were generally significantly decreasing in the Greenland subpopulation in 1985-2013. All three subpopulations showed generally increasing proportions of the more persistent compounds (CB 153, p.p'-DDE and β-HCH) and decreasing proportions of the less persistent ones (CB 52, p.p'-DDT, α- and γ-HCH). Declining trends of OC concentrations may imply the decreasing influence of legacy OCs in these subpopulations. Finally, our results demonstrate the usefulness of archived museum feathers in retrospective monitoring of spatiotemporal trends of legacy OCs using birds of prey as sentinels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiachen Sun
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Centre, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Jan Ove Bustnes
- Arctic Ecology Department, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, FRAM - High North Research Centre on Climate and the Environment, Hjalmar Johansens Gate 14, PO Box 6606, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Veerle L B Jaspers
- Environmental Toxicology Group, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Björn Helander
- Environmental Research & Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Frescativägen 40, PO Box 50007, 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Bård-Jørgen Bårdsen
- Arctic Ecology Department, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, FRAM - High North Research Centre on Climate and the Environment, Hjalmar Johansens Gate 14, PO Box 6606, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - David Boertmann
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Aili Lage Labansen
- Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Kivioq 2, PO Box 570, GL-3900 Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Gilles Lepoint
- MARE Centre, Oceanology, University of Liège, Allée de la Chimie 3, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Ralf Schulz
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstrasse 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
| | - Govindan Malarvannan
- Toxicological Centre, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Christian Sonne
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Kasper Thorup
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anders P Tøttrup
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, DK-1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Jochen P Zubrod
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences, University of Koblenz-Landau, Fortstrasse 7, 76829 Landau, Germany
| | - Marcel Eens
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Igor Eulaers
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
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18
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Tasneem F, Abbasi NA, Iqbal Chaudhry MJ, Mashiatullah A, Ahmad SR, Qadir A, Malik RN. Dietary proxies (δ15N, δ13C) as signature of metals and arsenic exposure in birds from aquatic and terrestrial food chains. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 183:109191. [PMID: 32062182 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109191] [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: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In this study, exposure to arsenic (As), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) was investigated in the blood, pectoral muscles and tail feathers of two terrestrial (spotted owlet; Athena brama and bank myna; Acridotheres ginginianus) and two aquatic (cattle egret; Bubulcus ibis and pond heron; Ardeola grayii) bird species inhabiting Pakistan. Food chain specimens, as well as the dietary proxies δ15N and δ13C, were also analyzed to validate potential trophic and dietary transfers of metals and As in birds. Zn was found to be the most prevalent metal in the tissues of birds followed by Pb, As, Cu, and Cd. The bioaccumulation of metals and As was higher in tail feathers reflecting the combined effect of both endogenous and exogenous contamination. Pectoral muscle and blood harbored lower levels of As and metals, indicating less recent exposure through diet. Aquatic birds feeding at higher trophic levels accumulated significantly higher concentrations of metals and As in their tissues (P < 0.05) and, therefore, may be at a greater risk of metal and As toxicity than terrestrial birds. Linear regression model depicts δ15N as a strong predictor of metals and As levels in the tissues of both aquatic and terrestrial birds, followed by the δ13C dietary proxy. All metals in aquatic species, except for Cd, as well as terrestrial species, except for Cu, exhibit bioaccumulative potential through the food chain (Trophic transfer factor: TTFs > 1) indicating potential harmful consequences for birds. Elevated concentrations of metals and As in tissues may cause harmful effects in birds potentially leading to declines in their populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farkhenda Tasneem
- Environmental Biology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan
| | - Naeem Akhtar Abbasi
- Environmental Biology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan; College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of the Punjab, Quaid-i-Azam Campus, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - Muhammad Jamshed Iqbal Chaudhry
- Environmental Biology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan; WWF, constitution avenue, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Azhar Mashiatullah
- Isotope Application Division, Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH) Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Sajid Rashid Ahmad
- College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of the Punjab, Quaid-i-Azam Campus, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Abdul Qadir
- College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of the Punjab, Quaid-i-Azam Campus, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Riffat Naseem Malik
- Environmental Biology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan.
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19
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Aver GF, Espín S, Dal Corno RDB, García-Fernández AJ, Petry MV. Organochlorine pesticides in feathers of three raptor species in southern Brazil. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 27:5971-5980. [PMID: 31863378 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-07370-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we determined the presence of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in back feathers from three raptor species, Phalcoboenus chimango, Milvago chimachima and Caracara plancus. Samples were obtained from live animals and ten OCPs were detected: α-HCH, β-HCH and γ-HCH (lindane), heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, aldrin, endosulfan I, endosulfan II, endosulfan sulfate and p,p'-DDE. The concentrations found were higher than those reported in other raptor species, and C. plancus showed greater values than P. chimango and M. chimachima for all the substances. These differences may be justified by the species feeding habits and the characteristics of the sampling area, since C. plancus were sampled in an area with a higher concentration of agricultural crops and urbanized environments. In relation to the possible negative effects, four individuals of C. plancus presented DDE values related to sublethal effects for other species. This is the first study reporting OCPs in back feathers of these species in Brazil, and further studies evaluating OCP exposure and related effects are important for a better understanding of the consequences of different OCP concentrations on the health of these species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Silvia Espín
- Toxicology and Risk Assessment Group, Department of Health Sciences, IMIB-Arrixaca, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - Renata De Boni Dal Corno
- Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, RS, 93022-000, Brazil
- Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, RS, 95070-560, Brazil
| | - Antonio Juan García-Fernández
- Toxicology and Risk Assessment Group, Department of Health Sciences, IMIB-Arrixaca, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain
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20
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Quadri Adrogué A, Miglioranza KSB, Copello S, Favero M, Seco Pon JP. Pelagic seabirds as biomonitors of persistent organic pollutants in the Southwestern Atlantic. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2019; 149:110516. [PMID: 31425845 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are accumulated through time and can exert different effect on ecosystems. POPs and Chlorpyrifos, a current use pesticide, were assessed in body feathers of males and females of Black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophris, BBA) and Cape petrels (Daption capense, CAP) during their non-breeding seasons at the Patagonian Shelf, Argentina. Chlorpyrifos showed the highest values among all pollutants in both species (49.56-84.88 ng g-1), resulting from current agricultural practices. The pattern OCPs > PCBs > PBDEs was observed in both species, and CAP showed higher concentrations than BBA probably as a consequence of higher lipid mobilization and pollutants availability during dispersion. Non-significant differences between sexes about POPs levels were found; however a slight tendency was observed, females>males in CAP, and males>females in BBA. More attention and further studies are needed to understand seabirds' physiology and its relationship with the pollutants distribution in their tissues and considering breeding season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustina Quadri Adrogué
- Laboratorio de Ecotoxicología y Contaminación Ambiental, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, Mar del Plata 7600, Argentina; Laboratorio de Vertebrados, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, Mar del Plata (7600), Argentina
| | - Karina S B Miglioranza
- Laboratorio de Ecotoxicología y Contaminación Ambiental, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, Mar del Plata 7600, Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC) (UNMDP-CONICET), Argentina.
