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Espín S, Andersson T, Haapoja M, Hyvönen R, Kluen E, Kolunen H, Laaksonen T, Lakka J, Leino L, Merimaa K, Nurmi J, Rainio M, Ruuskanen S, Rönkä K, Sánchez-Virosta P, Suhonen J, Suorsa P, Eeva T. Fecal calcium levels of bird nestlings as a potential indicator of species-specific metal sensitivity. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 345:123181. [PMID: 38237850 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123181] [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: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Sensitivity of bird species to environmental metal pollution varies but there is currently no general framework to predict species-specific sensitivity. Such information would be valuable from a conservation point-of-view. Calcium (Ca) has antagonistic effects on metal toxicity and studies with some common model species show that low dietary and circulating calcium (Ca) levels indicate higher sensitivity to harmful effects of toxic metals. Here we measured fecal Ca and five other macroelement (potassium K, magnesium Mg, sodium Na, phosphorus P, sulphur S) concentrations as proxies for dietary levels in 66 bird species to better understand their interspecific variation and potential use as an indicator of metal sensitivity in a wider range of species (the main analyses include 39 species). We found marked interspecific differences in fecal Ca concentration, which correlated positively with Mg and negatively with Na, P and S levels. Lowest Ca concentrations were found in insectivorous species and especially aerial foragers, such as swifts (Apodidae) and swallows (Hirundinidae). Instead, ground foraging species like starlings (Sturnidae), sparrows (Passeridae), cranes (Gruidae) and larks (Alaudidae) showed relatively high fecal Ca levels. Independent of phylogeny, insectivorous diet and aerial foraging seem to indicate low Ca levels and potential sensitivity to toxic metals. Our results, together with information published on fecal Ca levels and toxic metal impacts, suggest that fecal Ca levels are a promising new tool to evaluate potential metal-sensitivity of birds, and we encourage gathering such information in other bird species. Information on the effects of metals on breeding parameters in a wider range of bird species would also help in ranking species by their sensitivity to metal pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Espín
- Area of Toxicology, Department of Socio-sanitary Sciences, University of Murcia, Spain
| | - T Andersson
- Kevo Subarctic Research Institute, University of Turku, Finland
| | | | | | - E Kluen
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - T Laaksonen
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Finland
| | | | - L Leino
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Finland
| | - K Merimaa
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Finland
| | - J Nurmi
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Finland
| | - M Rainio
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Finland
| | - S Ruuskanen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - K Rönkä
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - P Sánchez-Virosta
- Area of Toxicology, Department of Socio-sanitary Sciences, University of Murcia, Spain
| | - J Suhonen
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Finland
| | | | - T Eeva
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Finland.
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Martín J, Barja I, Rodríguez-Ruiz G, Recio P, García LV. Soil pollution by heavy metals correlates with levels of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites of a fossorial amphisbaenian reptile. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab085. [PMID: 34804536 PMCID: PMC8599815 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Soil degradation may have strong negative consequences for soil biodiversity, but these potential effects are understudied and poorly understood. Concentration of nesting seabirds may be a source of soil pollution by heavy metals, which are incorporated into the food chain and may have toxicological effects in vertebrates, especially in fossorial animals with low dispersal ability. We examined whether contamination by heavy metals, derived from seagull depositions, and other soil characteristics, may affect the levels of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (as a potential indicator of physiological stress) of the fossorial amphisbaenian reptile Trogonophis wiegmanni. We found a relationship between soil pollution by heavy metals and increased levels of faecal corticosterone metabolite of the amphisbaenians that live buried in those soils. This can be due to the strong endocrine disruption effect of heavy metals. In addition, there was an independent effect of the soil texture, with amphisbaenians showing higher levels of faecal corticosterone metabolite in soils with less sand and more silt and clay, which are more energetically costly to dig. Long-term exposure to high glucocorticoid levels might have serious effects on health state and fitness of fossorial animals that may be unnoticed. Our study emphasizes that, to prevent future conservation problems, we need to perform periodic surveys on the physiological health state of the little-known subterranean biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Martín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Barja
