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Morrissey C, Fritsch C, Fremlin K, Adams W, Borgå K, Brinkmann M, Eulaers I, Gobas F, Moore DRJ, van den Brink N, Wickwire T. Advancing exposure assessment approaches to improve wildlife risk assessment. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2024; 20:674-698. [PMID: 36688277 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The exposure assessment component of a Wildlife Ecological Risk Assessment aims to estimate the magnitude, frequency, and duration of exposure to a chemical or environmental contaminant, along with characteristics of the exposed population. This can be challenging in wildlife as there is often high uncertainty and error caused by broad-based, interspecific extrapolation and assumptions often because of a lack of data. Both the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have broadly directed exposure assessments to include estimates of the quantity (dose or concentration), frequency, and duration of exposure to a contaminant of interest while considering "all relevant factors." This ambiguity in the inclusion or exclusion of specific factors (e.g., individual and species-specific biology, diet, or proportion time in treated or contaminated area) can significantly influence the overall risk characterization. In this review, we identify four discrete categories of complexity that should be considered in an exposure assessment-chemical, environmental, organismal, and ecological. These may require more data, but a degree of inclusion at all stages of the risk assessment is critical to moving beyond screening-level methods that have a high degree of uncertainty and suffer from conservatism and a lack of realism. We demonstrate that there are many existing and emerging scientific tools and cross-cutting solutions for tackling exposure complexity. To foster greater application of these methods in wildlife exposure assessments, we present a new framework for risk assessors to construct an "exposure matrix." Using three case studies, we illustrate how the matrix can better inform, integrate, and more transparently communicate the important elements of complexity and realism in exposure assessments for wildlife. Modernizing wildlife exposure assessments is long overdue and will require improved collaboration, data sharing, application of standardized exposure scenarios, better communication of assumptions and uncertainty, and postregulatory tracking. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:674-698. © 2023 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christy Morrissey
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | | | - Katharine Fremlin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | | | - Katrine Borgå
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Markus Brinkmann
- School of Environment and Sustainability and Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Igor Eulaers
- FRAM Centre, Norwegian Polar Institute, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Frank Gobas
- School of Resource & Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | | | - Nico van den Brink
- Division of Toxicology, University of Wageningen, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ted Wickwire
- Woods Hole Group Inc., Bourne, Massachusetts, USA
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Navarro-Castilla Á, Hernández MC, Barja I. An Experimental Study in Wild Wood Mice Testing Elemental and Isotope Analysis in Faeces to Determine Variations in Food Intake Amount. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13071176. [PMID: 37048432 PMCID: PMC10093285 DOI: 10.3390/ani13071176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The analysis of carbon and nitrogen elemental (C, N) and isotopic compositions (δ13C, δ15N) in faeces are considered reliable methodologies for the study of diet in wildlife. Here, we tested the suitability of these techniques to detect variations in the amount of food intake. We captured wild wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) with Sherman live traps where bait access was initially free, and later it was experimentally limited inside by four different devices to cause intended variations in the amount ingested. The total C and N (%) and stable δ13C and δ15N isotopic values were determined for the bait and in mice faecal samples. Faecal values were lower than bait ones except for N, likely due to animal matter ingested before capture. No significant differences in total C, N and δ13C were found due to individual traits. However, breeding males showed higher δ15N values than breeding females, probably due to differences in energy and protein demands between both sexes during the breeding season. Only δ13C detected food intake variations (≥2 g). Despite further research being needed, these results initially support the potential of δ13C to provide information on the amount ingested, thus being useful to complement trophic ecology studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Álvaro Navarro-Castilla
- Eco- and Ethophysiology Lab, Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C. Darwin 2, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence:
| | - M. Carmen Hernández
- Eco- and Ethophysiology Lab, Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Barja
- Eco- and Ethophysiology Lab, Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C. Darwin 2, 28049 Madrid, Spain