| | - Sofía Copello
- Laboratorio de Vertebrados, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, Mar del Plata (7600), Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC) (UNMDP-CONICET), Argentina
| | - Marco Favero
- Laboratorio de Vertebrados, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, Mar del Plata (7600), Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC) (UNMDP-CONICET), Argentina
| | - Juan P Seco Pon
- Laboratorio de Vertebrados, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Funes 3350, Mar del Plata (7600), Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC) (UNMDP-CONICET), Argentina
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21
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Sun J, Bossi R, Bustnes JO, Helander B, Boertmann D, Dietz R, Herzke D, Jaspers VLB, Labansen AL, Lepoint G, Schulz R, Sonne C, Thorup K, Tøttrup AP, Zubrod JP, Eens M, Eulaers I. White-Tailed Eagle ( Haliaeetus albicilla) Body Feathers Document Spatiotemporal Trends of Perfluoroalkyl Substances in the Northern Environment. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:12744-12753. [PMID: 31599575 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b03514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
We reconstructed the first long-term (1968-2015) spatiotemporal trends of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) using archived body feathers of white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) from the West Greenland (n = 31), Norwegian (n = 66), and Central Swedish Baltic coasts (n = 50). We observed significant temporal trends of perfluorooctane sulfonamide (FOSA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), and perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (∑PFCAs) in all three subpopulations. Concentrations of FOSA and PFOS had started decreasing significantly since the mid-1990s to 2000 in the Greenland and Norwegian subpopulations, consistent with the 3M phase-out, though in sharp contrast to overall increasing trends observed in the Swedish subpopulation. Moreover, ∑PFCA concentrations significantly increased in all three subpopulations throughout the study periods. These temporal trends suggest on-going input of PFOS in the Baltic and of ∑PFCAs in all three regions. Considerable spatial variation in PFAS concentrations and profiles was observed: PFOS concentrations were significantly higher in Sweden, whereas FOSA and ∑PFCA concentrations were similar among the subpopulations. PFOS dominated the PFAS profiles in the Swedish and Norwegian subpopulations, in contrast to the domination of FOSA and ∑PFCAs in the Greenland one. Our spatiotemporal observations underline the usefulness of archived bird of prey feathers in monitoring spatiotemporal PFAS trends and urge for continued monitoring efforts in each of the studied subpopulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiachen Sun
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology , University of Antwerp , Universiteitsplein 1 , BE-2610 Wilrijk , Belgium
| | | | - Jan Ove Bustnes
- Unit for Arctic Ecology , Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), FRAM - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment , Hjalmar Johansens gate 14 , P. O. Box 6606, NO-9296 Tromsø , Norway
| | - Björn Helander
- Environmental Research & Monitoring , Swedish Museum of Natural History , Frescativägen 40 , P. O. Box 50007, SE-104 05 Stockholm , Sweden
| | | | | | - Dorte Herzke
- NILU, Norwegian Institute for Air Research, FRAM - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment , Hjalmar Johansens gate 14 , NO-9296 Tromsø , Norway
| | - Veerle L B Jaspers
- Environmental Toxicology Group, Department of Biology , Norwegian University of Science and Technology , Høgskoleringen 5 , NO-7491 Trondheim , Norway
| | - Aili Lage Labansen
- Greenland Institute of Natural Resources , Kivioq 2 , P. O. Box 570, GL-3900 Nuuk , Greenland
| | - Gilles Lepoint
- MARE Centre, Oceanology , University of Liège , Allée de la Chimie 3 , BE-4000 Liège , Belgium
| | - Ralf Schulz
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences , University of Koblenz-Landau , Fortstrasse 7 , DE-76829 Landau , Germany
| | | | - Kasper Thorup
- Natural History Museum of Denmark , University of Copenhagen , Øster Voldgade 5-7 , DK-1350 Copenhagen , Denmark
| | - Anders P Tøttrup
- Natural History Museum of Denmark , University of Copenhagen , Øster Voldgade 5-7 , DK-1350 Copenhagen , Denmark
| | - Jochen P Zubrod
- iES Landau, Institute for Environmental Sciences , University of Koblenz-Landau , Fortstrasse 7 , DE-76829 Landau , Germany
| | - Marcel Eens
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology , University of Antwerp , Universiteitsplein 1 , BE-2610 Wilrijk , Belgium
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22
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de Wit CA, Johansson AK, Sellström U, Lindberg P. Mass balance study of brominated flame retardants in female captive peregrine falcons. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2019; 21:1115-1131. [PMID: 31237594 DOI: 10.1039/c9em00177h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Little is known about brominated flame retardant (BFR) dynamics in birds, especially large molecules such as decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209). In particular, bioaccumulation from food and transfer dynamics to eggs are poorly understood. Therefore, an input-output mass balance study of tri-decaBDEs, DBDPE and HBCDD was performed in three female peregrine falcons from a captive breeding program by analyzing their naturally contaminated food (quail, chicken (cockerels)), plasma, feces and eggs. Predominant BFRs in cockerels and quail were BDE-209 and DBDPE, as well as HBCDD in quail. The predominant BFRs found in falcon plasma were BDE-209, -153 and -183, in eggs, HBCDD, BDE-209 and -153 and in feces, BDE-209. Mean absorption efficiencies (AE) for the tetra-octabrominated BDEs ranged from 84-100% and 70% for HBCDD. The AEs for BDE-206, -207, -208 and -209 varied due to the large variability seen for feces fluxes. All egg/plasma ratios for BDEs were similar and greater than one (range 1.1-2.7), including for BDE-209, indicating efficient transfer from females to the eggs. Excretion via egg-laying was approximately 6.0-29% of the initial, pre-breeding body burden of individual penta-decaBDE congeners, (15-45% for BDE-206). HBCDD was not detected in plasma but was found in eggs, also indicating efficient transfer and excretion via eggs. Input fluxes from food exceeded the output fluxes (feces, eggs) indicating considerable metabolism for tetra-octaBDEs, possibly also for the nona-decaBDEs and HBCDD. Bioaccumulation factors calculated from lipid weight concentrations in plasma and food (BAFp) were highest for BDE-208 (31), -153 (23), -209 (19) and -207 (16) and from eggs and food (BAFe), were highest for HBCDD (140), BDE-153 (41), -208 (42), BDE-207 (24) and BDE-209 (21). BAFe and BAFp values were below 10 for BDE-47, -99 and -100. For one falcon, egg results were available from three different years and estimated half-lives were 65 d (BDE-99), 624 d (BDE-153), 31 d (BDE-154), 349 d (BDE-183), 77 d (BDE-196) and 89 d (BDE-197).
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia A de Wit
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Anna-Karin Johansson
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Ulla Sellström
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Peter Lindberg
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden
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23
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Whitlock SE, Pereira MG, Lane J, Sleep D, Shore RF, Arnold KE. Detecting fluoxetine and norfluoxetine in wild bird tissues and feathers. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2019; 126:193-201. [PMID: 30802636 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.01.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The contamination of the environment with human pharmaceuticals is widespread and demand for such products is mounting globally. Wild vertebrates may be at particular risk from any effects from pharmaceuticals, because of the evolutionary conservation of drug targets. However, exposure of wildlife to pharmaceuticals is poorly characterised, partly due to challenges associated with detecting rapidly metabolised compounds. As part of a wider study on the behavioural effects of fluoxetine (Prozac) on Eurasian starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), we investigated which avian samples are best suited for detecting exposure to fluoxetine in free-living birds. We analysed plasma, various tissues and tail feathers (grown both in the wild and in captivity during the dosing period) from fluoxetine-treated birds (dosed daily with 0.035 mg kg-1 bodyweight for 28 weeks), and liver tissue and tail feathers from sham-dosed birds. We detected fluoxetine in only two of twelve plasma samples from dosed birds. In dosed birds, median concentrations of free fluoxetine/norfluoxetine in tissues (two hour post-final dose) were: 111.2/67.6 ng g-1 in liver, 29.6/5.7 ng g-1 in kidney, 14.2/4.0 ng g-1 in lung, 15.1/1.6 ng g-1 in brain. We estimated that fluoxetine would remain detectable in liver and kidney approximately 4.5 times longer (90 h) than in brain (20h). In dosed birds, fluoxetine was detected in feathers regrown during the dosing period (median concentration = 11.4 ng g-1) at concentrations significantly higher than in regrown feathers from control birds. Fluoxetine residues were detected in wild-grown feathers (grown before the birds were brought into captivity) at concentrations up to 27.0 ng g-1, providing some evidence of likely exposure in the wild. Our results show liver and kidney can be used for detecting fluoxetine in avian carcasses and provide a first indication that feathers may be useful for assessing exposure to fluoxetine, and possibly other pharmaceuticals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia E Whitlock
- Environment Department, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5NG, UK.