- Etho-Physiology Group, Unidad de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Rodríguez-Ruiz
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Recio
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis V García
- Departamento de Biogeoquímica, Ecología Vegetal y Microbiana, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
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Martín J, Recio P, Rodríguez-Ruiz G, Barja I, Gutiérrez E, García LV. Relationships between soil pollution by heavy metals and melanin-dependent coloration of a fossorial amphisbaenian reptile. Integr Zool 2021; 17:596-607. [PMID: 34047065 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Melanin is the basis of coloration in many animals, and although it is often used in communication, thermoregulation, or camouflage, melanin has many other physiological functions. For example, in polluted habitats, melanin can have a detoxifying function. Melanic coloration would help to sequester in the skin the heavy metal contaminants from inside the body, which will be expelled to the exterior when the skin is sloughed. Moreover, animals should have evolved more melanic colorations in more polluted habitats ("industrial melanism" hypothesis). We examined whether the fossorial amphisbaenian reptile, Trogonophis wiegmanni, is able to eliminate heavy metals, derived from soil pollution by seagull depositions, through sloughing its skin. Our results suggest a covariation between levels of soil pollution by heavy metals and the concentration of heavy metals in the sloughed skins of amphisbaenians. This suggests that amphisbaenians may expel heavy metals from their bodies when they slough the skins. We also tested whether amphisbaenians inhabiting soils with higher levels of heavy metal pollution had darker (melanin-dependent) body colorations. However, contrary to predictions from the "industrial melanization" hypothesis, we found a negative relationship between soil pollution and proportions of melanic coloration. This contradictory result could, however, be explained because heavy metals have endocrine disruption effects that increase physiological stress, and higher stress levels could result in decreased melanogenesis. We suggest that although amphisbaenians might have some detoxifying mechanism linked to melanin in the skin, this process might be negatively affected by stress and result ineffective under conditions of high soil pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Martín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Recio
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Rodríguez-Ruiz
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Barja
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eduardo Gutiérrez
- Departamento de Biogeoquímica, Ecología Vegetal y Microbiana, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Luis V García
- Departamento de Biogeoquímica, Ecología Vegetal y Microbiana, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
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Kardynal KJ, Jardine TD, Génier CSV, Bumelis KH, Mitchell GW, Evans M, Hobson KA. Mercury exposure to swallows breeding in Canada inferred from feathers grown on breeding and non-breeding grounds. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2020; 29:876-891. [PMID: 32656653 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-020-02249-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Aerial insectivorous birds such as swallows have been the steepest declining groups of birds in North America over the last 50 years but whether such declines are linked to contaminants has not been examined. We sampled feathers from five species of swallow at multiple locations to assess total mercury [THg] exposure for adults during the non-breeding season, and for juveniles on the breeding grounds. We assessed Hg exposure to juvenile birds in crop- and grass-dominated landscapes to determine if land-use practices influenced feather [THg]. We assayed feathers for stable isotopes (δ2H, δ13C, δ15N) as proxies for relative habitat use and diet to determine their potential influence on feather [THg]. Feather [THg] was highest in adult bank swallows (Riparia riparia) and purple martins (Progne subis) from Saskatchewan and adult cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) from western regions, indicating differential exposure to Hg on the non-breeding grounds. Juvenile bank, barn (Hirundo rustica) and tree (Tachycineta bicolor) swallows had lower feather [THg] in crop-dominated landscapes than grass-dominated landscapes in Saskatchewan, potentially resulting from lower use of wetland-derived insects due to wetland drainage and intensive agriculture. Feather [THg] was related to juvenile feather stable isotopes for several species, suggesting complex interactions with diet and environmental factors. Many individuals had feather [THg] values >2 µg/g, a threshold at which deleterious effects may occur. Our findings indicate differential Hg exposure among species of swallow, regions and land-uses and highlight the need for additional research to determine dietary and finer-scale land-use impacts on individual species and populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin J Kardynal
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, 11 Innovation Blvd., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 3H5, Canada.
