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Nzabanita D, Mulder RA, Lettoof DC, Grist S, Hampton JO, Hufschmid J, Nugegoda D. Interactions Between Heavy Metal Exposure and Blood Biochemistry in an Urban Population of the Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) in Australia. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2024; 86:178-186. [PMID: 38383776 PMCID: PMC10904524 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-024-01055-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
There is growing recognition of the threat posed to wildlife by pollutants. Waterbirds are robust bioindicators of ecosystem health, and metal toxicity is a threat to these species in waterways worldwide. Urban waterbirds are likely to be at the highest risk of heavy metal exposure, but this issue has not been widely explored in Australia. Our aim was to estimate contemporary heavy metal exposure in a sedentary urban waterbird population: black swans (Cygnus atratus) inhabiting an inner-city wetland in one of Australia's largest cities, Melbourne. To investigate the physiological implications of legacy heavy metal exposure in these birds, we quantified blood biochemistry profiles and examined their relationships with metal concentrations in feathers. We caught 15 swans in 2021 and took feather samples to measure the concentration of eight heavy metals (chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg)), and blood samples to measure the concentration of 13 plasma analytes. Multivariate regression analysis revealed few associations between heavy metals and biochemistry markers, and no differences between sexes or age classes. This study presents a baseline dataset of these contaminants and blood biochemical profiles of swans at this wetland that can be used for future monitoring and is an important step toward a better understanding of the threat posed by heavy metals to Australian urban waterbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien Nzabanita
- School of Science, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, 3083, Australia
| | - Raoul A Mulder
- School of BioSciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Damian C Lettoof
- Centre for Environment and Life Sciences, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Floreat, WA, 6014, Australia
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia
| | - Stephen Grist
- School of Science, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, 3083, Australia
| | - Jordan O Hampton
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, VIC, 3030, Australia.
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, 6150, Australia.
| | - Jasmin Hufschmid
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, VIC, 3030, Australia
| | - Dayanthi Nugegoda
- School of Science, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, 3083, Australia
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Potysz A, Binkowski ŁJ, Kierczak J, Rattner BA. Drivers of Pb, Sb and As release from spent gunshot in wetlands: Enhancement by organic matter and native microorganisms. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 857:159121. [PMID: 36183763 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159121] [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: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In many countries the use of lead-based ammunition is prevalent, and results in exposure and poisoning of waterfowl and other species of birds. In waterfowl hunting areas large quantities of spent shot may be deposited in wetland and terrestrial habitats. These pellets can undergo transformations, which are influenced by various abiotic and biotic factors. In addition to lead (Pb), other elements like antimony (Sb) and arsenic (As) can be leached from Pb shot into the environment. In vitro simulations that included organic matter and microorganisms were utilized to examine elemental leaching from gunshot. We found that leaching efficiency was the greatest in solutions rich in organic matter derived from artificial root exudates (2.69 % for Pb, 1.16 % for Sb, 1.83 % for As), while leaching efficiency was considerably lower in river water (0.04 %). In vitro simulations containing native microorganisms also exhibited greater leaching efficiency (0.49 % for Pb, 0.52 % for Sb, 1.32 % for As) than in ultrapure deionized water and river water. Surface alterations in gunshot included the formation of a weathering crust and secondary phases dominated by carbonates. Spent gunshot is a source of Pb, Sb and As in wetlands that could affect aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Potysz
- University of Wrocław, Institute of Geological Sciences, Pl. M. Borna 9, 50-204 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Łukasz J Binkowski
- Pedagogical University of Krakow, Institute of Biology, Podchorążych 2, 30-084 Kraków, Poland.
