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Witt CC, Gadek CR, Cartron JLE, Andersen MJ, Campbell ML, Castro-Farías M, Gyllenhaal EF, Johnson AB, Malaney JL, Montoya KN, Patterson A, Vinciguerra NT, Williamson JL, Cook JA, Dunnum JL. Extraordinary levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in vertebrate animals at a New Mexico desert oasis: Multiple pathways for wildlife and human exposure. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 249:118229. [PMID: 38325785 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118229] [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: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment pose persistent and complex threats to human and wildlife health. Around the world, PFAS point sources such as military bases expose thousands of populations of wildlife and game species, with potentially far-reaching implications for population and ecosystem health. But few studies shed light on the extent to which PFAS permeate food webs, particularly ecologically and taxonomically diverse communities of primary and secondary consumers. Here we conducted >2000 assays to measure tissue-concentrations of 17 PFAS in 23 species of mammals and migratory birds at Holloman Air Force Base (AFB), New Mexico, USA, where wastewater catchment lakes form biodiverse oases. PFAS concentrations were among the highest reported in animal tissues, and high levels have persisted for at least three decades. Twenty of 23 species sampled at Holloman AFB were heavily contaminated, representing middle trophic levels and wetland to desert microhabitats, implicating pathways for PFAS uptake: ingestion of surface water, sediments, and soil; foraging on aquatic invertebrates and plants; and preying upon birds or mammals. The hazardous long carbon-chain form, perfluorooctanosulfonic acid (PFOS), was most abundant, with liver concentrations averaging >10,000 ng/g wet weight (ww) in birds and mammals, respectively, and reaching as high 97,000 ng/g ww in a 1994 specimen. Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) averaged thousands of ng/g ww in the livers of aquatic birds and littoral-zone house mice, but one order of magnitude lower in the livers of upland desert rodent species. Piscivores and upland desert songbirds were relatively uncontaminated. At control sites, PFAS levels were strikingly lower on average and different in composition. In sum, legacy PFAS at this desert oasis have permeated local aquatic and terrestrial food webs across decades, severely contaminating populations of resident and migrant animals, and exposing people via game meat consumption and outdoor recreation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher C Witt
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA; Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.
| | - Chauncey R Gadek
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA; Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA; Environmental Stewardship, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA
| | - Jean-Luc E Cartron
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA; Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA; Daniel B. Stephens & Associates, Inc., 6020 Academy Road NE, Suite 100, Albuquerque, NM, 87109, USA
| | - Michael J Andersen
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA; Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Mariel L Campbell
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA; Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Marialejandra Castro-Farías
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA; Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Ethan F Gyllenhaal
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA; Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Andrew B Johnson
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA; Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Jason L Malaney
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA; New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Albuquerque, NM, 87104, USA
| | - Kyana N Montoya
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA; Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Andrew Patterson
- Eurofins Environment Testing America, West Sacramento, CA, 95605, USA
| | - Nicholas T Vinciguerra
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA; Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Jessie L Williamson
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA; Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Joseph A Cook
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA; Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Jonathan L Dunnum
- Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA; Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
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Dulsat-Masvidal M, Lourenço R, Mateo R, Lacorte S. Assessing Contamination Profiles in Livers from Road-Killed Owls. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2023. [PMID: 38146916 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Raptors are recognized as valuable sentinel species for monitoring environmental contaminants owing to their foraging behavior across terrestrial and aquatic food webs and their high trophic position. The present study monitored environmental contaminants in livers from road-killed owls to evaluate differences in the exposure patterns due to factors such as species, age, and sex of individuals. Carcasses of road-killed individuals of eagle owl (Bubo bubo), long-eared owl (Asio otus), little owl (Athene noctua), tawny owl (Strix aluco), and barn owl (Tyto alba) were collected in Alentejo (Portugal). Eighty-one organic contaminants were analyzed, including organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pharmaceuticals, in-use pesticides, and organophosphate esters (OPEs). Overall, 21 contaminants were detected. In all species ∑OCPs were prevalent at concentrations from 3.24 to 4480 ng/g wet weight, followed by perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), the only PFASs detected (from 2.88 to 848 ng/g wet wt) and ∑PCBs (1.98-2010 ng/g wet wt); ∑PAHs were ubiquitous but detected at the lowest concentrations (7.35-123 ng/g wet wt). Differences among species were observed according to principal component analysis. Eagle owl and long-eared owl presented the highest levels of ∑OCPs, ∑PCBs, and PFOS, consistent with its higher trophic position, while ∑PAHs prevailed in tawny owl, barn owl, and little owl, related to their frequent use of urban areas for nesting and roadsides for hunting. Adults presented higher concentrations of ∑OCPs and ∑PCBs than juveniles, while no differences were observed for PFOS and ∑PAHs. Pharmaceuticals, in-use pesticides, and OPEs were not detected. Overall, the present study shows specific contamination patterns in five species with similar diet but with differences in habitat preferences. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;00:1-12. © 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Dulsat-Masvidal
