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Gimeno M, Rossell L, Julià L, Giménez J, Sanpera C, Coll M, Bustamante P, Ramírez F. Assessing mercury contamination in Southern Hemisphere marine ecosystems: The role of penguins as effective bioindicators. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 343:123159. [PMID: 38104761 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123159] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant known for its significant bioaccumulation and biomagnification capabilities, posing a particular threat to marine environments. Seabirds have been recognized as effective bioindicators of marine pollution, and, among them, penguins present a unique opportunity to serve as a single taxonomic group (Sphenisciformes) for monitoring Hg across distinct marine ecosystems in the Southern Hemisphere. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive systematic review of Hg concentrations, and performed a meta-analysis that took into account the various sources of uncertainty associated with Hg contamination in penguins. Beyond intrinsic species-specific factors shaping Hg levels, our results showed that the penguin community effectively reflects spatial patterns of Hg bioavailability. We identified geographic Hg hotspots in Australia, the Indian Ocean, and Tierra del Fuego, as well as coldspots in Perú and the South Atlantic. Furthermore, specific penguin species, namely the Southern Rockhopper (Eudyptes chrysocome) and Macaroni penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus), are highlighted as particularly vulnerable to the toxic effects of Hg. Additionally, we identified knowledge gaps in geographic areas such as the Galápagos Islands, South Africa, and the coast of Chile, as well as in species including Fiordland (Eudyptes pachyrhynchus), Snares (Eudyptes robustus), Erect-crested (Eudyptes sclateri), Royal (Eudyptes schlegeli), Yellow-eyed (Megadyptes antipodes), and Galápagos (Spheniscus mendiculus) penguins. Overall, our study contributes to the growing body of literature emphasizing the role of penguins as bioindicators of Hg pollution, but it also highlights areas where further research and data collection are needed for a more comprehensive understanding of Hg contamination in marine ecosystems in the Southern Hemisphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Míriam Gimeno
- Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain; Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Av/Diagonal 645, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laia Rossell
- Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura Julià
- Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Giménez
- Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain; Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO-CSIC), Centro Oceanografico de Málaga (COMA), Fuengirola, Spain
| | - Carolina Sanpera
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Av/Diagonal 645, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Coll
- Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS, La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France; Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 1 Rue Descartes, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Francisco Ramírez
- Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, 37-49, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
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Cusset F, Bustamante P, Carravieri A, Bertin C, Brasso R, Corsi I, Dunn M, Emmerson L, Guillou G, Hart T, Juáres M, Kato A, Machado-Gaye AL, Michelot C, Olmastroni S, Polito M, Raclot T, Santos M, Schmidt A, Southwell C, Soutullo A, Takahashi A, Thiebot JB, Trathan P, Vivion P, Waluda C, Fort J, Cherel Y. Circumpolar assessment of mercury contamination: the Adélie penguin as a bioindicator of Antarctic marine ecosystems. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2023; 32:1024-1049. [PMID: 37878111 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-023-02709-9] [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: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
Due to its persistence and potential ecological and health impacts, mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant of major concern that may reach high concentrations even in remote polar oceans. In contrast to the Arctic Ocean, studies documenting Hg contamination in the Southern Ocean are spatially restricted and large-scale monitoring is needed. Here, we present the first circumpolar assessment of Hg contamination in Antarctic marine ecosystems. Specifically, the Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) was used as a bioindicator species, to examine regional variation across 24 colonies distributed across the entire Antarctic continent. Mercury was measured on body feathers collected from both adults (n = 485) and chicks (n = 48) between 2005 and 2021. Because penguins' diet represents the dominant source of Hg, feather δ13C and δ15N values were measured as proxies of feeding habitat and trophic position. As expected, chicks had lower Hg concentrations (mean ± SD: 0.22 ± 0.08 μg·g‒1) than adults (0.49 ± 0.23 μg·g‒1), likely because of their shorter bioaccumulation period. In adults, spatial variation in feather Hg concentrations was driven by both trophic ecology and colony location. The highest Hg concentrations were observed in the Ross Sea, possibly because of a higher consumption of fish in the diet compared to other sites (krill-dominated diet). Such large-scale assessments are critical to assess the effectiveness of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. Owing to their circumpolar distribution and their ecological role in Antarctic marine ecosystems, Adélie penguins could be valuable bioindicators for tracking spatial and temporal trends of Hg across Antarctic waters in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Cusset
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France.
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 du CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France.