| | - Jakub Kierczak
- University of Wrocław, Institute of Geological Sciences, Pl. M. Borna 9, 50-204 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Barnett A Rattner
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Beltsville, MD, USA
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Tkachenko H, Hetmański T, Włodarkiewicz A, Jarosiewicz A, Tomin V, Kamiński P, Kurhaluk N. Ecophysiological characteristics of wintering mute swan population in anthropogenically modified environments. THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2022.2077995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- H. Tkachenko
- Department of Biology, Institute of Biology and Earth Sciences, Pomeranian University in Słupsk, Słupsk, Poland
| | - T. Hetmański
- Department of Earth Sciences, Institute of Biology and Earth Sciences, Pomeranian University in Słupsk, Słupsk, Poland
| | - A. Włodarkiewicz
- Department of Physics, Institute of Exact and Technical Sciences, Pomeranian University in Słupsk, Słupsk, Poland
| | - A. Jarosiewicz
- Department of Earth Sciences, Institute of Biology and Earth Sciences, Pomeranian University in Słupsk, Słupsk, Poland
| | - V. Tomin
- Department of Physics, Institute of Exact and Technical Sciences, Pomeranian University in Słupsk, Słupsk, Poland
| | - P. Kamiński
- Department of Medical Biology and Biochemistry, Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Bydgoszcz, Poland
- Department of BiotechnologyFaculty of Biological Sciences, University of Zielona Góra, Institute of Biological Sciences, Zielona Góra, Poland
| | - N. Kurhaluk
- Department of Biology, Institute of Biology and Earth Sciences, Pomeranian University in Słupsk, Słupsk, Poland
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Kurhaluk N, Tkachenko H, Kamiński P. Do the diverse environments of Baltic coastal zone affect hematological and biochemical alterations in the blood of mute swans (Cygnus olor)? ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 214:114014. [PMID: 35948152 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Based on studies of the wintering population of mute swans in large urban agglomerations, it is possible to identify and infer the impact of environmental pollution in coastal regions near Baltic Sea on the physiological and biochemical changes in the blood of waterfowls. Hematological and biochemical changes in the blood in relation to chemical elements in their feathers are a useful tool for general ecophysiological conclusions. Hematological changes and blood chemistry in Mute Swan Cygnus olor is particularly environmentally dependent, therefore we examined hematological picture (red blood cells RBC, white blood cells WBC, heterophiles, eosinophils, basophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, hemoglobin, heterophile to lymphocyte ratio H/L, biochemical indicators (glucose, uric acid, total cholesterol, triglycerides, calcium, inorganic phosphorus, magnesium, total protein), stability of erythrocyte membranes, concentration of Ca, P, Mg in the blood, concentration of Al, Zn, Rh, Cu, Ru, Fe, Pb in feathers, in wintering population of 172 mute swans of different age (juvenile, adult) and gender, in three coastal types of areas of Southern Polish zone of Baltic Sea (Słupsk, Gdynia, Sopot). Percentage of changes in the morphological indices in the blood of mute swans with three independent characteristics (environment, sex, age) revealed that hemoglobin content exhibited the highest value (R2 = 53.8%) in the analysis of morphological indices; the effect of RBC, WBC, and basophils was much lower (WBC > RBC > basophils). Male and female erythrocytes from the coastal of Gdynia were more fragile than those of birds from coasts of Sopot and Słupsk. We found that osmotic fragility is altered in juvenile swans from Słupsk area and males from Gdynia area. The consequence was a higher level of hemolyzed erythrocytes in their blood. The effect of type of environment, age-, and sex-related impact on hematological indices and biomarkers of biochemical alterations in the blood of swans and comparison of these data with bioaccumulation of chemical elements in feathers of swans inhabiting 3 types of environment of Baltic coastal zone show significant differences in the hematological and biochemical indices. Albumins and globulins maintain the blood cations balance, however, changes in their concentrations in the blood suggest an impact on physiological mechanisms and body condition of swans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Kurhaluk
- Pomeranian University in Słupsk, Institute of Biology and Earth Sciences, Department of Biology, Arciszewski St. 22 B, PL, 76-200, Słupsk, Poland.
| | - Halyna Tkachenko
- Pomeranian University in Słupsk, Institute of Biology and Earth Sciences, Department of Biology, Arciszewski St. 22 B, PL, 76-200, Słupsk, Poland.
| | - Piotr Kamiński
- Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Department of Medical Biology and Biochemistry, Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, M. Skłodowska-Curie St. 9, PL, 85-094, Bydgoszcz, Poland; University of Zielona Góra, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Institute of Biological Sciences, Department of Biotechnology, Prof. Z. Szafran St. 1, PL, 65-516, Zielona Góra, Poland.