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rui Lourenço
- Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, Universidade de Évora (MED), Laboratory of Ornithology, and Global Change and Sustainability Institute (CHANGE), University of Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | - Rafael Mateo
- Institute for Game and Wildlife Research (IREC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Silvia Lacorte
- Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
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Gao J, Zhao J, Chen X, Wang J. A review on in silico prediction of the environmental risks posed by pharmaceutical emerging contaminants. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2023; 195:1535. [PMID: 38008816 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-12159-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
Computer-aided (in silico) prediction has shown good potential to support the environmental risk assessment (ERA) of pharmaceutical emerging contaminants (PECs), allowing low-cost, animal-free, high-throughput screening of multiple potential risks posed by a wide variety of pharmaceuticals in the environment based on insufficient toxicity data. This review provided recent insights regarding the application of in silico approaches in prediction for environmental risks of PECs. Based on the review of 20 included articles from 8 countries published since 2018, we found that the researchers' interest and concern in this research topic were sharply aroused since 2021. Recently, in silico approaches have been widely used for the prediction of bioaccumulation and biodegradability, lethal endpoints, developmental toxicity, mutagenicity, other eco-toxicological effects such as ototoxicity and hematological toxicity, and human health hazards of exposure to PECs. Particular attention has been given to the simultaneous discernment of multiple environmental risks and health effects of PECs based on mechanistic data of pharmaceuticals using advanced bioinformatic methods such as transcriptomic analysis and network pharmacology prediction. In silico software platforms and databases used in the included studies were diversified, and there is currently no standardized and accepted in silico model for ERA of PECs. Date suggested that in silico prediction of the environmental risks posed by PECs is still in its infancy. Considerable critical challenges need to be addressed, including consideration of environmental exposure concentration for PECs, interactions among mixtures of PECs and other contaminants coexisting in environments, and development of in silico models specific to ERA of PECs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Gao
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Innovation, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430065, China
| | - Jinru Zhao
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Innovation, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430065, China
| | - Xintong Chen
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Innovation, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430065, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Innovation, Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430065, China.
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Dürig W, Lindblad S, Golovko O, Gkotsis G, Aalizadeh R, Nika MC, Thomaidis N, Alygizakis NA, Plassmann M, Haglund P, Fu Q, Hollender J, Chaker J, David A, Kunkel U, Macherius A, Belova L, Poma G, Preud'Homme H, Munschy C, Aminot Y, Jaeger C, Lisec J, Hansen M, Vorkamp K, Zhu L, Cappelli F, Roscioli C, Valsecchi S, Bagnati R, González B, Prieto A, Zuloaga O, Gil-Solsona R, Gago-Ferrero P, Rodriguez-Mozaz S, Budzinski H, Devier MH, Dierkes G, Boulard L, Jacobs G, Voorspoels S, Rüdel H, Ahrens L. What is in the fish? Collaborative trial in suspect and non-target screening of organic micropollutants using LC- and GC-HRMS. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 181:108288. [PMID: 37918065 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108288] [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: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
A collaborative trial involving 16 participants from nine European countries was conducted within the NORMAN network in efforts to harmonise suspect and non-target screening of environmental contaminants in whole fish samples of bream (Abramis brama). Participants were provided with freeze-dried, homogenised fish samples from a contaminated and a reference site, extracts (spiked and non-spiked) and reference sample preparation protocols for liquid chromatography (LC) and gas chromatography (GC) coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Participants extracted fish samples using their in-house sample preparation method and/or the protocol provided. Participants correctly identified 9-69 % of spiked compounds using LC-HRMS and 20-60 % of spiked compounds using GC-HRMS. From the contaminated site, suspect screening with participants' own suspect lists led to putative identification of on average ∼145 and ∼20 unique features per participant using LC-HRMS and GC-HRMS, respectively, while non-target screening identified on average ∼42 and ∼56 unique features per participant using LC-HRMS and GC-HRMS, respectively. Within the same sub-group of sample preparation method, only a few features were identified by at least two participants in suspect screening (16 features using LC-HRMS, 0 features using GC-HRMS) and non-target screening (0 features using LC-HRMS, 2 features using GC-HRMS). The compounds identified had log octanol/water partition coefficient (KOW) values from -9.9 to 16 and mass-to-charge ratios (m/z) of 68 to 761 (LC-HRMS and GC-HRMS). A significant linear trend was found between log KOW and m/z for the GC-HRMS data. Overall, these findings indicate that differences in screening results are mainly due to the data analysis workflows used by different participants. Further work is needed to harmonise the results obtained when applying suspect and non-target screening approaches to environmental biota samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wiebke Dürig
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 7050, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Sofia Lindblad
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 7050, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Oksana Golovko
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 7050, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Georgios Gkotsis
- Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece.
| | - Reza Aalizadeh
- Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece.
| | - Maria-Christina Nika
- Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece.
| | - Nikolaos Thomaidis
- Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece.