| | - Timothy D Jardine
- School of Environment and Sustainability, Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B3, Canada
| | - Corrine S V Génier
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Kaelyn H Bumelis
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Greg W Mitchell
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Marlene Evans
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, 11 Innovation Blvd., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 3H5, Canada
| | - Keith A Hobson
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, 11 Innovation Blvd., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 3H5, Canada
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
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Orłowski G, Mróz L, Kadej M, Smolis A, Tarnawski D, Karg J, Campanaro A, Bardiani M, Harvey DJ, Méndez M, Thomaes A, Vrezec A, Ziomek K, Rudecki AL, Mader D. Breaking down insect stoichiometry into chitin-based and internal elemental traits: Patterns and correlates of continent-wide intraspecific variation in the largest European saproxylic beetle. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2020; 262:114064. [PMID: 32443193 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114064] [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: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Stoichiometric, trophic and ecotoxicological data have traditionally been acquired from patterns of variation in elemental traits of whole invertebrate bodies, whereas the critical issue of the extracellular origin of some portion of elements, such as those present in ingested food and internal organs, has been ignored. Here we investigated an unexplored, yet crucial, question relating to whether, and to what degree, metals from two major body fractions: exoskeleton (elytra) and internal (body organs with gut material present in abdomens), are correlated with each other in wild populations of the largest European saproxylic insect, the Stag Beetle Lucanus cervus, and how metals from these two fractions vary with insect size and local habitat conditions. We examined the continent-wide variation in the concentrations of 12 chemical elements (Ca, Mg, K, Na, Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu, As, Cd, Pb and Ni) measured in the elytra and abdomen of specimens from 28 populations inhabiting an urban-woodland habitat gradient across the species' entire distributional range from Spain to Russia. Across populations, elemental concentrations (except Ni and Pb) were 2-13 times higher in abdominal samples than in elytra, and the magnitude of these differences was related to both insect size and local habitat conditions. Smaller individuals from both woodland and urban habitat tended to have higher concentrations of trace elements (Zn, As, Cd, Pb and Ni). The concentration of only six elements (Mg, K, Na, Mn, Cd and Ni) was correlated in the elytra and abdomen at the individual and population levels, implying a limitation to the broader applicability of elytra as a surrogate for internal elemental pools. We highlight that in non-feeding adult saproxylic beetles, minerals, acquired during the larval stage, may be concentrated in the large quantities of residual body fat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grzegorz Orłowski
- Institute of Agricultural and Forest Environment, Polish Academy of Sciences, Bukowska 19, PL-60-809, Poznań, Poland.
| | - Lucyna Mróz
- Department of Ecology, Biogeochemistry and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Wrocław, Kanonia 6/8, PL-50-328, Wrocław, Poland.
| | - Marcin Kadej
- Department of Invertebrate Biology, Evolution and Conservation, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego 65, PL-51-148, Wrocław, Poland.
| | - Adrian Smolis
- Department of Invertebrate Biology, Evolution and Conservation, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego 65, PL-51-148, Wrocław, Poland.
| | - Dariusz Tarnawski
- Department of Invertebrate Biology, Evolution and Conservation, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Wrocław, Przybyszewskiego 65, PL-51-148, Wrocław, Poland.
| | - Jerzy Karg
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, Department of Nature Conservation, University of Zielona Góra, Zielona Góra, Prof. Z. Szafrana 1, PL-65-516, Zielona Góra, Poland.
| | - Alessandro Campanaro
- Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria - Centro di ricerca Difesa e Certificazione, Firenze, Italy.
| | - Marco Bardiani
- Reparto Carabinieri Biodiversità di Verona, Centro Nazionale Carabinieri Biodiversità "Bosco Fontana", Mantova, Italy.
| | - Deborah J Harvey
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK.
| | - Marcos Méndez
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservacion, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Mostoles, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Arno Thomaes
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussel, Belgium.