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Kucharska K, Binkowski ŁJ, Zaguła G, Dudzik K. Spatial, temporal and environmental differences in concentrations of lead in the blood of Mute swans from summer and winter sites in Poland. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 830:154698. [PMID: 35318064 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154698] [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: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Lead (Pb) is a highly toxic pollutant and represents a serious threat to wildlife, affecting various systems in animal bodies. Especially prone to Pb poisoning are waterbirds, which may inadvertently ingest spent gunshot, fishing sinkers and contaminated sediments. This research thus focused on evaluating Pb concentrations in the blood of 170 Mute swans (Cygnus olor; a widespread species of waterbirds) at their summer (urban locations in Małopolskie and rural locations in Świętokrzyskie regions) and winter (the urban section of Wisła River in Krakow) sites in Poland (Europe). The study concentrated on comparing blood Pb concentrations according to sites and locations, verifying the influence of sex and age factors, examining the impact on hematocrit (Ht), glutathione (GSH) levels and body condition. Mean blood Pb concentrations (measured with ICP-OES) differed significantly between summer and winter sites (Regression by Maximum Likelihood Estimation (RML), p < 0.001) reaching higher values at winter sites. Concentrations did not differ from year to year (RML, p = 0.028). At summer sites, concentrations differed from location to location: swans from urban locations in Małopolskie had higher blood Pb concentrations (0.055 μg/g) than from rural Świętokrzyskie (0.008 μg/g; RML, p < 0.001). In summer and winter birds, neither sex nor age groups differed significantly the concentrations (RML, p > 0.231). Pb concentrations correlated weakly with Ht and GSH levels (Spearman test) and had no influence on body condition (proxied by scaled mass index; GLM, p = 0.246). We concluded that differences between summer and winter sites were dictated mainly by the type of habitat (rural vs. urban) that birds occupied in different seasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Kucharska
- Institute of Biology, Pedagogical University of Krakow, Podchorążych 2, 30-084 Krakow, Poland.
| | - Łukasz J Binkowski
- Institute of Biology, Pedagogical University of Krakow, Podchorążych 2, 30-084 Krakow, Poland.
| | - Grzegorz Zaguła
- Department of Bioenergy, Food Analysis and Microbiology, Institute of Food Technology and Nutrition, University of Rzeszow, Zelwerowicza 4, 35-601 Rzeszow, Poland.
| | - Krzysztof Dudzik
- Eagle Conservation Committee, K. Jagiellończyka 4, 10-062 Olsztyn, Poland.
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Ribeiro PVA, Gonçalves VF, de Magalhães Tolentino VC, Baesse CQ, Pires LP, Paniago LPM, de Melo C. Effects of urbanisation and pollution on the heterophil/lymphocyte ratio in birds from Brazilian Cerrado. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:40204-40212. [PMID: 35119632 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-19037-w] [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: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Stressing agents can cause morphophysiological and behavioural changes in several animals, including birds, which are good study models for environmental biomonitoring. The heterophil/lymphocyte ratio (H/L) is an efficient indicator of chronic stresses in birds. In this study, we aimed to compare the H/L ratio of birds between the areas with different levels of urbanisation, anthropogenic noise and carbon monoxide (CO) emission rates. A total of 1288 birds were captured in six Cerrado forest fragments between 2013 and 2019, from which we took blood samples to produce blood smears. In each of these fragments, the noise level was measured with a sound pressure level metre. The CO rates were obtained from the National Institute for Space Research database (INPE-Brazil). There was a higher H/L ratio in individuals captured in urban areas or close to urbanisation with high anthropogenic noise levels and high CO rates, and a lower H/L ratio in individuals from preserved areas, far from urban environments with low noise levels and low CO rates. Six species (Antilophia galeata, Leoptopogon amaurocephalus, Cnemotriccus fuscatus, Lathrotriccus euleri, Turdus leucomelas and Eucometis penicillata) showed a significant difference between the areas and followed the pattern shown by the individuals. The present study showed that birds living in the urban and peri-urban sites have higher values of H/L ratio than birds from rural sites. These results suggest that the H/L ratio can be used as an environmental biomonitoring tool and an efficient parameter to assess chronic stress in birds in degraded environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Vitor Alves Ribeiro
- Laboratory of Ornithology and Bioacoustic, Federal University of Uberlândia, Institute of Biology, Umuarama Campus, Rua Ceará, s/n, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, 38400-902, Brazil.
- Postgraduate Program in Ecology, Conservation and Biodiversity, Federal University of de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil.