| | - Nikiforos A Alygizakis
- Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15771 Athens, Greece; Environmental Institute, Okružná 784/42, 97241 Koš, Slovakia.
| | - Merle Plassmann
- Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Peter Haglund
- Department of Chemistry, Chemical Biological Centre (KBC), Umeå University, Linnaeus väg 6, 90187 Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Qiuguo Fu
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland; Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Juliane Hollender
- Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland; Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zürich, Universitätstrasse 16, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Jade Chaker
- Université de Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset - UMR_S, 1085 Rennes, France.
| | - Arthur David
- Université de Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset - UMR_S, 1085 Rennes, France.
| | - Uwe Kunkel
- Bavarian Environment Agency, Bürgermeister-Ulrich-Straße 160, 86179 Augsburg, Germany.
| | - André Macherius
- Bavarian Environment Agency, Bürgermeister-Ulrich-Straße 160, 86179 Augsburg, Germany.
| | - Lidia Belova
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - Giulia Poma
- Toxicological Centre, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | | | - Catherine Munschy
- Ifremer, CCEM Contamination Chimique des Écosystèmes Marins, 44000 Nantes, France.
| | - Yann Aminot
- Ifremer, CCEM Contamination Chimique des Écosystèmes Marins, 44000 Nantes, France.
| | - Carsten Jaeger
- Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Analytical Chemistry, Richard-Willstätter-Straße 11, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Jan Lisec
- Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM), Analytical Chemistry, Richard-Willstätter-Straße 11, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Martin Hansen
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Katrin Vorkamp
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Linyan Zhu
- Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Francesca Cappelli
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Via del Mulino 19, 20861 Brugherio MB, Italy.
| | - Claudio Roscioli
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Via del Mulino 19, 20861 Brugherio MB, Italy.
| | - Sara Valsecchi
- Water Research Institute, National Research Council of Italy, Via del Mulino 19, 20861 Brugherio MB, Italy.
| | - Renzo Bagnati
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Via Mario Negri 2, 20156 Milan, Italy.
| | - Belén González
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain; Research Centre for Experimental Marine Biology and Biotechnology (PIE), University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Areatza Pasealekua 47, 48620 Plentzia, Spain.
| | - Ailette Prieto
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain; Research Centre for Experimental Marine Biology and Biotechnology (PIE), University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Areatza Pasealekua 47, 48620 Plentzia, Spain.
| | - Olatz Zuloaga
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain; Research Centre for Experimental Marine Biology and Biotechnology (PIE), University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Areatza Pasealekua 47, 48620 Plentzia, Spain.
| | - Ruben Gil-Solsona
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain; Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research - Severo Ochoa Excellence Center (IDAEA), Spanish Council of Scientific Research (CSIC), Barcelona 08034, Spain.
| | - Pablo Gago-Ferrero
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research - Severo Ochoa Excellence Center (IDAEA), Spanish Council of Scientific Research (CSIC), Barcelona 08034, Spain.
| | - Sara Rodriguez-Mozaz
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Carrer Emili Grahit 101, 17003 Girona, Spain; Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain.
| | - Hélène Budzinski
- University Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, EPOC, UMR 5805, 33600 Pessac, France.
| | - Marie-Helene Devier
- University Bordeaux, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, EPOC, UMR 5805, 33600 Pessac, France.
| | - Georg Dierkes
- Federal Institute of Hydrology, Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068 Koblenz, Germany.
| | - Lise Boulard
- Federal Institute of Hydrology, Am Mainzer Tor 1, 56068 Koblenz, Germany; Metabolomics Core Facility, Centre de Ressources et Recherches Technologiques (C2RT), Institut Pasteur, 25-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France.
| | - Griet Jacobs
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Unit Separation and Conversion Technology, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium.
| | - Stefan Voorspoels
- Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Unit Separation and Conversion Technology, Boeretang 200, 2400 Mol, Belgium.
| | - Heinz Rüdel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (Fraunhofer IME), Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany.
| | - Lutz Ahrens
- Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Box 7050, 75007 Uppsala, Sweden.