| | - M Glória Pereira
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, UK
| | - Julie Lane
- Animal and Plant Health Agency, National Agri-Food Innovation Campus, Sand Hutton YO41 1LZ, UK
| | - Darren Sleep
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, UK
| | - Richard F Shore
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, UK
| | - Kathryn E Arnold
- Environment Department, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5NG, UK
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24
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Monclús L, Lopez-Bejar M, De la Puente J, Covaci A, Jaspers VLB. Can variability in corticosterone levels be related to POPs and OPEs in feathers from nestling cinereous vultures (Aegypius monachus)? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 650:184-192. [PMID: 30196218 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Revised: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are still globally distributed and some have been shown to interact with the endocrine system of birds. However, the relationship between POPs and the stress response mediated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is still poorly understood. Raising concerns are now focused on the toxic properties of emergent organophosphate ester flame retardants (OPEs), but whether OPEs interact with the HPA axis response has not yet been investigated. We measured corticosterone concentrations in feathers (CORTf) as a long-term biomarker of the bird HPA axis response and we investigated their relationship with POP and OPE concentrations in down feathers of nestling cinereous vultures (Aegypius monachus). We also examined whether high contaminant burden and high CORTf concentrations impacted the duration of chick development. The most predominant compounds were the following: p,p'-DDE (3.28 ± 0.26 ng g-1 dw) > γ-HCH (0.78 ± 0.09 ng g-1 dw) > BDE-99 (0.73 ± 0.09 ng g-1 dw) > CB-153 (0.67 ± 0.04 ng g-1 dw). The most persistent POP compounds (CB-170, -177, -180, -183, -187, -194 and p,p'-DDE) were associated (P = 0.02) with high concentrations of CORTf (range: 0.55-6.09 pg mm-1), while no relationship was found when OPEs were tested (P > 0.05). Later egg-laying was positively associated to high levels of CORTf (P = 0.02) and reduced duration of chick development (P < 0.001), suggesting a beneficial effect of the HPA axis response on the growth of the chicks. In addition, males with high concentrations of the most persistent POP compounds tended to show a reduced duration of the nestling period (P = 0.05) and an equal fledging success than chicks with lower levels. These findings suggest that POPs, but not OPEs, may interact with the HPA axis response of chicks, although levels were not high enough to cause detrimental consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Monclús
- Department of Animal Health and Anatomy, Veterinary Faculty, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
| | - Manel Lopez-Bejar
- Department of Animal Health and Anatomy, Veterinary Faculty, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
| | - Javier De la Puente
- SEO/BirdLife, Bird Monitoring Unit, Melquiades Biencinto 34, 28053, Madrid, Spain; Parque Nacional de la Sierra de Guadarrama, Centro de Investigación, Seguimiento y Evaluación, Cta. M-604, Km. 28, 28740 Rascafría, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Veerle L B Jaspers
- ENVITOX Group, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
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25
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Løseth ME, Briels N, Flo J, Malarvannan G, Poma G, Covaci A, Herzke D, Nygård T, Bustnes JO, Jenssen BM, Jaspers VLB. White-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) feathers from Norway are suitable for monitoring of legacy, but not emerging contaminants. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 647:525-533. [PMID: 30089276 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
While feathers have been successfully validated for monitoring of internal concentrations of heavy metals and legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs), less is known about their suitability for monitoring of emerging contaminants (ECs). Our study presents a broad investigation of both legacy POPs and ECs in non-destructive matrices from a bird of prey. Plasma and feathers were sampled in 2015 and 2016 from 70 whitetailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) nestlings from two archipelagos in Norway. Preen oil was also sampled in 2016. Samples were analysed for POPs (polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs)) and ECs (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), dechlorane plus (DPs), phosphate and novel brominated flame retardants (PFRs and NBFRs)). A total of nine PCBs, three OCPs, one PBDE and one PFAS were detected in over 50% of the plasma and feather samples within each sampling year and location. Significant and positive correlations were found between plasma, feathers and preen oil concentrations of legacy POPs and confirm the findings of previous research on the usefulness of these matrices for non-destructive monitoring. In contrast, the suitability of feathers for ECs seems to be limited. Detection frequencies (DF) of PFASs were higher in plasma (mean DF: 78%) than in feathers (mean DF: 38%). Only perfluoroundecanoic acid could be quantified in over 50% of both plasma and feather samples, yet their correlation was poor and not significant. The detection frequencies of PFRs, NBFRs and DPs were very low in plasma (mean DF: 1-13%), compared to feathers (mean DF: 10-57%). This may suggest external atmospheric deposition, rapid internal biotransformation or excretion of these compounds. Accordingly, we suggest prioritising plasma for PFASs analyses, while the sources of PFRs, NBFRs and DPs in feathers and plasma need further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mari E Løseth
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Nathalie Briels
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Jørgen Flo
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Govindan Malarvannan
- Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Giulia Poma
- Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Dorte Herzke
- Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), FRAM - High North Research Centre on Climate and the Environment, 9007 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Torgeir Nygård
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Høgskoleringen 9, 7034 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Jan O Bustnes
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), FRAM - High North Research Centre on Climate and the Environment, 9007 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Bjørn M Jenssen
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Veerle L B Jaspers
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
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Yin W, Zhang Y, Wang P, Zheng S, Zhu C, Han X, Zhang Q, Liang Y, Jiang G. Distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in feather and muscle of the birds of prey from Beijing, China. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2018; 165:343-348. [PMID: 30212735 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.08.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the feather and muscle of common kestrels (Falco tinnunculus), eagle owls (Bubo bubo) and little owls (Athene noctua) collected from Beijing, China were investigated. The concentrations of ∑23PBDEs in the muscle and feather of all the birds of prey ranged from 46 to 7.77 × 104 ng/g lipid weight (lw; median 241 ng/g lw) and 1.50-191 ng/g dry weight (dw; median 21.1 ng/g dw), respectively. Higher brominated congeners, e.g., BDE-209, -153, -207 and -196 were the dominant congeners in both feather and muscle. However, the concentrations of lower brominated congeners in feather were significantly correlated with those in muscle (p < 0.05), which suggested that feather could efficiently reflect lower brominated BDEs in the internal tissue of birds of prey. The calculated hazard quotients (HQs) > 10 in common kestrel and little owl suggested that the high levels of PBDEs posed potentially high risk to some birds of prey living in Beijing area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwen Yin
- Institute of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Ya Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Pu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Shucheng Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Chaofei Zhu
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Dioxin Pollution Control, National Research Center for Environmental Analysis and Measurement, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Xu Han
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qinghua Zhang
- Institute of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China; State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Yong Liang
- Institute of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
| | - Guibin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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Rutkowska M, Płotka-Wasylka J, Lubinska-Szczygeł M, Różańska A, Możejko-Ciesielska J, Namieśnik J. Birds' feathers – Suitable samples for determination of environmental pollutants. Trends Analyt Chem 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2018.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Monclús L, Ballesteros-Cano R, De La Puente J, Lacorte S, Lopez-Bejar M. Influence of persistent organic pollutants on the endocrine stress response in free-living and captive red kites (Milvus milvus). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 242:329-337. [PMID: 29990940 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.06.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Revised: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) have the potential to impair the endocrine regulation of organisms and alter their ability to respond to environmental changes. We studied whether polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) affected the endocrine regulation of free-living and captive red kites (Milvus milvus) through studying the dynamics of corticosterone (CORT) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). We sampled migratory free-living kites coming from northern Europe and captive kites born in a rehabilitation center in Spain. We used body feathers from the interscapular region as a minimally-invasive and integrative matrix. The most abundant compound detected in free-living kites was 4,4'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (4,4'-DDE; 6.10 ± 1.56 ng g-1 dw feather) followed by CB-153 (3.10 ± 0.63 ng g-1 dw feather) and CB-180 (2.43 ± 1.08 ng g-1 dw feather). In captive kites, the most abundant compounds were 4,4'-dichlorodyphenyltrichloroethane (4,4'-DDT; 2.38 ± 1.30 ng g-1 dw feather), CB-153 (2.15 ± 0.47 ng g-1 dw feather) and hexachlorobenzene (HCB; 2.03 ± 0.45 ng g-1 dw feather) at similar concentrations. Free-living kites showed higher levels of 4,4'-DDE and CB-180 in comparison to captive kites. Age influenced HCB and CB-101 levels, whereas body mass was inversely related to CB-180 and 4,4'-DDT. Interestingly, captive kites showed a ratio DDT/DDE higher than 1 suggesting a relatively recent exposure of DDT, in contrast to free-living kites. Regarding hormonal levels, free-living kites showed higher levels of CORT (3.30 ± 0.22 pg mm-1 feather) than captive (2.40 ± 0.16 pg mm-1 feather), reflecting higher allostatic load. In addition, a positive association between PCBs and DDTs and adrenal hormones was found in free-living kites, suggesting an increase of CORT as a response of the endocrine system to cope with stressors and a subsequent elevation of DHEA to ameliorate the potential negative effects that high CORT levels could cause to the organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Monclús
- Department of Animal Health and Anatomy, Veterinary Faculty, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain.
| | - Rubèn Ballesteros-Cano
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18, 08034, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Javier De La Puente
- SEO-Montícola Ornithological Group, Unidad de Zoología, Edificio de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Silvia Lacorte
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Jordi Girona 18, 08034, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Manel Lopez-Bejar
- Department of Animal Health and Anatomy, Veterinary Faculty, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain.