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 1 rue Descartes, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Alice Carravieri
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 du CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Clément Bertin
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France
| | - Rebecka Brasso
- Department of Zoology, Weber State University, Ogden, UT, USA
| | - Ilaria Corsi
- Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | | | - Louise Emmerson
- Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Australian Antarctic Division, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Gaël Guillou
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France
| | - Tom Hart
- Department of Biological and Medicinal Sciences, Oxford Brooke University, Oxford, UK
| | - Mariana Juáres
- Departamento Biología de Predadores Tope, Instituto Antártico Argentino, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Akiko Kato
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 du CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | | | - Candice Michelot
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 du CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
- Institut Maurice-Lamontagne, Pêches et Océans Canada, Mont-Joli, QC, Canada
| | - Silvia Olmastroni
- Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy
- Museo Nazionale dell'Antartide, Siena, Italy
| | | | - Thierry Raclot
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, UMR 7178 du CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, 67087, Strasbourg, France
| | - Mercedes Santos
- Departamento Biología de Predadores Tope, Instituto Antártico Argentino, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | - Colin Southwell
- Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Australian Antarctic Division, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Alvaro Soutullo
- Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la República, Maldonado, Uruguay
| | - Akinori Takahashi
- National Institute of Polar Research, 10-3 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo, 190-8518, Japan
| | - Jean-Baptiste Thiebot
- National Institute of Polar Research, 10-3 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo, 190-8518, Japan
- Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Minato-cho 3-1-1, Hakodate, 041-8611, Japan
| | | | - Pierre Vivion
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France
| | | | - Jérôme Fort
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000, La Rochelle, France
| | - Yves Cherel
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 du CNRS - La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
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Darham S, Zakaria NN, Zulkharnain A, Sabri S, Khalil KA, Merican F, Gomez-Fuentes C, Lim S, Ahmad SA. Antarctic heavy metal pollution and remediation efforts: state of the art of research and scientific publications. Braz J Microbiol 2023; 54:2011-2026. [PMID: 36973583 PMCID: PMC10485231 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-023-00949-9] [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: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In Antarctica, human activities have been reported to be the major cause of the accumulation of heavy metal contaminants. A comprehensive bibliometric analysis of publications on heavy metal contamination in Antarctica from year 2000 to 2020 was performed to obtain an overview of the current landscape in this line of research. A total of 106 documents were obtained from Scopus, the largest citation database. Extracted data were analysed, and VOSviewer software was used to visualise trends. The result showed an increase in publications and citations in the past 20 years indicating the rising interest on heavy metal contamination in the Antarctic region. Based on the analysis of keywords, the publications largely discuss various types of heavy metals found in the Antarctic water and sediment. The analysis on subject areas detects multiple disciplines involved, wherein the environmental science was well-represented. The top countries and authors producing the most publication in this field were from Australia, China, Brazil and Chile. Numerous efforts have been exercised to investigate heavy metal pollution and its mitigation approaches in the region in the past decades. This paper not only is relevant for scholars to understand the development status and trends in this field but also offers clear insights on the future direction of Antarctic heavy metal contamination and remediation research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syazani Darham
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Nur Nadhirah Zakaria
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Azham Zulkharnain
- Department of Bioscience and Engineering, College of Systems Engineering and Science, Shibaura Institute of Technology, 307 Fukasaku, Minuma-Ku, Saitama, 337-8570, Japan
| | - Suriana Sabri
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Department of Microbiology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Khalilah Abdul Khalil
- Faculty of Applied Sciences, School of Biology, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Faradina Merican
- School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Minden, Pulai Pinang, Malaysia
| | - Claudio Gomez-Fuentes
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidad de Magallanes, Avda. Bulnes 01855, Punta Arenas, Chile
- Center for Research and Antarctic Environmental Monitoring (CIMAA), Universidad de Magallanes, Avda. Bulnes 01855, Punta Arenas, Chile
| | - Sooa Lim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Hoseo University, Asan-Si 31499, Chungnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Siti Aqlima Ahmad
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
- Center for Research and Antarctic Environmental Monitoring (CIMAA), Universidad de Magallanes, Avda. Bulnes 01855, Punta Arenas, Chile.
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Monserrate-Maggi L, Serrano-Mena L, Delahaye L, Calle P, Alvarado-Cadena O, Ruiz-Barzola O, Cevallos-Cevallos JM. Microorganisms isolated from seabirds feathers for mercury bioremediation. BIONATURA 2023. [DOI: 10.21931/rb/2023.08.01.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental pollution caused by mercury has received increasing attention in recent years. Several studies have warned of the high rates of biomagnification in superior levels of marine food networks affecting seabirds. Although seabird feathers are reported as bioindicators of mercury, the possibility of using the microbiota associated with them for the bioremediation of this metal has not been considered. Despite the potential of the seabird feather microbiota, the cultivable microorganisms from this sample matrix have not been identified. In this study, we isolated and identified the organisms in the feathers from three types of seabirds, two species of penguins (Pygoscelis antartica and Pygoscelis papua) and the brown skua bird (Catharacta lonnbergi) through poisoned media a final concentration of 10 mg / L Hg2+ in the culture medium for the microbial consortia. Yeast isolates belonged to the genus Debaryomyces, Meyerozyma, Papiliotrema, and Rhodotorula, and fungi genera Leiotrametes, Penicillium, Pseudogymnoascus, and Cladosporium were identified. Adult bird feathers with high mercury concentrations can serve as a matrix to isolate microorganisms capable of removing mercury.