| | - Al Vrezec
- National Institute of Biology, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Krzysztof Ziomek
- Institute of Agricultural and Forest Environment, Polish Academy of Sciences, Bukowska 19, PL-60-809, Poznań, Poland
| | - Andrzej L Rudecki
- Department of Ecology, Biogeochemistry and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Biological Science, University of Wrocław, Kanonia 6/8, PL-50-328, Wrocław, Poland
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Orłowski G, Karg J, Kamiński P, Baszyński J, Szady-Grad M, Ziomek K, Klawe JJ. Edge effect imprint on elemental traits of plant-invertebrate food web components of oilseed rape fields. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 687:1285-1294. [PMID: 31412462 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Of fundamental importance for the functioning of a community is the flow of energy and elements through its components. However, the question of how (if at all) the edge effect of habitats can drive elemental traits of organisms has hitherto been largely neglected issue in ecosystem ecology at the community level. We quantified the abundance of invertebrates and measured the elemental composition (K, Na, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, As, Cd, Co and Pb) of 15 different organisms within the plant-invertebrate food web (plant - oilseed rape pests/herbivores - pollinators = wild bees - saprovores - predators - parasitoids) sampled in 34 fields of a key bioenergy crop that is an exceptionally strong biodiversity driver, the oilseed rape. Then these were related to the individual field edge habitat features (including typically anthropogenic ones like dirt and tarred roads) measured within a 100 m radius around the invertebrate sampling sites. Our study showed that elemental traits of the plant-invertebrate food web components in oilseed rape crops varied owing to the habitat specificity determined at the relatively small spatial scale of an individual field, and that the elemental traits of these organisms differed from both an inter- and an intra-guild perspective. The major mechanistic explanation for most of these relationships seems to derive from the secondary gut content effect. Determining one single state for the homeostatic/stoichiometric regulation of chemical elements in invertebrates based on the application of whole-body metal concentrations is in principle impossible, because of the unknown noise caused by the inclusion of extracellular portions of metals in the analysis. It is thus imperative to develop consistent principles for assessing elemental traits of organisms that are based on highly sensitive and high-throughput analytical methods for the ionomic profiling of microsamples at the organ, tissue, cellular or even sub-cellular levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grzegorz Orłowski
- Institute of Agricultural and Forest Environment, Polish Academy of Sciences, Bukowska 19, 60-809 Poznań, Poland.
| | - Jerzy Karg
- Department of Nature Conservation, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Prof. Z. Szafrana 1, 65-516 Zielona Góra, Poland
| | - Piotr Kamiński
- Department of Medical Biology and Biochemistry, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, M. Skłodowska-Curie 9, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland; Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Prof. Z. Szafran St. 1, 65-516 Zielona Góra, Poland
| | - Jędrzej Baszyński
- Department of Medical Biology and Biochemistry, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, M. Skłodowska-Curie 9, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Szady-Grad
- Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Prof. Z. Szafran St. 1, 65-516 Zielona Góra, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Ziomek
- Institute of Agricultural and Forest Environment, Polish Academy of Sciences, Bukowska 19, 60-809 Poznań, Poland
| | - Jacek J Klawe
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Ergonomics, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University, M. Skłodowska-Curie 9, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland
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Pacyna AD, Frankowski M, Kozioł K, Węgrzyn MH, Wietrzyk-Pełka P, Lehmann-Konera S, Polkowska Ż. Evaluation of the use of reindeer droppings for monitoring essential and non-essential elements in the polar terrestrial environment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 658:1209-1218. [PMID: 30677983 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.232] [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: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 12/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Excess or toxic metals, non-metals and metalloids can be eliminated from the organism by deposition in inert tissue (e.g. fur) or excretion with body secretions, urine and faeces. Droppings are one of the main routes for the elimination of multiple elements and they can be collected without direct contact with the animal. Contaminant concentration has been examined in non-lethally collected tissues of several species (especially reptilian, avian and mammalian). However, studies on species residing in polar areas are still limited, especially of mammals from the European Arctic. Reindeers are the only large herbivores living in Svalbard, being an essential part of the Arctic terrestrial ecosystem. Although reindeer presence has a high impact on their surroundings, those huge mammals are rarely part of ecotoxicological studies regarding metal pollution. In this paper, the droppings of Svalbard reindeer were used as a non-invasively collected tissue to examine the excretion pathway of 30 elements. Samples were collected in mesic and moss tundra, representing summer, winter and winter-transitional excretion. For more than a half of the studied elements, significant differences occurred between the samples collected in the two tundra types. The feasibility of older and fresh samples was assessed based on summer droppings, and significant differences were found for K, As, Mn, Na, Ni, and Sb concentrations. No relevant differences in element levels were observed for samples collected from adult females, adult males and calves, except for zinc and potassium. Results show that reindeer droppings are an important vector for the transfer of many metals, non-metals and metalloids including calcium, phosphorus, zinc, aluminium and lead. As a sedentary species, feeding on local food sources, Svalbard reindeer is a valuable indicator of trace element presence in the polar terrestrial ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aneta Dorota Pacyna
- Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland.
| | - Marcin Frankowski
- Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan, Umultowska 89b, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Krystyna Kozioł
- Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Michał Hubert Węgrzyn
- Prof. Z. Czeppe Department of Polar Research and Documentation, Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Paulina Wietrzyk-Pełka
- Prof. Z. Czeppe Department of Polar Research and Documentation, Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 3, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Sara Lehmann-Konera
- Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Żaneta Polkowska
- Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Gdansk University of Technology, Narutowicza 11/12, 80-233 Gdansk, Poland.