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Monclús L, Lopez-Bejar M, De la Puente J, Covaci A, Jaspers VLB. First evaluation of the use of down feathers for monitoring persistent organic pollutants and organophosphate ester flame retardants: A pilot study using nestlings of the endangered cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 238:413-420. [PMID: 29587212 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.03.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Revised: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Raptor feathers have been increasingly used to assess pollutants in ecotoxicological monitoring studies. However, the suitability of down feathers to detect pollutants has not yet been investigated. In this study, concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and organophosphate ester flame retardants (OPEs) were assessed in down and juvenile contour feathers of Spanish cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus) nestlings (circa 73 days old) and contaminant concentrations were compared between both types of feathers from the same individuals. Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs: 1.30-6.16 ng g-1 dw feather), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs: 0.23-1.35 ng g-1 dw feather), p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (pp-DDE: 0.09-6.10 ng g-1 dw feather) and tris (1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCiPP: 0.86-48.96 ng g-1 dw feather) were significantly higher in down than in contour feathers. In contrast, contour feathers showed higher levels of the more volatile POP, lindane (0.25-3.12 ng g-1 dw feather). Concentrations of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and OPEs (except TCiPP) were similar between the two types of feathers. By showing high accumulation of the most persistent POPs investigated, down feathers presented a contamination profile similar to that previously described in raptor eggs. As these feathers grow during the first days of a vulture chicks life, they probably reflect the contaminant burden of the chick due to maternal transfer to the egg. Overall, the present study provides the first indication that down feathers may be useful for biomonitoring studies. Further research is needed to confirm whether nestling down feathers reflect the concentrations in the egg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Monclús
- Department of Animal Health and Anatomy, Veterinary Faculty, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain.
| | - Manel Lopez-Bejar
- Department of Animal Health and Anatomy, Veterinary Faculty, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain.
| | - Javier De la Puente
- SEO/BirdLife, Bird Monitoring Unit, Melquiades Biencinto 34, 28053, Madrid, Spain; Parque Nacional de la Sierra de Guadarrama, Centro de Investigación, Seguimiento y Evaluación, Cta. M-604, Km. 28, 28740, Rascafría, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Veerle L B Jaspers
- Envitox Group, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway.
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Svendsen NB, Herzke D, Harju M, Bech C, Gabrielsen GW, Jaspers VLB. Persistent organic pollutants and organophosphate esters in feathers and blood plasma of adult kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) from Svalbard - associations with body condition and thyroid hormones. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2018; 164:158-164. [PMID: 29499468 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2018.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Revised: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and organophosphate esters (OPEs) were assessed in blood plasma and feathers of 19 adult black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) breeding in two colonies (Blomstrandhalvøya and Krykkjefjellet) at the Arctic archipelago, Svalbard. Potential associations with body condition index (BCI) and thyroid hormones were investigated. All compound classes were detected in both blood plasma and feathers, but due to low sample size and volumes, OPEs could only be quantified in four individuals, warranting larger follow-up studies. Kittiwakes breeding at Blomstrandhalvøya had significantly higher concentrations of organic pollutants in blood plasma than kittiwakes breeding at Krykkjefjellet (p < 0.001). Concentrations in blood plasma and feathers did not significantly correlate for any of the investigated compounds, and feather concentrations did not differ significantly between the colonies. This suggests that pollutant levels in adult kittiwake feathers do not reflect local contamination at breeding sites and are as such not useful to monitor local contamination at Svalbard. Significant negative associations between BCI and most pollutants were found in both populations, whereas significant correlations between the BCI, the ratio of total triiodothyronine to free triiodothyronine (TT3:fT3), and several pollutants were only found for kittiwakes from Blomstrandhalvøya (all r ≥ -0.60 and p ≤ 0.05). This indicates that higher levels of circulating pollutants during the breeding period covary with the TT3: fT3 ratio, and may act as an additional stressor during this period.
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Affiliation(s)
- N B Svendsen
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway.
| | - D Herzke
- Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), FRAM Centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - M Harju
- Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), FRAM Centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - C Bech
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - G W Gabrielsen
- Norwegian Polar Institute, FRAM Centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - V L B Jaspers
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
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31
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Acampora H, White P, Lyashevska O, O'Connor I. Contrasting congener profiles for persistent organic pollutants and PAH monitoring in European storm petrels (Hydrobates pelagicus) breeding in Ireland: a preen oil versus feathers approach. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 25:16933-16944. [PMID: 29623645 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-1844-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are anthropogenic contaminants of environmental concern due to their persistence in the environment and capacity to accumulate in biota. Many of these contaminants have been found to have ill effects over wildlife and humans. Birds are known to be particularly affected through endocrine disruption and eggshell thinning. POPs have been banned or restricted through the Stockholm Convention (2001), making monitoring essential for tracking effects of regulation. Seabirds have been used as monitoring tools for being top predators and consuming a diverse array of prey in different trophic levels. Non-destructive sampling has become widely popular using feathers and preen oil, as opposed to carcasses and internal organs. This study aimed to set baseline levels of POP and PAH concentration in a highly pelagic and abundant seabird in Ireland and the Atlantic, the European storm petrel, Hydrobates pelagicus, and to investigate the profiles of contaminant congeners in preen oil and feathers, comparatively. Mean concentrations in preen oil followed: PCB (10.1 ng/g ww) > PAH (7.1 ng/g ww) > OCP (5.4 ng/g ww) > PBDE (3.9 ng/g ww), whilst mean concentrations in feathers followed the order: PAH (38.9 ng/g ww) > PCB (27.2 ng/g ww) > OCP (17.9 ng/g ww) > PBDE (4.5 ng/g ww). Congener profiles highly differed between preen oil and feathers, and little correlation was found between the matrices. These results demonstrate that the sampling of a single matrix alone (preen oil or feathers) might produce confounding results on contamination in seabirds and that more than one matrix is recommended to obtain a full picture of contamination by persistent organic pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Acampora
- Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Dublin Rd, Galway, Ireland.