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Movalli P, Biesmeijer K, Gkotsis G, Alygizakis N, Nika MC, Vasilatos K, Kostakis M, Thomaidis NS, Oswald P, Oswaldova M, Slobodnik J, Glowacka N, Hooijmeijer JCEW, Howison RA, Dekker RWRJ, van den Brink N, Piersma T. High resolution mass spectrometric suspect screening, wide-scope target analysis of emerging contaminants and determination of legacy pollutants in adult black-tailed godwit Limosa limosa limosa in the Netherlands - A pilot study. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 321:138145. [PMID: 36791819 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138145] [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: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The Dutch breeding population of the black-tailed godwit Limosa limosa limosa has declined substantially over recent decades; the role of contaminants is unknown. We analysed liver samples from 11 adult birds found dead on their breeding grounds in SW Friesland 2016-2020, six from extensive, herb-rich grasslands, five from intensive grasslands. We carried out LC and GC wide-scope target analysis of more than 2400 substances, LC suspect screening for more than 60,000 substances, target analysis for Cd, Hg, Ni and Pb, organo-phosphate flame retardants (OPFRs), dechlorane plus compounds and selected polybrominated diphenyl ether flame retardants (PBDEs), and bioassay for polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PBDDs/PDBFs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs). Residues of 29 emerging contaminants (ECs) were determined through wide-scope target analysis. Another 20 were tentatively identified through suspect screening. These contaminants include industrial chemicals (personal care products, surfactants, PAHs and others), plant protection products (PPPs) and pharmaceuticals and their transformation products. Total contaminant load detected by wide-scope target analysis ranged from c. 155 to c. 1400 ng g-1 and was generally lower in birds from extensive grasslands. Heatmaps suggest that birds from intensive grasslands have a greater mix and higher residue concentrations of PPPs, while birds from extensive grasslands have a greater mix and higher residue concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). All four metals and two OPFRs were detected. All tested PBDEs were below the respective LODs. Bioassay revealed presence of PBDDs, PBDFs and dl-PCBs. Further research is required to elucidate potential health risks to godwits and contaminant sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Movalli
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA, Leiden, the Netherlands.
| | - K Biesmeijer
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | - G Gkotsis
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | - N Alygizakis
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece; Environmental Institute, Okružná 784/42, 97241, Koš, Slovak Republic
| | - M C Nika
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | - K Vasilatos
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | - M Kostakis
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | - N S Thomaidis
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | - P Oswald
- Environmental Institute, Okružná 784/42, 97241, Koš, Slovak Republic
| | - M Oswaldova
- Environmental Institute, Okružná 784/42, 97241, Koš, Slovak Republic
| | - J Slobodnik
- Environmental Institute, Okružná 784/42, 97241, Koš, Slovak Republic
| | - N Glowacka
- Environmental Institute, Okružná 784/42, 97241, Koš, Slovak Republic
| | - J C E W Hooijmeijer
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Science (GELIFES), University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - R A Howison
- Knowledge Infrastructures Department, Campus Fryslân, University of Groningen, Wirdumerdijk 34, 8911 CE Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
| | - R W R J Dekker
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - N van den Brink
- Wageningen University, Division of Toxicology, Box 8000, NL6700 EA, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - T Piersma
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Science (GELIFES), University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, the Netherlands; NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Department of Coastal Systems, PO Box 59, 1790 AB Den Burg, Texel, the Netherlands
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6
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Ratajc U, Lourenço R, Espín S, Virosta PS, Birrer S, Studler D, Wernham C, Vrezec A. The importance of population contextual data for large-scale biomonitoring using an apex predator: The Tawny Owl (Strix aluco). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 860:160530. [PMID: 36574555 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160530] [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: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Top predators are often used as sentinel species in contaminant monitoring due to their exposure and vulnerability to persistent, bioaccumulative and, in some cases, biomagnificable contaminants. Some of their ecological traits can vary in space and time, and are known to influence the contamination levels and therefore information on ecological traits should be used as contextual data for correct interpretation of large-scale contaminant spatial patterns. These traits can explain spatiotemporal variation in contaminant exposure (traits such as diet and dispersal distances) or contaminant impacts (traits such as population trend and clutch size). The aim of our research was to review the spatial variation in selected contextual parameters in the Tawny Owl (Strix aluco), a species identified by the COST Action European Raptor Biomonitoring Facility as one of the most suitable candidates for pan-European biomonitoring. A considerable variation in availability of published and unpublished contextual data across Europe was found, with diet being the most extensively studied trait. We demonstrate that the Tawny Owl is a suitable biomonitor at local scale but also that taking spatial variation of other contextual data (e.g. diet) into account is necessary. We found spatial gaps in knowledge about the species ecology and biology in Southern Europe, along with gaps in certain population parameters (e.g. population trends) in several countries. Based on our findings, we proposed a minimal recommended scheme for monitoring of population contextual data as one of the first steps towards a pan-European monitoring scheme using the Tawny Owl.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urška Ratajc
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| | - Rui Lourenço
- MED Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development & CHANGE Global Change and Sustainability Institute LabOr Laboratory of Ornithology, IIFA, University of Évora, Pólo da Mitra, 7006-554 Évora, Portugal
| | - Silvia Espín
- Area of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, Campus Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Pablo Sánchez Virosta