Keywords: Antarctica, bioremediation, feathers, mercury, microorganisms
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Monserrate-Maggi
- Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Centro de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas del Ecuador, CIBE, Campus Gustavo Galindo Km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Lizette Serrano-Mena
- Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Centro de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas del Ecuador, CIBE, Campus Gustavo Galindo Km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Louise Delahaye
- VIVES University CollegePost-graduate International Cooperation North-South, Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - Paola Calle
- Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, FCV, Campus Gustavo Galindo Km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Omar Alvarado-Cadena
- Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, FCV, Campus Gustavo Galindo Km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador
| | - Omar Ruiz-Barzola
- Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, FCV, Campus Gustavo Galindo Km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador; ; . 4 Universidad de Salamanca, Departamento de Estadística; Campus Miguel de Unamuno. 37007, Salamanca -España;
| | - Juan Manuel Cevallos-Cevallos
- Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Centro de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas del Ecuador, CIBE, Campus Gustavo Galindo Km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil ; Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, FCV, Campus Gustavo Galindo Km 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador
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5
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Dodino S, Riccialdelli L, Polito MJ, Pütz K, Brasso RL, Raya Rey A. Mercury exposure driven by geographic and trophic factors in Magellanic penguins from Tierra del Fuego. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 174:113184. [PMID: 34856432 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113184] [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: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Penguins accumulate mercury due to their long-life span together with their high trophic position. We sampled adult and juveniles' feathers from three colonies of Spheniscus magellanicus from Tierra del Fuego along an inshore-offshore corridor. We integrated toxicological information (mercury concentrations) and foraging biomarkers (δ13C, δ15N) into a common data analysis framework (isotopic niche analysis) to evaluate the influence of age, location, and foraging behaviors on mercury concentrations. Adults had higher feather mercury concentrations, δ13C, and δ15N values compared to juveniles. Also, adult and juvenile feather mercury concentrations differed between colonies, with lower mercury concentrations at the nearest inshore colony relative to the farther offshore colonies. Trophic position and the isotopic niche analyses suggest that this geographic gradient in mercury concentrations is due to differences in colonies' foraging areas. Understanding penguins' exposure to mercury derived from local food webs is a crucial first step in evaluating the impacts of this heavy metal on their conservation status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samanta Dodino
- Ecología y Conservación de Vida Silvestre, Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.
| | - Luciana Riccialdelli
- Ecología y Conservación de Vida Silvestre, Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
| | - Michael J Polito
- Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, United States of America
| | | | | | - Andrea Raya Rey
- Ecología y Conservación de Vida Silvestre, Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina; Instituto de Ciencias Polares, Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia, Argentina; Wildlife Conservation Society, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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6
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Dias Dos Santos AN, Recktenvald MCNDN, de Carvalho DP, Bortoleto Puerta EL, de Sousa-Filho IF, Dórea JG, Bastos WR. Mercury in birds (aquatic and scavenger) from the Western Amazon. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 201:111574. [PMID: 34181920 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In the Amazon rainforest, methylmercury (MeHg) is easily biomagnified and bio-accumulated in the aquatic food chain. This unique biome has been studied for occupational and environmental issues related to human health and contamination through fish consumption; however, wildlife studies have not yet addressed fish-eating birds. Different species of birds categorized by foraging strategies and life-stages were studied in the Madeira River Basin (Western Amazon rainforest). Feather and tissue (muscle, liver, kidneys, lungs, heart, brain, and blood) samples were collected opportunistically from six bird species feeding on fish and aquatic fauna and a scavenger (a saprophagous species) during the low-water season (July 2017). All collected samples were analyzed for total Hg (THg); methyl-Hg (MeHg) was determined only in feathers. The mean THg concentrations in feathers (dw) were as follows: Ardea cocoi (4.05 μg g-1, n = 51) > Egretta thulla (3.94 μg g-1, n = 5) > Ardea alba (3.80 μg g-1, n = 61) > Anhinga anhinga (3.69 μg g-1, n = 8) > Nannopterum brasilianus (3.07 μg g-1, n = 10). The scavenger Coragyps atratus showed mean THg in feathers (9.93 μg g-1, n = 30) to be significantly higher than in fish-eating birds. Across species, THg levels in feathers correlated significantly with THgmuscle (p = 0.022) and THgbrain (p = 0.002). THg concentrations varied in tissues (feather > liver > kidneys > lungs > heart > muscle > blood > brain). The Hgbrain:Hgfeather, Hgbrain:Hgmuscle, and Hgbrain:Hgblood ratios were 0.031, 0.503 and 0.516, respectively. The mean [MeHg:THg] ratio in feathers from aquatic birds varied between species from 14 to 74% with a mean of 38%. Scavenger birds that forage in the terrestrial Amazonian environments concentrate more THg than species that forage in the aquatic environment. None of the aquatic species showed THg concentration in internal organs that were above threshold for risk of Hg toxicity; additionally, they are not listed in the categories of threat by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela N Dias Dos Santos
- Laboratório de Biogeoquímica Ambiental Wolfgang C. Pfeiffer, Fundação Universidade Federal de Rondônia, Porto Velho, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Izidro F de Sousa-Filho
- Laboratório de Biogeoquímica Ambiental Wolfgang C. Pfeiffer, Fundação Universidade Federal de Rondônia, Porto Velho, Brazil
| | - José G Dórea
- Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade de Brasília, Brazil
| | - Wanderley R Bastos
- Laboratório de Biogeoquímica Ambiental Wolfgang C. Pfeiffer, Fundação Universidade Federal de Rondônia, Porto Velho, Brazil.