| | - Philip White
- Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Dublin Rd, Galway, Ireland
| | - Olga Lyashevska
- Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Dublin Rd, Galway, Ireland
| | - Ian O'Connor
- Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Dublin Rd, Galway, Ireland
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Pinzone M, Acquarone M, Huyghebaert L, Sturaro N, Michel LN, Siebert U, Das K. Carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotopic fractionation in captive juvenile hooded seal (Cystophora cristata): Application for diet analysis. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2017; 31:1720-1728. [PMID: 28809062 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.7955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Revised: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Intrinsic biogeochemical markers, such as stable isotope ratios of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur, are increasingly used to trace the trophic ecology of marine top predators. However, insufficient knowledge of fractionation processes in tissues continues to hamper the use of these markers. METHODS We performed a controlled feeding experiment with eight juvenile hooded seals (Cystophora cristata) that were held on a herring-based diet (Clupea harengus) for two years. Stable isotope ratios were measured via isotope ratio mass spectrometry in three of their tissues and related to values of these markers in their diet. RESULTS Diet-tissue isotope enrichment (trophic enrichment factor, TEF) values between dietary herring and seal tissues for carbon (Δ13 C) were +0.7 ‰ for red blood cells, +1.9 ‰ for hair and +1.1 ‰ for muscle. The TEFs for nitrogen trophic (Δ15 N) were +3.3 ‰ for red blood cells, +3.6 ‰ for hair and +4.3 ‰ for muscle. For sulphur, the Δ34 S values were +1.1 ‰ for red blood cells, +1.0 ‰ for hair and +0.9 ‰ for muscle. CONCLUSIONS These enrichment values were greater than those previously measured in adult seals. This increase may be related to the higher rate of protein synthesis and catabolism in growing animals. This study is the first report on sulphur isotope enrichment values for a marine mammal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Pinzone
- Laboratory of Oceanology - MARE Centre, University of Liege, Allée du 6 Août 11, b6c, Liege, Belgium
| | - Mario Acquarone
- Norwegian College of Fishery Science, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, Muninbakken 21, 9019, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Loreen Huyghebaert
- Laboratory of Oceanology - MARE Centre, University of Liege, Allée du 6 Août 11, b6c, Liege, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Sturaro
- Laboratory of Oceanology - MARE Centre, University of Liege, Allée du 6 Août 11, b6c, Liege, Belgium
- Functional Reef Ecology Lab, Institute of Oceanography, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Loïc N Michel
- Laboratory of Oceanology - MARE Centre, University of Liege, Allée du 6 Août 11, b6c, Liege, Belgium
| | - Ursula Siebert
- University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research (ITAW), 25761, Büsum, Germany
| | - Krishna Das
- Laboratory of Oceanology - MARE Centre, University of Liege, Allée du 6 Août 11, b6c, Liege, Belgium
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Gómez-Ramírez P, Bustnes JO, Eulaers I, Herzke D, Johnsen TV, Lepoint G, Pérez-García JM, García-Fernández AJ, Jaspers VLB. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in plasma and feathers of nestling birds of prey from northern Norway. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2017; 158:277-285. [PMID: 28662453 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2017.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Revised: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Plasma samples from nestlings of two top predators, White-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) and Northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) from northern Norway were analysed for a wide range of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). Body feathers from the White-tailed eagles were also analysed and significant associations between specific PFASs in blood plasma and body feathers were found (0.36 <R2 < 0.67; all p < 0.05). This result suggests that analysing body feathers of White-tailed eagle could potentially be a useful non-invasive strategy to monitor PFASs exposure in nestlings of this species. White-tailed eagles showed significantly higher levels of contaminants than Northern goshawks (plasma ∑PFASs Median = 45.83 vs 17.02ngmL-1, p <0.05). The different exposure between both species seemed to be related to different dietary input, as quantified by stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of body feathers. A priori, the bird of prey populations studied are not at risk for PFASs, since the levels in plasma of both species were hundreds to thousand times lower than the toxic reference values reported for predatory birds. However, further studies on larger sample sizes are needed to confirm this hypothesis since toxic thresholds for nestling birds of prey are not established.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Gómez-Ramírez
- Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
| | - J O Bustnes
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, The Fram Centre, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - I Eulaers
- Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - D Herzke
- Norwegian Institute for Air Research, 9010 Tromsø, Norway
| | - T V Johnsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, The Fram Centre, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - G Lepoint
- Laboratory of Oceanology, University of Liège, B6c, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - J M Pérez-García
- Ecology Area, Department of Applied Biology, University Miguel Hernández, 03202 Elche, Spain; Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Engineering, University of Lleida, 25198 Lleida, Spain
| | - A J García-Fernández
- Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - V L B Jaspers
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7024 Trondheim, Norway
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Costa RA, Gomes T, Eira C, Vaqueiro J, Vingada JV. Great tit response to decreasing industrial heavy metal emissions. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2017; 26:802-808. [PMID: 28508143 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-017-1811-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This study evaluated the effects of environmental pollution on decreasing great tit (Parus major) breeding parameters in an industrial area in the west coast of Portugal. Several great tit breeding parameters were monitored in the industrial area, as well as in a rural area not affected by industrial emissions. Low levels of air pollution in both industrial and rural areas were confirmed by assessing trace element concentrations in pine needles. Concentrations of Cd and Hg in pine needles from the industrial area (Cd = 0.05 ppm; Hg = 0.005 ppm) were significantly lower than those found in needles collected from the reference area (Cd = 0.07 ppm; Hg = 0.007 ppm). Additionally, the breeding success of great tits increased in the industrial area in comparison to the reference area (0.93 ± 0.08 and 0.62 ± 0.22, respectively). The changes on great tit breeding parameters were probably related with changes in the breeding density of other competitive species, together with a decreasing frass-fall biomass. Further long-term ecological studies in industrial areas are necessary to understand the changing breeding performance and strategies used by great tits in response to pollution shifts in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- R A Costa
- Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal.
| | - T Gomes
- Departamento de Biologia/CBMA, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, 4710-057, Portugal
| | - C Eira
- Departamento de Biologia & CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
- Sociedade Portuguesa de Vida Selvagem, Estação de Campo de Quiaios, Apartado 16 EC Quiaios, Figueira da Foz, 3081-101, Portugal
| | - J Vaqueiro
- Departamento de Biologia/CBMA, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, 4710-057, Portugal
- Sociedade Portuguesa de Vida Selvagem, Estação de Campo de Quiaios, Apartado 16 EC Quiaios, Figueira da Foz, 3081-101, Portugal
| | - J V Vingada
- Departamento de Biologia/CBMA, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Braga, 4710-057, Portugal
- Sociedade Portuguesa de Vida Selvagem, Estação de Campo de Quiaios, Apartado 16 EC Quiaios, Figueira da Foz, 3081-101, Portugal
- CESAM, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal
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Acampora H, White P, Lyashevska O, O'Connor I. Presence of persistent organic pollutants in a breeding common tern (Sterna hirundo) population in Ireland. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2017; 24:13025-13035. [PMID: 28382443 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-8931-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are chemical compounds of environmental concern due to their toxic, persistent nature and their ability to bio-accumulate in biological tissue. Seabirds, for often being at the top of the food web, have been used as monitors of environmental pollutants. Adverse effects caused by POPs have been reported in common terns (Sterna hirundo) since the 1970s. Egg shell thinning, embryo and hatchling deformities have been reported for this species. Environmental legislation, such as the Oslo-Paris Convention (OSPAR), has agreed on the monitoring of concentration of POPs in common terns. This study set out to investigate contemporary concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in common terns breeding in Ireland, along with congener profiles. Investigation was conducted in live (n = 15) and dead birds (n = 20) to test for the efficiency of different methodologies using preen oil and feathers versus liver and preen gland. Mean concentrations of POPs followed the order: PCB (36.48 ng/g ww feather) > PAH (30.01 ng/g ww feather) > OCP (13.36 ng/g ww feather) > BFR (1.98 ng/g ww feather) in live birds; and PAH (46.65 ng/g ww preen gland) > PCB (44.11 ng/g ww preen gland) > OCP (15.15 ng/g ww liver) > BFR (5.07 ng/g ww liver) in dead birds. Comparison of contaminant results with toxicity pre-established levels concluded that this population of common terns in Ireland is not at risk of anomalies caused by POPs. However, some levels are higher in comparison to the ones established by OSPAR's EcoQO and must be monitored periodically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi Acampora
- Marine & Freshwater Research Centre, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Dublin Rd, Galway, Ireland.
| | - Philip White
- Marine & Freshwater Research Centre, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Dublin Rd, Galway, Ireland
| | - Olga Lyashevska
- Marine & Freshwater Research Centre, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Dublin Rd, Galway, Ireland
| | - Ian O'Connor
- Marine & Freshwater Research Centre, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Dublin Rd, Galway, Ireland
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Abbasi NA, Eulaers I, Jaspers VLB, Chaudhry MJI, Frantz A, Ambus PL, Covaci A, Malik RN. The first exposure assessment of legacy and unrestricted brominated flame retardants in predatory birds of Pakistan. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 220:1208-1219. [PMID: 27884470 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2016] [Revised: 10/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/05/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The exposure to legacy polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDDs) and unrestricted 1,2-bis (2,4,6-tribromophenoxy) ethane (BTBPE), bis (2-ethylhexyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrabromophthalate (BEH-TEBP) and 2-ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromo-benzoate (EH-TBB) was examined in tail feathers of 76 birds belonging to ten predatory species inhabiting Pakistan. In addition, different feather types of six individuals of Black kite (Milvus migrans) were compared for their brominated flame retardant (BFR) levels. Black kite was found to be the most contaminated species with a median (minimum-maximum) tail feather concentration of 2.4 (0.70-7.5) ng g-1 dw for ∑PBDEs, 1.5 (0.5-8.1) ng g-1 dw for ∑HBCDDs and 0.10 (<LOQ-0.1) ng g-1 dw for BTBPE. Among unrestricted BFRs, BTBPE was detected only in Black kite and Little owl (Athene noctua), whereas BEH-TEBP and EH-TBB were not detected in any species. BDE-47 was found to be the most prevalent BFR compound in aquatic species, while BDE-99 and -153 were more abundant in terrestrial species. For HBCDDs, α-isomer was generally recorded as the most prevalent BFR in both terrestrial and aquatic species. The concentrations of BFRs differed significantly (all P < 0.01) among species, trophic guilds and between habitats, the latter for PBDEs only (P < 0.04), whereas differences among taxonomic affiliations and groups with different feeding regimes were not significant (P > 0.05 for both). Similarly, no significant concentration differences were observed among different feather types (all P > 0.05) suggesting their similar exposure. While variables such as species, trophic guild and δ15N values were evaluated as major predictors for BFR accumulation in the studied species, we predict that combined effects of just mentioned factors may govern the intra- and interspecific differences in BFR contamination profiles. We urge for further investigation of BFR exposure and potential toxicological effects in predatory birds from Asia with a more extensive sample size per species and location.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naeem Akhtar Abbasi
- Environmental Biology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
| | - Igor Eulaers
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, P.O. Box 358, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | | | - Muhammad Jamshed Iqbal Chaudhry
- Environmental Biology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan; WWF-Pakistan, Ferozpur Road, PO Box 5180, Lahore 54600, Pakistan
| | - Adrien Frantz
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Per Lennart Ambus
- Center for Permafrost, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 København K, Denmark
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Riffat Naseem Malik
- Environmental Biology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan.