- Area of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Murcia, Campus Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
| | - Simon Birrer
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, CH-6204 Sempach, Switzerland
| | | | - Chris Wernham
- British Trust for Ornithology (Scotland), Unit 15 Beta Centre, Stirling University Innovation Park, Stirling FK9 4NF, Scotland, UK
| | - Al Vrezec
- Department of Organisms and Ecosystems Research, National Institute of Biology, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Slovenian Museum of Natural History, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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7
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Arvaniti OS, Arvaniti ES, Gyparakis S, Sabathianakis I, Karagiannis E, Pettas E, Gkotsis G, Nika MC, Thomaidis NS, Manios T, Fountoulakis MS, Stasinakis AS. Occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the wastewater of a Greek hospital: Combining consumption data collection and LC-QTOF-MS analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 858:160153. [PMID: 36379345 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In this article we applied drug consumption approach and chemical analysis in parallel to investigate the concentrations of a large number of pharmaceuticals in different streams of a General Hospital. Drugs consumption data was collected during two periods (Period 1, 2) and the predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) were estimated for the wastewater of a building housing specific medical services (Point A) and for the entire hospital (Point B). Hospital wastewater samples (HWW) samples were also collected from these points and periods and the measured environmental concentrations (MEC) were determined using UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS. According to consumption data, the highest number of drugs was consumed in the departments of Hematology, Intensive Care Unit, Cardiology, Internal Medicine, and Oncology, while the number of active substances used in the hospital was 413 (Period 1) and 362 (Period 2). For most substances, much higher PEC and MEC values were found at the HWW of Point A indicating that on-site treatment of this stream could be examined in the future. The application of wide-scope target analysis allowed the quantification of 122 compounds, while 21 additional substances were identified using suspect screening. The highest mean concentrations in Period 1 were found for acetaminophen (1100 μg/L) and rifaximin (723 μg/L), while in Period 2 for iopromide (458 μg/L) and acyclovir (408 μg/L). Among the detected compounds, 19 metabolites were determined. Atenolol acid, 1-hydroxy-midazolam and clopidogrel carboxylic acid were quantified at concentrations much higher than parent compounds indicating the importance of metabolites' monitoring in HWW. Calculation of PEC/MEC ratio for 36 pharmaceuticals showed sufficient correlation of these values for 19 % to 33 % of the substances depending on the examined period and sampling point. The parallel collection of drugs consumption data and chemical analysis give a thorough picture of the substances present in HWW and their main sources, facilitating decision-making for their better management.
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Affiliation(s)
- O S Arvaniti
- Water and Air Quality Laboratory, Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, University Hill, Mytilene 81100, Greece; Department of Agricultural Development, Agrofood and Management of Natural Resources, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Psachna 34400, Greece.
| | - E S Arvaniti
- Water and Air Quality Laboratory, Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, University Hill, Mytilene 81100, Greece
| | - S Gyparakis
- Department of Agriculture, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Estavromenos, Heraklion 71410, Crete, Greece
| | - I Sabathianakis
- Department of Agriculture, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Estavromenos, Heraklion 71410, Crete, Greece
| | - E Karagiannis
- Medical Waste SA, Heraklion Industrial Area, Heraklion 71601, Greece
| | - E Pettas
- Medical Waste SA, Heraklion Industrial Area, Heraklion 71601, Greece
| | - G Gkotsis
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 15771, Greece
| | - M C Nika
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 15771, Greece
| | - N S Thomaidis
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 15771, Greece
| | - T Manios
- Department of Agriculture, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Estavromenos, Heraklion 71410, Crete, Greece
| | - M S Fountoulakis
- Water and Air Quality Laboratory, Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, University Hill, Mytilene 81100, Greece
| | - A S Stasinakis
- Water and Air Quality Laboratory, Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, University Hill, Mytilene 81100, Greece.
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8
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Herzke D, Nikiforov V, Yeung LWY, Moe B, Routti H, Nygård T, Gabrielsen GW, Hanssen L. Targeted PFAS analyses and extractable organofluorine - Enhancing our understanding of the presence of unknown PFAS in Norwegian wildlife. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 171:107640. [PMID: 36525896 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107640] [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: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
With the current possible presence of thousands of PFAS compounds in industrial emissions, there is an increasing need to assess the impacts of PFAS regulation of conventional PFAS on one hand and the exposure to emerging and yet unknown PFAS on the other. Today's analytical methodologies using targeted approaches are not sufficient to determine the complete suite of PFAS present. To evaluate the presence of unknown PFAS, we investigated in this study the occurrence of an extended range of target PFAS in various species from the marine and terrestrial Norwegian environment, in relation to the extractable organofluorine (EOF), which yields the total amount of organofluorine. The results showed a varying presence of extractable fluorinated organics, with glaucous gull eggs, otter liver and polar bear plasma showing the highest EOF and a high abundance of PFAS as well. The targeted PFAS measurements explained 1% of the organofluorine for moose liver as the lowest and 94% for otter liver as the highest. PFCAs like trifluoroacetic acid (TFA, reported semi-quantitatively), played a major role in explaining the organic fluorine present. Emerging PFAS as the perfluoroethylcyclohexane sulfonate (PFECHS), was found in polar bear plasma in quantifiable amounts for the first time, confirming earlier detection in arctic species far removed from emission sources. To enable a complete organic fluorine mass balance in wildlife, new approaches are needed, to uncover the presence of new emerging PFAS as cyclic- or ether PFAS together with chlorinated PFAS as well as fluorinated organic pesticides and pharmaceuticals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorte Herzke
- NILU - Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway.
