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Adkesson MJ, Shlosberg A, Lehner AF, Rumbeiha WK, Cárdenas-Alayza S, Cardeña-Mormontoy M, Kannan K. MEASUREMENT OF PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS, PERFLUORINATED COMPOUNDS, AND TOXIC METALS IN THE BLOOD OF HUMBOLDT PENGUINS (SPHENISCUS HUMBOLDTI) AT PUNTA SAN JUAN, PERU USING DRIED BLOOD SPOTS. J Zoo Wildl Med 2024; 54:713-720. [PMID: 38251994 DOI: 10.1638/2023-0047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) population at the Punta San Juan Marine Protected Area in Peru is considered critical to the long-term sustainability of this endangered species in Peru. Exposure of the rookery to environmental toxicants is a mounting concern because of regional growth of industries and human populations. Whole blood samples were collected from 30 free-ranging penguins in 2011 as part of a broader population health monitoring program. Dried blood spots (DBS) containing 50 µl of blood were prepared and analyzed to assess exposure to five groups of environmental contaminants. Concentrations of elements arsenic, cadmium, iron, lead, mercury, selenium, and thallium were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Persistent organic pollutant concentrations were measured using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to analyze organochlorine pesticides (OCP; p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDE, β-hexachlorocyclohexane, t-nonachlor, and oxychlordane), polychlorinated biphenyls (congeners 138 and 153), and polybrominated flame retardants (polybrominated biphenyl-153 and polybrominated diphenyl ether congeners 47 and 99). Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, including perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Results revealed low levels of exposure to these selected contaminants, at levels not considered to be of concern for wildlife health. DBS methodology was considered effective in a field-based setting for quantification of whole blood concentrations of environmental contaminants in penguins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Andreas F Lehner
- Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Michigan State University, Lansing, MI 48910-8104, USA
| | - Wilson K Rumbeiha
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Susana Cárdenas-Alayza
- Punta San Juan Program, Center for Environmental Sustainability, Cayetano Heredia University, Lima 4314, Peru
| | - Marco Cardeña-Mormontoy
- Punta San Juan Program, Center for Environmental Sustainability, Cayetano Heredia University, Lima 4314, Peru
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Jankovská I, Karešová V, Michlová T, Kunc P, Knížková I, Ševčík R, Sloup V, Langrová I. Significance of Intestinal Helminth Infection and Animal Sex for Mercury Concentrations in Two Rodent Species. J Wildl Dis 2023; 59:504-508. [PMID: 37270297 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-22-00129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We compared the effects of animal gender, species, and intestinal helminth burden on mercury concentrations in rodents. Total mercury concentrations were determined in the liver and kidney tissues of 80 small rodents (44 yellow-necked mice, Apodemus flavicollis, and 36 bank voles, Myodes glareolus) captured in the Ore Mountains (northwest Bohemia, Czech Republic). Overall, 25/80 (32%) of animals were infected by intestinal helminths. The differences in mercury concentration between rodents infected and not infected with intestinal helminths were not statistically significant. Statistically significant differences in mercury concentrations were found only between voles and mice (that were not infected with intestinal helminths). This suggests the differences may be associated with host genetics. Apodemus flavicollis body tissues had significantly lower (P=0.01) mean Hg concentrations (0.032 mg/kg) than Myodes glareolus (0.279 mg/kg), provided that animals were not infected by intestinal helminths; if the animals were infected by intestinal helminths, the difference between both groups was insignificant. The effect of gender in this study was significant only for voles (without helminth infection); for mice (either with or without helminth infection) the differences between genders were not significant. Myodes glareolus males had significantly lower (P=0.03) Hg concentrations in liver and kidney tissues (0.050 mg/kg) than Myodes glareolus females (0.122 mg/kg). These results reveal the importance of considering species and gender when evaluating mercury concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Jankovská
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Karešová
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Michlová
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Kunc
- Institute of Animal Science, Přátelství 815, 104 00 Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic
| | - Ivana Knížková
- Institute of Animal Science, Přátelství 815, 104 00 Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic
| | - Richard Ševčík
- Department of Spatial Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, 165 21 Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Vladislav Sloup
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Iva Langrová
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 129, 165 21 Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic
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