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Marteinson SC, Eulaers I, Jaspers VLB, Covaci A, Eens M, Letcher RJ, Fernie KJ. Transfer of hexabromocyclododecane flame retardant isomers from captive American kestrel eggs to feathers and their association with thyroid hormones and growth. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 220:441-451. [PMID: 27707600 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.09.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Revised: 09/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Feathers are useful for monitoring contaminants in wild birds and are increasingly used to determine persistent organic pollutants. However, few studies have been conducted on birds with known exposure levels. We aimed to determine how well nestling feather concentrations reflect in ovo exposure to hexabromocyclododecane (α-, β- and γ-HBCDD), and to determine if feather concentrations are related to physiological biomarkers. Captive kestrels (n = 11) were exposed in ovo to maternally transferred HBCDD-isomers at concentrations of 127, 12 and 2 ng/g wet weight of α-, β- and γ-HBCDD (measured in sibling eggs), respectively, and compared to controls (n = 6). Nestling growth was monitored at 5 d intervals and circulating thyroid hormone concentrations assessed at d 20. Tail feathers were collected prior to the first molt and analyzed for HBCDD isomers. The mean ΣHBCDD concentration in feathers was 2405 pg/g dry weight (in exposed birds) and α-, β- and γ-HBCDD made up 32%, 13%, and 55%, respectively of the ΣHBCDD concentrations. This isomer distribution deviated from the typical dominance of α-HBCDD reported in vertebrate samples. Exposed chicks had significantly higher feather concentrations of β- and γ-HBCDD compared with controls (p = 0.007 and p = 0.001 respectively), while α-HBCDD concentrations did not differ between the two groups. Feather concentrations of α-HBCDD were best explained by egg concentrations of β- or γ-HBCDD concentrations (wi = 0.50, 0.30 respectively), while feather concentrations of β- and γ-HBCDD were influenced by growth parameters (rectrix length: wi = 0.61; tibiotarsus length: wi = 0.28). These results suggest that feather α-HBCDD concentrations may reflect internal body burdens, whereas β- and γ-HBCDD may be subject to selective uptake. The α-HBCDD concentrations in the feathers were negatively associated with the ratio of plasma free triiodothyronine to free thyroxine (T3:T4; p = 0.020), demonstrating for the first time that feather concentrations may be used to model the effect of body burdens on physiological endpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C Marteinson
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
| | - Igor Eulaers
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Veerle L B Jaspers
- Environmental Toxicology, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Robert J Letcher
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kim J Fernie
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada.
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Arrona-Rivera AE, Enríquez PL, García-Feria LM, Orellana SA, von Osten JR. Organochlorine Pesticides in the Ferruginous Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) in Chiapas, Mexico. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2016; 97:337-345. [PMID: 27377751 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-016-1861-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Concentrations of organochlorine pesticides were quantified in samples of feathers (n = 17) and blood (n = 15) of the ferruginous pygmy owl (Glaucidium brasilianum). The individuals were captured near the Protected Natural Area Cerro Sonsonate, Chiapas, Mexico, between February and June 2014. In both tissues, pesticides belonging to seven organochlorine chemical families were detected. However, the organochlorine pesticide concentrations differed between feathers and blood. The highest concentrations of hexachlorocyclohexanes were found in feathers (0.63 ± 0.89 μg/g), whereas the highest concentrations of ΣDrines were found in blood (0.31 ± 0.47 μg/mL). By using the summed concentrations for each of the seven families of pesticides found in feathers, we did not find any significant correlation between the pesticides and pectoral muscle or body weight (p > 0.15). The ΣDDT group was the only pesticide family that showed a positive correlation with owl body weight (r = 0.60, p = 0.05); the concentrations of these pesticides were also high in feather and blood tissues (r = 0.87, p = 0.02). Our results confirm that ferruginous pygmy owls in the study area are exposed to these pesticides.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paula L Enríquez
- El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.
| | | | - Sergio Alvarado Orellana
- Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Salud Poblacional, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica, Chile
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39
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Espín S, García-Fernández AJ, Herzke D, Shore RF, van Hattum B, Martínez-López E, Coeurdassier M, Eulaers I, Fritsch C, Gómez-Ramírez P, Jaspers VLB, Krone O, Duke G, Helander B, Mateo R, Movalli P, Sonne C, van den Brink NW. Tracking pan-continental trends in environmental contamination using sentinel raptors-what types of samples should we use? ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2016; 25:777-801. [PMID: 26944290 PMCID: PMC4823350 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-016-1636-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Biomonitoring using birds of prey as sentinel species has been mooted as a way to evaluate the success of European Union directives that are designed to protect people and the environment across Europe from industrial contaminants and pesticides. No such pan-European evaluation currently exists. Coordination of such large scale monitoring would require harmonisation across multiple countries of the types of samples collected and analysed-matrices vary in the ease with which they can be collected and the information they provide. We report the first ever pan-European assessment of which raptor samples are collected across Europe and review their suitability for biomonitoring. Currently, some 182 monitoring programmes across 33 European countries collect a variety of raptor samples, and we discuss the relative merits of each for monitoring current priority and emerging compounds. Of the matrices collected, blood and liver are used most extensively for quantifying trends in recent and longer-term contaminant exposure, respectively. These matrices are potentially the most effective for pan-European biomonitoring but are not so widely and frequently collected as others. We found that failed eggs and feathers are the most widely collected samples. Because of this ubiquity, they may provide the best opportunities for widescale biomonitoring, although neither is suitable for all compounds. We advocate piloting pan-European monitoring of selected priority compounds using these matrices and developing read-across approaches to accommodate any effects that trophic pathway and species differences in accumulation may have on our ability to track environmental trends in contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Espín
- Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain.
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland.