| | - Vladimir Nikiforov
- NILU - Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Leo W Y Yeung
- Man-Technology-Environment (MTM) Research Centre, School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, SE-701 82, Sweden
| | - Børge Moe
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Heli Routti
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Torgeir Nygård
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Linda Hanssen
- NILU - Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
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9
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Gkotsis G, Nika MC, Athanasopoulou AI, Vasilatos K, Alygizakis N, Boschert M, Osterauer R, Höpker KA, Thomaidis NS. Advanced throughput analytical strategies for the comprehensive HRMS screening of organic micropollutants in eggs of different bird species. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 312:137092. [PMID: 36332731 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Raptors are ideal indicators for biomonitoring studies using wildlife in order to assess the environmental pollution in the terrestrial ecosystem, since they are placed in the highest trophic position in the food webs and their life expectancy is relatively long. In this study, 26 eggs of 4 bird species (Peregrine falcon, Eurasian curlew, Little owl and Eagle owl) collected in Germany, were investigated for the presence of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and thousands of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). Generic sample preparation protocols were followed for the extraction of the analytes and the purification of the extracts, and the samples were analyzed both by liquid (LC) and gas chromatography (GC) coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), for capturing a wide range of organic micropollutants with different physicochemical properties. State-of-the-art screening methodologies were applied in the acquired HRMS data, including wide-scope target analysis of 2448 known pollutants and suspect screening of over 65,000 environmentally relevant compounds. Overall, 58 pollutants from different chemical classes, such as plant protection products, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and medicinal products, as well as their transformation products, were determined through target analysis. Most of the detected compounds were lipophilic (logP>2), although the presence of (semi)polar contaminants should not be overlooked, underlying the need for holistic analytical approaches in environmental monitoring studies. p,p'-DDE, PCB 153 and PCB138, PFOS and methylparaben were the most frequently detected compounds. 50 additional substances were identified and semi-quantified through suspect screening workflows, including mainly compounds of industrial use with high production volume.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Gkotsis
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zographou, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | - Maria-Christina Nika
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zographou, 15771, Athens, Greece.
| | - Antonia I Athanasopoulou
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zographou, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Vasilatos
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zographou, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikiforos Alygizakis
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zographou, 15771, Athens, Greece; Environmental Institute s.r.o., Okruzna 784/42, 97241, Kos, Slovak Republic
| | | | - Raphaela Osterauer
- State Institute for Environment Baden-Wuerttemberg (LUBW), Griesbachstr. 1, 76185 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Kai-Achim Höpker
- State Institute for Environment Baden-Wuerttemberg (LUBW), Griesbachstr. 1, 76185 Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Nikolaos S Thomaidis
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zographou, 15771, Athens, Greece.
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10
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Fliedner A, Rüdel H, Göckener B, Krehenwinkel H, Paulus M, Koschorreck J. Environmental specimen banks and the European Green Deal. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 852:158430. [PMID: 36055484 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158430] [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: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The study highlights the potential of Environmental Specimen Banks (ESBs) for implementing the Zero Pollution Ambition and the Biodiversity Strategy of the European Green Deal. By drawing on recent monitoring studies of European ESBs, we illustrate the role ESBs already play in assessing the state of ecosystems in Europe and how they help to make developments over time visible. The studies reveal the ubiquitous presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, halogenated flame retardants, chlorinated paraffins, plasticizers, cyclic volatile methyl siloxanes, UV-filters, pharmaceuticals, and microplastics in the European environment. Temporal trends demonstrate the effectiveness of European regulations on perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, pentabrominated diphenylethers and diethylhexyl phthalate, but also point to the rise of substitutes such as non-phthalate plasticizers and short-chain perfluoroalkyl substances. Other studies are wake-up calls indicating the emergence of currently unregulated compounds such as long-chain chlorinated paraffins. Ecological studies show temporal trends in biometric parameters and stable isotope signatures that suggest long-term changes in environmental conditions. Studies on biodiversity of ecosystems using environmental DNA are still in their beginnings, but here too there is evidence of shifts in community composition that can be linked to changing environmental conditions. This review demonstrates the value of ESBs (a) for describing the status of the environment, (b) for monitoring temporal changes in environmental pollution and the ecologic condition of ecosystems and thereby (c) for supporting regulators in prioritizing their actions towards the objectives of the Green Deal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette Fliedner
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (Fraunhofer IME), 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany.