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Li Y, Li H, Zan K, Wang Y, Zuo T, Jin H, Zhang B, Ma S. Medicinal Earthworm: Speciation and Bioaccessibility of Arsenic and Its Potential Health Risks. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:795530. [PMID: 35431923 PMCID: PMC9008300 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.795530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Arsenic in environmental health has caused public concerns all over the world. However, high levels of arsenic residues in medicinal animals have not received enough attention. Medicinal earthworms are consumed widely in China, but its arsenic potential health risks to humans are unknown. This work investigated the total concentration, bioaccessibility, and speciation of arsenic in earthworms by ICP-MS and HPLC-ICP-MS to evaluate its potential health risks to humans. Arsenic was found in all earthworms at concentrations ranging from 0.4 to 53.6 mg kg−1. The bioaccessibility of arsenic (bAs) varied significantly and ranged from 12.1 to 69.1%, with inorganic arsenic (iAs, including As(III) and As(V)) as the predominant species. Furthermore, a small amount of arsenobetaine (AB) was found. The estimated daily intake dose (EDI), hazard quotient (HQ), and carcinogenic risk (CR) of arsenic in most of the samples exceeded the safe threshold level. Results from this study indicated that the potential health risks by the consumption of earthworms may not be negligible. Herein, recommendations for the use of earthworms and regulatory recommendations for arsenic limit standards were proposed. This study reminds us that more control and monitoring of arsenic in medicinal animals should be carried out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaolei Li
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Hailiang Li
- National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, China
| | - Ke Zan
- National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Wang
- National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, China
| | - Tiantian Zuo
- National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, China
| | - Hongyu Jin
- National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, China
| | - Bing Zhang
- School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Bing Zhang, ; Shuangcheng Ma,
| | - Shuangcheng Ma
- National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Bing Zhang, ; Shuangcheng Ma,
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Louzon M, Pauget B, Gimbert F, Morin-Crini N, Wong JWY, Zaldibar B, Natal-da-Luz T, Neuwirthova N, Thiemann C, Sarrazin B, Irazola M, Amiot C, Rieffel D, Sousa JP, Chalot M, de Vaufleury A. In situ and ex situ bioassays with Cantareus aspersus for environmental risk assessment of metal(loid) and PAH-contaminated soils. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2022; 18:539-554. [PMID: 34138503 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4480] [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: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Environmental risk assessment of contaminated soils requires bioindicators that allow the assessment of bioavailability and toxicity of chemicals. Although many bioassays can determine the ecotoxicity of soil samples in the laboratory, few are available and standardized for on-site application. Bioassays based on specific threshold values that assess the in situ and ex situ bioavailability and risk of metal(loid)s and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soils to the land snail Cantareus aspersus have never been simultaneously applied to the same soils. The aims of this study were to compare the results provided by in situ and ex situ bioassays and to determine their respective importance for environmental risk assessment. The feasibility and reproducibility of the in situ bioassay were assessed using an international ring test. This study used five plots located at a former industrial site and six laboratories participated in the ring test. The results revealed the impact of environmental parameters on the bioavailability of metal(loid)s and PAHs to snails exposed in the field to structured soils and vegetation compared to those exposed under laboratory conditions to soil collected from the same field site (excavated soils). The risk coefficients were generally higher ex situ than in situ, with some exceptions (mainly due to Cd and Mo), which might be explained by the in situ contribution of plants and humus layer as sources of exposure of snails to contaminants and by climatic parameters. The ring test showed good agreement among laboratories, which determined the same levels of risk in most of the plots. Comparison of the bioavailability to land snails and the subsequent risk estimated in situ or ex situ highlighted the complementarity between both approaches in the environmental risk assessment of contaminated soils, namely, to guide decisions on the fate and future use of the sites (e.g., excavation, embankments, and land restoration). Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:539-554. © 2021 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Louzon
- Department Chrono-Environment, UMR CNRS 6249, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon Cedex, France
| | | | - Frédéric Gimbert
- Department Chrono-Environment, UMR CNRS 6249, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon Cedex, France
| | - Nadia Morin-Crini
- Department Chrono-Environment, UMR CNRS 6249, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon Cedex, France
| | - Janine W Y Wong
- Swiss Centre for Applied Ecotoxicology, EPFL ENAC IIE-GE, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Beñat Zaldibar
- Research Centre for Experimental Marine Biology & Biotechnology, Plentzia Marine Station University of the Basque Country (PiE-UPV/EHU), Plentzia-Bizkaia, Basque Country, Spain
- CBET Research Group, Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa-Bizkaia, Basque Country, Spain
| | - Tiago Natal-da-Luz
- Department of Life Sciences, Centre for Functional Ecology, Science for People & The Planet, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | | | - Christina Thiemann
- Swiss Centre for Applied Ecotoxicology, EPFL ENAC IIE-GE, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Bernard Sarrazin
- INSAVALOR, Campus LyonTech La Doua, Centre d'Entreprise et d'Innovation, CS 52132, Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | - Mireia Irazola
- Research Centre for Experimental Marine Biology & Biotechnology, Plentzia Marine Station University of the Basque Country (PiE-UPV/EHU), Plentzia-Bizkaia, Basque Country, Spain
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa-Bizkaia, Basque Country, Spain
| | - Caroline Amiot
- Department Chrono-Environment, UMR CNRS 6249, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon Cedex, France
| | - Dominique Rieffel
- Department Chrono-Environment, UMR CNRS 6249, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon Cedex, France
| | - José P Sousa
- Department of Life Sciences, Centre for Functional Ecology, Science for People & The Planet, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Michel Chalot