| | - A J García-Fernández
- Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - D Herzke
- FRAM-High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, Norwegian Institute for Air Research, 9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | - R F Shore
- NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, UK
| | - B van Hattum
- Institute for Environmental Studies, VU University, De Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Deltares, Marine and Coastal Systems, P.O. Box 177, 2600 MH, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - E Martínez-López
- Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - M Coeurdassier
- Chrono-Environnement, UMR 6249 University Bourgogne Franche-Comté/CNRS Usc INRA, 16 Route de Gray, 25030, Besançon Cedex, France
| | - I Eulaers
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
- Department of Bioscience, Artic Research Centre (ARC), Århus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - C Fritsch
- Chrono-Environnement, UMR 6249 University Bourgogne Franche-Comté/CNRS Usc INRA, 16 Route de Gray, 25030, Besançon Cedex, France
| | - P Gómez-Ramírez
- Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - V L B Jaspers
- Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, EU2-169, Høgskoleringen 5, 7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - O Krone
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany
| | - G Duke
- Centre for the Environment, Oxford University Environmental Change Institute, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
| | - B Helander
- Environmental Research & Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Box 50007, SE-104 05, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - R Mateo
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos-IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13071, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - P Movalli
- Department of Collections, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - C Sonne
- Department of Bioscience, Artic Research Centre (ARC), Århus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - N W van den Brink
- Division of Toxicology, Wageningen University, PO Box 8000, NL-6700EA, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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40
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Matache ML, Hura C, David IG. Non-invasive Monitoring of Organohalogen Compounds in Eggshells and Feathers of Birds from the Lower Prut Floodplain Natural Park in Romania. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.proenv.2016.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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van den Brink NW, Arblaster JA, Bowman SR, Conder JM, Elliott JE, Johnson MS, Muir DCG, Natal-da-Luz T, Rattner BA, Sample BE, Shore RF. Use of terrestrial field studies in the derivation of bioaccumulation potential of chemicals. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2016; 12:135-145. [PMID: 26436822 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.1717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2015] [Revised: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 09/25/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Field-based studies are an essential component of research addressing the behavior of organic chemicals, and a unique line of evidence that can be used to assess bioaccumulation potential in chemical registration programs and aid in development of associated laboratory and modeling efforts. To aid scientific and regulatory discourse on the application of terrestrial field data in this manner, this article provides practical recommendations regarding the generation and interpretation of terrestrial field data. Currently, biota-to-soil-accumulation factors (BSAFs), biomagnification factors (BMFs), and bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) are the most suitable bioaccumulation metrics that are applicable to bioaccumulation assessment evaluations and able to be generated from terrestrial field studies with relatively low uncertainty. Biomagnification factors calculated from field-collected samples of terrestrial carnivores and their prey appear to be particularly robust indicators of bioaccumulation potential. The use of stable isotope ratios for quantification of trophic relationships in terrestrial ecosystems needs to be further developed to resolve uncertainties associated with the calculation of terrestrial trophic magnification factors (TMFs). Sampling efforts for terrestrial field studies should strive for efficiency, and advice on optimization of study sample sizes, practical considerations for obtaining samples, selection of tissues for analysis, and data interpretation is provided. Although there is still much to be learned regarding terrestrial bioaccumulation, these recommendations provide some initial guidance to the present application of terrestrial field data as a line of evidence in the assessment of chemical bioaccumulation potential and a resource to inform laboratory and modeling efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sarah R Bowman
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Jason M Conder
- Geosyntec Consultants, Huntington Beach, California, USA
| | | | - Mark S Johnson
- US Army Public Health Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Aberdeen, Maryland
| | | | - Tiago Natal-da-Luz
- Department of Life Sciences, Centre for Functional Ecology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Barnett A Rattner
- Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, US Geological Survey, Beltsville, Maryland
| | | | - Richard F Shore
- NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster, United Kingdom
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Pedro S, Xavier JC, Tavares S, Trathan PN, Ratcliffe N, Paiva VH, Medeiros R, Pereira E, Pardal MA. Feathers as a Tool to Assess Mercury Contamination in Gentoo Penguins: Variations at the Individual Level. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0137622. [PMID: 26352664 PMCID: PMC4564222 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0137622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2015] [Accepted: 08/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Feathers have been widely used to assess mercury contamination in birds as they reflect metal concentrations accumulated between successive moult periods: they are also easy to sample and have minimum impact on the study birds. Moult is considered the major pathway for mercury excretion in seabirds. Penguins are widely believed to undergo a complete, annual moult during which they do not feed. As penguins lose all their feathers, they are expected to have a low individual-variability in feather mercury concentration as all feathers are formed simultaneously from the same somatic reserves. This assumption is central to penguin studies that use feathers to examine the annual or among-individual variation in mercury concentrations in penguins. To test this assumption, we measured the mercury concentrations in 3-5 body feathers of 52 gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) breeding at Bird Island, South Georgia (54°S 38°W). Twenty-five percent of the penguins studied showed substantial within-individual variation in the amount of mercury in their feathers (Coefficient of Variation: 34.7-96.7%). This variation may be caused by differences in moult patterns among individuals within the population leading to different interpretations in the overall population. Further investigation is now needed to fully understand individual variation in penguins' moult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Pedro
- Centre of Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- * E-mail:
| | - José C. Xavier
- MARE–Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sílvia Tavares
- Centre of Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | | | | | - Vitor H. Paiva
- MARE–Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Renata Medeiros
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, South Glamorgan, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Eduarda Pereira
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Chemistry, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Miguel A. Pardal
- Centre of Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
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Martínez-López E, Espín S, Barbar F, Lambertucci SA, Gómez-Ramírez P, García-Fernández AJ. Contaminants in the southern tip of South America: Analysis of organochlorine compounds in feathers of avian scavengers from Argentinean Patagonia. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2015; 115:83-92. [PMID: 25682585 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2015.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2014] [Revised: 02/03/2015] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the exposure to organochlorine compounds (OC) in 91 primary wing feathers of avian scavengers, Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura), American black vulture (Coragyps atratus) and Southern crested caracaras (Polyborus plancus) from the southern tip of South America, in the Argentinean Patagonia. We analyzed for a series of OC including hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers, endosulfan, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (p,p'-DDT), dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane (p,p'-DDD), dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE), heptachlor and heptachlor-epoxide. This is the first study on OC in feathers of three terrestrial top carnivores from South America. OC concentrations found in the studied species were much higher than those found in feathers of raptors from Europe and Asia, which likely indicate their high use in the region, specifically in agriculture, and other possible uses of OC in this area. ∑HCH had the highest median concentration, followed by ∑Drins, ∑DDT, ∑Heptachlor, and ∑Endosulfan, similar to those reported in several food samples in Argentina. On the other hand, differences in OC profiles between species and areas may be related to feeding and migratory habits, as well as the molt period. Three individuals showed ∑DDT (DDT, DDD and DDE) concentrations in feathers related to sublethal effects. However, this comparison should be used with caution due to problems with extrapolating such data across tissues and species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - S Espín
- Department of Toxicology, University of Murcia, Spain; Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - F Barbar
- Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA (CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue), Bariloche, Argentina
| | - S A Lambertucci
- Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA (CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue), Bariloche, Argentina
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Caro SP, Balthazart J, Bonadonna F. The perfume of reproduction in birds: chemosignaling in avian social life. Horm Behav 2015; 68:25-42. [PMID: 24928570 PMCID: PMC4263688 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2014] [Revised: 06/02/2014] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Chemosignals and Reproduction". Chemical cues were probably the first cues ever used to communicate and are still ubiquitous among living organisms. Birds have long been considered an exception: it was believed that birds were anosmic and relied on their acute visual and acoustic capabilities. Birds are however excellent smellers and use odors in various contexts including food searching, orientation, and also breeding. Successful reproduction in most vertebrates involves the exchange of complex social signals between partners. The first evidence for a role of olfaction in reproductive contexts in birds only dates back to the seventies, when ducks were shown to require a functional sense of smell to express normal sexual behaviors. Nowadays, even if the interest for olfaction in birds has largely increased, the role that bodily odors play in reproduction still remains largely understudied. The few available studies suggest that olfaction is involved in many reproductive stages. Odors have been shown to influence the choice and synchronization of partners, the choice of nest-building material or the care for the eggs and offspring. How this chemical information is translated at the physiological level mostly remains to be described, although available evidence suggests that, as in mammals, key reproductive brain areas like the medial preoptic nucleus are activated by relevant olfactory signals. Olfaction in birds receives increasing attention and novel findings are continuously published, but many exciting discoveries are still ahead of us, and could make birds one of the animal classes with the largest panel of developed senses ever described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel P Caro
- Research Group in Behavioural Ecology, Department of Evolutionary Ecology, CEFE-CNRS (UMR 5175), Montpellier, France; Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jacques Balthazart
- Research Group in Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Center for Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Liège, Belgium
| | - Francesco Bonadonna
- Research Group in Behavioural Ecology, Department of Evolutionary Ecology, CEFE-CNRS (UMR 5175), Montpellier, France
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Jones SP, Kennedy SW. Feathers as a source of RNA for genomic studies in avian species. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2015; 24:55-60. [PMID: 25253643 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-014-1354-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/12/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Dioxins and dioxin-like chemicals (DLCs) cause a suite of adverse effects in terrestrial species. Most of the adverse effects occur subsequent to binding to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. Avian species vary in their sensitivity to the effects of DLCs and current research indicates that this is mediated by variations in the amino acid sequence within the ligand binding domain (LBD) of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor 1 (AHR1). Eighty-eight avian species have been classified into three broad categories of sensitivity, based on the amino acid variations within the AHR1 LBD: sensitive type 1 (Ile324_Ser380), moderately sensitive type 2 (Ile324_Ala380), and relatively insensitive type 3 (Val324_Ala380). Risk assessment of avian species can be complicated due to the variability in sensitivity among species. A predictive tool for selecting the priority species at a given site would have broad implications for the risk assessment community. We present a method for AHR1 genotyping using plucked feathers as a source of RNA. The method is extremely robust, requires minimal sample processing and handling, and eliminates the need for blood sampling or tissue collection from the species of interest. Using this method we were able to determine the amino acid sequence of the AHR LBD of three avian species: the chicken, the herring gull, and the zebra finch, and to categorize them based on the identity of amino acids at key sites within the LBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie P Jones
- Environment Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Raven Road, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0H3, Canada,
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Schwemmer P, Covaci A, Das K, Lepoint G, Adler S, Garthe S. Assessment of contaminant levels and trophic relations at a World Heritage Site by measurements in a characteristic shorebird species. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2015; 136:163-172. [PMID: 25460633 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2014.10.021] [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: 08/29/2014] [Revised: 10/11/2014] [Accepted: 10/27/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The River Elbe is responsible for influxes of contaminants into the Wadden Sea World Heritage Site. We investigated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), oxychlordane (OxC), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexanes (α-, β-, γ-HCHs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in blood and feathers from Eurasian oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus; n = 28) at the Elbe and compared it with a non-riverine site about 90 km further north. (1) Mean levels of all contaminants in feathers and serum were significantly higher at the river (∑PCBs: 27.6 ng/g feather, 37.0 ng/ml serum; ∑DDTs: 5.3 ng/g feather, 4.4 ng/ml serum) compared with the non-riverine site (∑PCBs: 6.5 ng/g feather, 1.2 ng/ml serum; ∑DDTs: 1.4 ng/g feather, 0.5 ng/ml serum). Mean ∑HCH and HCB levels were <1.8 ng/g in feather and < 1.8 ng/ml in serum at both sites. (2) Levels of most detectable compounds in serum and feathers were significantly related, but levels were not consistently higher in either tissue. (3) There was no significant relationship between trophic level in individual oystercatchers (expressed as δ15N) or the degree of terrestrial feeding (expressed as δ13C) and contaminant loads. (4) PBDEs were not detected in significant amounts at either site. The results of this study indicate that the outflow from one of Europe's largest river systems is associated with significant historical contamination, reflected by the accumulation of contaminants in body tissues in a coastal benthivore predator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Schwemmer
- Research and Technology Centre (Forschungs- und Technologiezentrum), University of Kiel, Hafentörn 1, 25761 Büsum, Germany.