| | - Heinz Rüdel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (Fraunhofer IME), 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Bernd Göckener
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (Fraunhofer IME), 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany
| | | | | | - Jan Koschorreck
- German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), 06813 Dessau-Rosslau, Germany
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11
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Badry A, Rüdel H, Göckener B, Nika MC, Alygizakis N, Gkotsis G, Thomaidis NS, Treu G, Dekker RWRJ, Movalli P, Walker LA, Potter ED, Cincinelli A, Martellini T, Duke G, Slobodnik J, Koschorreck J. Making use of apex predator sample collections: an integrated workflow for quality assured sample processing, analysis and digital sample freezing of archived samples. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 309:136603. [PMID: 36174727 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136603] [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: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Using monitoring data from apex predators for chemicals risk assessment can provide important information on bioaccumulating as well as biomagnifying chemicals in food webs. A survey among European institutions involved in chemical risk assessment on their experiences with apex predator data in chemical risk assessment revealed great interest in using such data. However, the respondents indicated that constraints were related to expected high costs, lack of standardisation and harmonised quality criteria for exposure assessment, data access, and regulatory acceptance/application. During the Life APEX project, we demonstrated that European sample collections (i.e. environmental specimen banks (ESBs), research collection (RCs), natural history museums (NHMs)) archive a large variety of biological samples that can be readily used for chemical analysis once appropriate quality assurance/control (QA/QC) measures have been developed and implemented. We therefore issued a second survey on sampling, processing and archiving procedures in European sample collections to derive key quality QA/QC criteria for chemical analysis. The survey revealed great differences in QA/QC measures between ESBs, NHMs and RCs. Whereas basic information such as sampling location, date and biometric data were mostly available across institutions, protocols to accompany the sampling strategy with respect to chemical analysis were only available for ESBs. For RCs, the applied QA/QC measures vary with the respective research question, whereas NHMs are generally less aware of e.g. chemical cross-contamination issues. Based on the survey we derived key indicators for assessing the quality of biota samples that can be easily implemented in online databases. Furthermore, we provide a QA/QC workflow not only for sampling and processing but also for the chemical analysis of biota samples. We focussed on comprehensive analytical techniques such as non-target screening and provided insights into subsequent storage of high-resolution chromatograms in online databases (i.e. digital sample freezing platform) to ultimately support chemicals risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Badry
- German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), 06813, Dessau-Roßlau, Germany.
| | - Heinz Rüdel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (Fraunhofer IME), 57392, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Bernd Göckener
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (Fraunhofer IME), 57392, Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Maria-Christina Nika
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikiforos Alygizakis
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece; Environmental Institute, Okružná 784/42, 97241, Koš, Slovak Republic
| | - Georgios Gkotsis
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos S Thomaidis
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771, Athens, Greece
| | - Gabriele Treu
- German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), 06813, Dessau-Roßlau, Germany
| | - Rene W R J Dekker
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333, CR, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Paola Movalli
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333, CR, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Lee A Walker
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, LA1 4PQ, United Kingdom
| | - Elaine D Potter
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, LA1 4PQ, United Kingdom
| | - Alessandra Cincinelli
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Tania Martellini
- Department of Chemistry "Ugo Schiff", University of Florence, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Guy Duke
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, MacLean Bldg, Benson Ln, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, OX10 8BB, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jan Koschorreck
- German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), 06813, Dessau-Roßlau, Germany
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12
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Gkotsis G, Nika MC, Nikolopoulou V, Alygizakis N, Bizani E, Aalizadeh R, Badry A, Chadwick E, Cincinelli A, Claßen D, Danielsson S, Dekker R, Duke G, Drost W, Glowacka N, Göckener B, Jansman HAH, Juergens M, Knopf B, Koschorreck J, Krone O, Martellini T, Movalli P, Persson S, Potter ED, Rohner S, Roos A, O' Rourke E, Siebert U, Treu G, van den Brink NW, Walker LA, Williams R, Slobodnik J, Thomaidis NS. Assessment of contaminants of emerging concern in European apex predators and their prey by LC-QToF MS wide-scope target analysis. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 170:107623. [PMID: 36379200 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107623] [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: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Apex predators are good indicators of environmental pollution since they are relatively long-lived and their high trophic position and spatiotemporal exposure to chemicals provides insights into the persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) properties of chemicals. Although monitoring data from apex predators can considerably support chemicals' management, there is a lack of pan-European studies, and longer-term monitoring of chemicals in organisms from higher trophic levels. The present study investigated the occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in 67 freshwater, marine and terrestrial apex predators and in freshwater and marine prey, gathered from four European countries. Generic sample preparation protocols for the extraction of CECs with a broad range of physicochemical properties and the purification of the extracts were used. The analysis was performed utilizing liquid (LC) chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), while the acquired chromatograms were screened for the presence of more than 2,200 CECs through wide-scope target analysis. In total, 145 CECs were determined in the apex predator and their prey samples belonging in different categories, such as pharmaceuticals, plant protection products, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, their metabolites and transformation products. Higher concentration levels were measured in predators compared to prey, suggesting that biomagnification of chemicals through the food chain occurs. The compounds were prioritized for further regulatory risk assessment based on their frequency of detection and their concentration levels. The majority of the prioritized CECs were lipophilic, although the presence of more polar contaminants should not be neglected. This indicates that holistic analytical approaches are required to fully characterize the chemical universe of biota samples. Therefore, the present survey is an attempt to systematically investigate the presence of thousands of chemicals at a European level, aiming to use these data for better chemicals management and contribute to EU Zero Pollution Ambition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Gkotsis
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Maria-Christina Nika
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece.