- Department Chrono-Environment, UMR CNRS 6249, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon Cedex, France
- Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, Université de Lorraine, Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France
| | - Annette de Vaufleury
- Department Chrono-Environment, UMR CNRS 6249, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon Cedex, France
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Mitkovska VI, Dimitrov HA, Chassovnikarova TG. Chronic exposure to lead and cadmium pollution results in genomic instability in a model biomonitor species (Apodemus flavicollis Melchior, 1834). ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2020; 194:110413. [PMID: 32163775 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Polymetal dust is a common industrial pollutant. While the use of remediation filters and equipment in lead smelters has reduced pollutant emission, surrounding areas remain contaminated due to the long-term transfer of heavy metals along the food chain. Here we assess the mutagenic potential of the lead-zinc smelter near Plovdiv (Bulgaria) situated in an area that has been contaminated with heavy metals for 60 years. We aimed to evaluate the genomic response of the yellow-necked mouse (A. flavicollis), a biomonitor species, in three sampling sites along the pollution gradient. Mice from Strandzha Natural Park were used as a negative control. The bioaccumulation rate of two non-essential heavy metals, lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd), in liver tissues was determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Genetic alterations attributable to chronic exposure to trace levels of heavy metals were assessed in different blood cell populations using two independent methods: a micronucleus test was applied to evaluate the clastogenic and aneugenic alterations in erythrocytes, while a comet assay was used to assess DNA instability, as evidenced by single- and double-stranded breaks and alkali-labile sites, in leucocytes. We observed elevated levels of Pb and Cd in livers derived from mice from the impacted area: the mean Pb concentration (21.38 ± 8.77 μg/g) was two-fold higher than the lowest-observed-adverse-effect levels (LOAELs), while the mean Cd concentration (13.95 ± 9.79 μg/g) was extremely close to these levels. The mean levels of Pb and Cd in livers derived from mice from the impacted area were 31-fold and 63-fold higher, respectively, than the levels measured in mice from the control area. The mean frequency of micronuclei was significantly higher (four-fold) than that observed in the control animals. Furthermore, parameters measured by the comet assay, % tail DNA, tail length and tail moment, were significantly higher in the impact area, indicating the degree of genetic instability caused by exposure to heavy metals. In conclusion, this study shows that despite the reported reduction in lead and cadmium emissions in Bulgaria in recent years, A. flavicollis individuals inhabiting areas subject to long-term contamination exhibit significant signs of DNA damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vesela I Mitkovska
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Plovdiv Paisii Hilendarski, 24 Tzar Asen Street, 4000, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
| | - Hristo A Dimitrov
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Plovdiv Paisii Hilendarski, 24 Tzar Asen Street, 4000, Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
| | - Tsenka G Chassovnikarova
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Plovdiv Paisii Hilendarski, 24 Tzar Asen Street, 4000, Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd., 1000, Sofia, Bulgaria.
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Durkalec M, Nawrocka A, Żmudzki J, Filipek A, Niemcewicz M, Posyniak A. Concentration of Mercury in the Livers of Small Terrestrial Rodents from Rural Areas in Poland. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24224108. [PMID: 31739423 PMCID: PMC6891690 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24224108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Small terrestrial mammals could be used as accumulative biomonitors of different environmental contaminants, but the knowledge of the level of Hg in their bodies is scant. The aim of our research was to verify the factors influencing Hg bioaccumulation and to analyze the concentration of total mercury (Hg) in the livers of four species of wild terrestrial rodents from different rural areas of Poland: the yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis), striped field mouse (Apodemus agrarius), common vole (Microtus arvalis), and bank vole (Myodes glareolus). The concentration of total Hg was analyzed in liver tissue by atomic absorption spectrometry using a direct mercury analyzer. The concentration of Hg found in the livers of rodents ranged from <1 to 36.4 µg/kg of wet weight, differed between study sites, species, and sexes, and was related to body weight. We addressed feeding habits as potential causes of differences in liver Hg concentration among species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Durkalec
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Veterinary Research Institute, Aleja Partyzantow 57, 24-100 Puławy, Poland; (A.N.); (A.F.); (A.P.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-81-889-3165
| | - Agnieszka Nawrocka
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Veterinary Research Institute, Aleja Partyzantow 57, 24-100 Puławy, Poland; (A.N.); (A.F.); (A.P.)
| | - Jacek Żmudzki
- Department of Swine Diseases; National Veterinary Research Institute, Aleja Partyzantow 57, 24-100 Puławy, Poland;
| | - Aleksandra Filipek
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Veterinary Research Institute, Aleja Partyzantow 57, 24-100 Puławy, Poland; (A.N.); (A.F.); (A.P.)
| | - Marcin Niemcewicz
- Biological Threats Identification and Countermeasure Centre, Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Lubelska 2, 24-100 Puławy, Poland;
| | - Andrzej Posyniak
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, National Veterinary Research Institute, Aleja Partyzantow 57, 24-100 Puławy, Poland; (A.N.); (A.F.); (A.P.)
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