| | - Vanessa Fonseca Gonçalves
- Laboratory of Ornithology and Bioacoustic, Federal University of Uberlândia, Institute of Biology, Umuarama Campus, Rua Ceará, s/n, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, 38400-902, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Ecology, Conservation and Biodiversity, Federal University of de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil
| | - Vitor Carneiro de Magalhães Tolentino
- Laboratory of Ornithology and Bioacoustic, Federal University of Uberlândia, Institute of Biology, Umuarama Campus, Rua Ceará, s/n, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, 38400-902, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Ecology, Conservation and Biodiversity, Federal University of de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil
| | - Camilla Queiroz Baesse
- Laboratory of Ornithology and Bioacoustic, Federal University of Uberlândia, Institute of Biology, Umuarama Campus, Rua Ceará, s/n, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, 38400-902, Brazil
| | - Luís Paulo Pires
- Laboratory of Ornithology and Bioacoustic, Federal University of Uberlândia, Institute of Biology, Umuarama Campus, Rua Ceará, s/n, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, 38400-902, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Ecology, Conservation and Biodiversity, Federal University of de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil
| | - Luís Pedro Mendes Paniago
- Laboratory of Ornithology and Bioacoustic, Federal University of Uberlândia, Institute of Biology, Umuarama Campus, Rua Ceará, s/n, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, 38400-902, Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Ecology, Conservation and Biodiversity, Federal University of de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil
| | - Celine de Melo
- Laboratory of Ornithology and Bioacoustic, Federal University of Uberlândia, Institute of Biology, Umuarama Campus, Rua Ceará, s/n, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, 38400-902, Brazil
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Kurhaluk N, Tkachenko H. Habitat-, age-, and sex-related alterations in oxidative stress biomarkers in the blood of mute swans (Cygnus olor) inhabiting pomeranian coastal areas (Northern Poland). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:27070-27083. [PMID: 34971416 PMCID: PMC8989853 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-18393-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The mute swan (Cygnus olor) can be considered a representative species of birds associated with the aquatic environment and responding very clearly to changes in the environment. Assuming that the condition of the mute swan population well reflects the state of the environment, this species was used in our research as a bioindicative species. Thus, the aim of our study was to elucidate the association between metal contents in soil samples collected from a habitat of mute swans and element contents in their feathers as well as the levels of biomarkers of lipid peroxidation, oxidatively modified proteins, and total antioxidant capacity in the blood of mute swans living in three agglomerations in coastal areas in the southern part of the Baltic Sea (Pomeranian region, northern Poland). We compared the effects of inhabitation, age, and sex on the ecophysiological accumulation of metals in three wintering populations of the mute swan from coastal areas of northern Poland, i.e., Słupsk, Gdynia, and Sopot. In Słupsk, the anthropogenic pressure was related predominantly to the level of Al and, to a lesser extent, to the content of Rh and Ru. We found maximum levels of lipid peroxidation biomarkers in the blood of the mute swans from Gdynia (38.20 ± 6.35 nmol MDA·mL-1). At the same time, maximum levels of aldehydic and ketonic derivatives of oxidatively modified proteins were noted in the blood of swans from Sopot compared to the values obtained in mute swans from Słupsk and Gdynia. This trend suggesting high levels of oxidative stress biomarkers was also confirmed by a decrease in the total antioxidant capacity in these groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Kurhaluk
- Department of Biology, Institute of Biology and Earth Sciences, Pomeranian University in Słupsk, Arciszewski Str. 22b, 76-200, Słupsk, Poland.
| | - Halyna Tkachenko
- Department of Biology, Institute of Biology and Earth Sciences, Pomeranian University in Słupsk, Arciszewski Str. 22b, 76-200, Słupsk, Poland
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Celik E, Durmus A, Adizel O, Nergiz Uyar H. A bibliometric analysis: what do we know about metals(loids) accumulation in wild birds? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:10302-10334. [PMID: 33481198 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-12344-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Metals and metalloids pollution is an important worldwide problem due to the social and ecological effects and therefore has been the subject of many disciplines and the adverse impacts have been documented. In this study, content analysis and trends of studies focused on heavy metal accumulation in birds were presented. For this purpose, a bibliometric network analysis of the studies that use the concepts of "pollution," "heavy metal," and "birds" together in the abstract, keywords, and titles of the papers was carried out. The purpose of choosing this research method was summarizing the relation between birds and environmental pollution in an understandable manner to determine metals(loids) pollution, which become an important environmental problem. Bibliometric data consisting of approximately 971 papers were evaluated with VOSviewer program using the network analysis method to answer the research questions. The results revealed that birds act as bioindicators in the determination of environmental pollution and that the contaminant metals deposited in the various tissues of birds provide preliminary information about environmental pollution. The most of bird studies emphasized that the metal accumulation was mostly in the liver, kidneys, and feathers and the accumulation caused serious problems in most of the vital activities of the birds. The USA is in the leading country in birds-heavy metal studies followed by Spain, Canada, and China. In addition, the mercury (Hg) was the most extensively studied heavy metal in these studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emrah Celik
- Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Department of Forestry, Hunting and Wildlife Program, Igdir University, Igdir, Turkey.
| | - Atilla Durmus
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Division of Zoology, Van Yuzuncu Yıl University, Van, Turkey
| | - Ozdemir Adizel
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Division of Zoology, Van Yuzuncu Yıl University, Van, Turkey
| | - Humeyra Nergiz Uyar
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Biology, Bitlis Eren University, Bitlis, Turkey
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