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Luo J, Wang Y, Wang Z, Gao Z. Assessment of Pb and Cd contaminations in the urban waterway sediments of the Nen River (Qiqihar section), Northeastern China, and transfer along the food chain. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 26:5913-5924. [PMID: 30613892 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-018-04087-w] [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: 10/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The increasing anthropogenic inputs of Pb and Cd into China's Nen River (Qiqihar section) owing to rapid urbanization in the past 50 years may pose ecological risks to the river's aquatic system. To confirm this hypothesis, we determined the Pb and Cd concentrations in the sediments of the Nen River flowing across Qiqihar City by comparing the control group (samplings in the Nen River branch bypassing the city) and bioaccumulation along the food chain. We found significantly higher Pb concentrations in the sediments than in the control group (39.21 mg kg-1 dry weight [dw] vs. 22.44 mg kg-1 dw; p < 0.05). However, the difference between the Cd contents of the two groups was nonsignificant (0.33 mg kg-1 dw vs. 0.30 mg kg-1 dw) (p = 0.07). Accumulated Pb and Cd in the sediments pose a medium risk to the system of Nen River according to the result of risk assessment code analysis. The increased Pb and Cd levels along the food chain had adverse health effects in the species at the top level of the food chain. For example, the feathers of Corvus frugilegus and Sterna hirundo contained 0.28-2.25 mg kg-1 dw of Cd. These values are considered potentially toxic to common avian species. The bone Pb level of C. frugilegus ranged from 4.82 to 7.41 mg kg-1 dw within the increasing Pb range (2-15 mg kg-1 dw) of common water birds. The inputs of Pb and Cd into the local environment should be reduced for the preservation of aquatic system health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinming Luo
- Department of Science, Qiqihar University, Qiqihar, 161006, People's Republic of China.
| | - Yongjie Wang
- Department of Science, Qiqihar University, Qiqihar, 161006, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiliang Wang
- Department of Science, Qiqihar University, Qiqihar, 161006, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhongyan Gao
- Zhalong National Natural Reserve, Qiqihar, 161002, People's Republic of China
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Meillère A, Brischoux F, Bustamante P, Michaud B, Parenteau C, Marciau C, Angelier F. Corticosterone levels in relation to trace element contamination along an urbanization gradient in the common blackbird (Turdus merula). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 566-567:93-101. [PMID: 27213675 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Revised: 05/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/02/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In a rapidly urbanizing world, trace element pollution may represent a threat to human health and wildlife, and it is therefore crucial to assess both exposition levels and associated effects of trace element contamination on urban vertebrates. In this study, we investigated the impact of urbanization on trace element contamination and stress physiology in a wild bird species, the common blackbird (Turdus merula), along an urbanization gradient (from rural to moderately urbanized areas). Specifically, we described the contamination levels of blackbirds by 4 non-essential (Ag, Cd, Hg, Pb) and 9 essential trace elements (As, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Se, Zn), and explored the putative disrupting effects of the non-essential element contamination on corticosterone levels (a hormonal proxy for environmental challenges). We found that non-essential trace element burden (Cd and Pb specifically) increased with increasing urbanization, indicating a significant trace element contamination even in medium sized cities and suburban areas. Interestingly, the increased feather non-essential trace element concentrations were also associated with elevated feather corticosterone levels, suggesting that urbanization probably constrains birds and that this effect may be mediated by trace element contamination. Future experimental studies are now required to disentangle the influence of multiple urban-related constraints on corticosterone levels and to specifically test the influence of each of these trace elements on corticosterone secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alizée Meillère
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, F-79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France.
| | - François Brischoux
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, F-79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, F-17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Bruno Michaud
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, F-79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Charline Parenteau
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, F-79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Coline Marciau
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, F-79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, F-79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
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