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Thébault J, Bustamante P, Massaro M, Taylor G, Quillfeldt P. Influence of Species-Specific Feeding Ecology on Mercury Concentrations in Seabirds Breeding on the Chatham Islands, New Zealand. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2021; 40:454-472. [PMID: 33201544 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a toxic metal that accumulates in organisms and biomagnifies along food webs; hence, long-lived predators such as seabirds are at risk as a result of high Hg bioaccumulation. Seabirds have been widely used to monitor the contamination of marine ecosystems. In the present study, we investigated Hg concentrations in blood, muscle, and feathers of 7 procellariform seabirds breeding on the Chatham Islands, New Zealand. Using bulk and compound-specific stable isotope ratios of carbon and nitrogen as a proxy of trophic position and distribution, we also tested whether Hg contamination is related to the species-specific feeding ecology. Mercury exposure varied widely within the seabird community. The highest contaminated species, the Magenta petrel, had approximately 29 times more Hg in its blood than the broad-billed prion, and approximately 35 times more Hg in its feathers than the grey-backed storm petrel. Variations of Hg concentrations in blood and feathers were significantly and positively linked to feeding habitats and trophic position, highlighting the occurrence of efficient Hg biomagnification processes along the food web. Species and feeding habitats were the 2 main drivers of Hg exposure within the seabird community. The Pterodroma species had high blood and feather Hg concentrations, which can be caused by their specific physiology and/or because of their foraging behavior during the interbreeding period (i.e., from the Tasman Sea to the Humboldt Current system). These 2 threatened species are at risk of suffering detrimental effects from Hg contamination and further studies are required to investigate potential negative impacts, especially on their reproduction capability. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:454-472. © 2020 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Thébault
- Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
| | - Melanie Massaro
- Institute for Land, Water and Society, School of Environmental Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Albury, Australia
| | - Graeme Taylor
- Department of Conservation, Biodiversity Group, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Petra Quillfeldt
- Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
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8
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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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Squadrone S, Brizio P, Favaro L, Todino G, Florio D, Da Rugna C, Abete MC. Humboldt penguins' feathers as bioindicators of metal exposure. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 650:1734-1739. [PMID: 30273732 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.09.326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Avian feathers have the potential to accumulate trace elements originating from contaminated food and polluted environments. In fact, in feathers, metals bind to keratin, a sulphur-containing protein for which several metals have a strong affinity. Here, the concentrations of 18 essential and non-essential elements were investigated in a Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) colony housed at the Acquario di Cattolica (Italy). This species is listed as vulnerable in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. According to the literature, there is usually a link between metal levels in the diet of birds and levels detected in their feathers. Thus, metals were also determined in the penguins' food (capelin, Mallotus villosus). We hypothesize that the controlled conditions in which birds are kept in captivity, and the homogeneous diet that they follow could allow a better understanding of metal bioaccumulation (such as mercury) or bio-dilution (such as arsenic) in the marine food chain, indicated by penguins' feathers. Moreover, comparisons with our previous investigations performed on an ex-situ African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) colony suggest that penguins living indoors have lower body burden of metals than those living outdoors. Indeed, environmental contaminants usually found in areas subjected to anthropogenic impact, where zoos and aquaria are often located, are not accumulated to levels of concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Squadrone
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria, e Valle d'Aosta, via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy.
| | - Paola Brizio
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria, e Valle d'Aosta, via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
| | - Livio Favaro
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - Gilda Todino
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - Daniela Florio
- Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Maria Cesarina Abete
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria, e Valle d'Aosta, via Bologna 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
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