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Krishna Das
- Laboratory for Oceanology-MARE Research Center, University of Liege, Allée de la Chimie 17, B6C, Institut de Chimie, 4000 Liege (Sart-Tilman), Belgium.
| | - Gilles Lepoint
- Laboratory for Oceanology-MARE Research Center, University of Liege, Allée de la Chimie 17, B6C, Institut de Chimie, 4000 Liege (Sart-Tilman), Belgium.
| | - Sven Adler
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83 Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Stefan Garthe
- Research and Technology Centre (Forschungs- und Technologiezentrum), University of Kiel, Hafentörn 1, 25761 Büsum, Germany.
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Megson D, Brown TA, Johnson GW, O'Sullivan G, Bicknell AWJ, Votier SC, Lohan MC, Comber S, Kalin R, Worsfold PJ. Identifying the provenance of Leach's storm petrels in the North Atlantic using polychlorinated biphenyl signatures derived from comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. CHEMOSPHERE 2014; 114:195-202. [PMID: 25113202 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.04.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2013] [Revised: 04/16/2014] [Accepted: 04/18/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
PCB signatures can be used for source identification, exposure studies, age dating and bio-monitoring. This study uses comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GCxGC-ToFMS) to produce a PCB signature comprised of over 80 PCBs for individual Leach's storm petrels (Oceanodroma leucorhoa). The Leach's storm petrel is a relatively small, elusive, understudied pelagic bird, which only returns to remote islands under darkness during the breeding season. Samples were obtained from 25 Leach's storm petrels found dead in Canada and the UK following storm events in 2006 and 2009. Tissue samples were extracted and analysed by GCxGC-ToFMS and results showed that 83 PCB congeners were present in >60% of samples. An assessment of the PCB signature in four different tissue types showed that it did not vary greatly in samples obtained from the gut, heart, liver and stomach. Multivariate statistical analysis identified a distinctive PCB signature in birds from Canada and Europe which was used to identify the regional provenance and transatlantic movement of individual birds. The findings showcase the ability of GCxGC-ToFMS to provide the high quality congener specific analysis that is necessary for PCB fingerprinting, as well as highlighting the potential of PCB signatures for use in ecological studies of movement, foraging and behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Megson
- Biogeochemistry Research Centre, SoGEES, Plymouth University, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK.
| | - Thomas A Brown
- Biogeochemistry Research Centre, SoGEES, Plymouth University, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Glenn W Johnson
- Energy & Geoscience Institute, 423 Wakara Way Suite 300, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA
| | - Gwen O'Sullivan
- Department of Environmental Science, Mount Royal University, 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW, Calgary, Alberta T3E 6K6, Canada
| | - Anthony W J Bicknell
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Stephen C Votier
- Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Maeve C Lohan
- Biogeochemistry Research Centre, SoGEES, Plymouth University, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Sean Comber
- Biogeochemistry Research Centre, SoGEES, Plymouth University, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Robert Kalin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XQ, UK
| | - Paul J Worsfold
- Biogeochemistry Research Centre, SoGEES, Plymouth University, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK
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Eulaers I, Jaspers VLB, Pinxten R, Covaci A, Eens M. Legacy and current-use brominated flame retardants in the Barn Owl. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2014; 472:454-462. [PMID: 24300457 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.11.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2013] [Revised: 11/11/2013] [Accepted: 11/12/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The present study investigated the current-use brominated flame retardants (BFRs) tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), simultaneously with legacy polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), in Barn Owls (Tyto alba) collected from two regions with a contrasting degree of urbanisation and vicinity to point sources (Flanders in Belgium versus Normandy in France). Both tissues (muscle, liver, adipose and preen gland) and feathers (primary, tail and body feathers) showed elevated HBCD concentrations in Flanders, close to Europe's sole HBCD production plant in the Netherlands, and identified Normandy as a historical source region for PBDEs. In sharp contrast, the reactive BFR TBBPA bioaccumulated poorly (2.3%) in tissue samples, but was present in 96% of all body feather samples (0.36-7.07ngg(-1)dw), equally in both regions. PBDE concentrations in tissues (7.46-903 ng g(-1)lw) were considerably lower in the investigated Flemish Barn Owls, collected in 2008/2009, compared to specimens collected in 2003/2004 (46-11,000 ng g(-1)lw), possibly suggesting the effectiveness of the 2004 European ban of Penta- and Octa-BDE mixtures. Feathers showed a similar trend and additionally exhibited HBCD concentrations (0.02-333 ng g(-1)dw) surpassing those of PBDEs (0.50-10.4 ng g(-1)dw). While body feathers were a reliable matrix to predict both internal PBDE (0.21 ≤ R(2)≤ 0.67) and HBCD body burdens (0.20 ≤ R(2) ≤ 0.37), the suitability of primary and tail feathers appeared to be confounded by external contamination and moult. In conclusion, the present study clearly showed that the reactive versus additive use of BFRs results in contrasting exposure scenarios in a species higher up the food chain, and therefore may have profound implications for environmental health. In addition, the presented results extend the promising use of feathers as a non-destructive sampling strategy for current-use BFRs, and show that birds of prey are valid early-warning systems for environmental contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Eulaers
- Ethology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Veerle L B Jaspers
- Ethology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Rianne Pinxten
- Ethology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Adrian Covaci
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Marcel Eens
- Ethology Group, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
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García-Fernández AJ, Espín S, Martínez-López E. Feathers as a biomonitoring tool of polyhalogenated compounds: a review. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2013; 47:3028-43. [PMID: 23425087 DOI: 10.1021/es302758x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Feathers have many advantages that make them an excellent nondestructive tool for monitoring polyhalogenated compounds (PHCs). This paper proposes a review on the PHCs in feathers and factors influencing the pollutant load. Special attention has given to external contamination and the main analytical methods used to detect these compounds in feathers. Some authors have found strong and significant correlations between the concentrations of PHCs in feathers and internal tissues, providing positive expectations for their future use in the field of ecotoxicology. However, changes in diet, time elapsed between the previous molt period and sampling, sample size, and/or external contamination have been suggested as possible causes to explain the lack of correlations reported in some studies. Further studies with newly grown feathers and blood samples would be required in order to clarify this issue. Although atmospheric deposition has been reported as cause of external contamination, preening oil seems to be the most relevant factor contributing to this process. Unfortunately, washing techniques tested to date are not able to effectively remove the surface contamination from barbs and shafts, and therefore, it is necessary to develop methods able to discriminate between internal and external contamination. Finally, in this review, deposition rate is proposed as a measurement unit, as this allows comparisons between different parts of the same feather, as well as between different feathers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio J García-Fernández
- Department of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
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De Sanctis A, Mariottini M, Fanello EL, Blanco G, Focardi SE, Guerranti C, Perra G. Evaluating contamination in the Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax through non-invasive sampling. Microchem J 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2012.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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