| | - Varvara Nikolopoulou
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Nikiforos Alygizakis
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece; Environmental Institute, s.r.o., Okružná 784/42, 972 41 Koš, Slovak Republic
| | - Erasmia Bizani
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Reza Aalizadeh
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece
| | - Alexander Badry
- German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), Wörlitzer Pl. 1, 06844 Dessau-Roßlau, Germany
| | - Elizabeth Chadwick
- Cardiff University, Biomedical Science Building, Museum Avenue, Postal Code: CF10 3AX Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Alessandra Cincinelli
- University of Florence, Department of Chemistry, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), Italy
| | - Daniela Claßen
- German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), Wörlitzer Pl. 1, 06844 Dessau-Roßlau, Germany
| | - Sara Danielsson
- Swedish Museum of Natural History, Frescativägen 40, 114 18 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - René Dekker
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Guy Duke
- Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, University of Oxford, 3 S Parks Rd, OX1 3QY Oxford, United Kingdom; UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, United Kingdom
| | - Wiebke Drost
- German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), Wörlitzer Pl. 1, 06844 Dessau-Roßlau, Germany
| | - Natalia Glowacka
- Environmental Institute, s.r.o., Okružná 784/42, 972 41 Koš, Slovak Republic
| | - Bernd Göckener
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Hugh A H Jansman
- Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen Environmental Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3-3 A, 6708 PB Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Monika Juergens
- Center for Ecology and Hydrology, Library Ave, Bailrigg, LA1 4AP Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Burkhard Knopf
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Auf dem Aberg 1, 57392 Schmallenberg, Germany
| | - Jan Koschorreck
- German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), Wörlitzer Pl. 1, 06844 Dessau-Roßlau, Germany
| | - Oliver Krone
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Department of Wildlife Diseases, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, 10315 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tania Martellini
- University of Florence, Department of Chemistry, Via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (Firenze), Italy
| | - Paola Movalli
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Sara Persson
- Swedish Museum of Natural History, Frescativägen 40, 114 18 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elaine D Potter
- Center for Ecology and Hydrology, Library Ave, Bailrigg, LA1 4AP Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Rohner
- University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bünteweg 9, 30559 Hannover, Germany
| | - Anna Roos
- Swedish Museum of Natural History, Frescativägen 40, 114 18 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emily O' Rourke
- Cardiff University, Biomedical Science Building, Museum Avenue, Postal Code: CF10 3AX Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Ursula Siebert
- University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bünteweg 9, 30559 Hannover, Germany
| | - Gabriele Treu
- German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), Wörlitzer Pl. 1, 06844 Dessau-Roßlau, Germany
| | - Nico W van den Brink
- Wageningen University & Research, Division of Toxicology, Stippeneng 4, 6700EA Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Lee A Walker
- Center for Ecology and Hydrology, Library Ave, Bailrigg, LA1 4AP Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Rosie Williams
- Zoological Society of London, Institute of Zoology, Regent's Park, NW1 4RY London, United Kingdom
| | - Jaroslav Slobodnik
- Environmental Institute, s.r.o., Okružná 784/42, 972 41 Koš, Slovak Republic
| | - Nikolaos S Thomaidis
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis Zografou, 15771 Athens, Greece.
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Badry A, Schenke D, Brücher H, Chakarov N, Grünkorn T, Illner H, Krüger O, Marczak T, Müskens G, Nachtigall W, Zollinger R, Treu G, Krone O. Spatial variation of rodenticides and emerging contaminants in blood of raptor nestlings from Germany. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:60908-60921. [PMID: 35435551 PMCID: PMC9427910 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-20089-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Wildlife exposures to pest controlling substances have resulted in population declines of many predatory species during the past decades. Many pesticides were subsequently classified as persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) and banned on national or global scales. However, despite their risks for non-target vertebrate wildlife, PBT substances such as anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are still permitted for use in Europe and have shown to threaten raptors. Whereas risks of ARs are known, much less information is available on emerging agrochemicals such as currently used PPPs and medicinal products (MPs) in higher trophic level species. We expect that currently used PPPs are relatively mobile (vs. lipophilic) as a consequence of the PBT criteria and thus more likely to be present in aqueous matrices. We therefore analyzed blood of 204 raptor nestlings of three terrestrial (red kite, common buzzard, Montagu's harrier) and two aquatic species (white-tailed sea eagle, osprey) from Germany. In total, we detected ARs in 22.6% of the red kites and 8.6% of the buzzards, whereas no Montagu's harriers or aquatic species were exposed prior to sampling. ΣAR concentration tended to be higher in North Rhine-Westphalia (vs. North-Eastern Germany) where population density is higher and intense livestock farming more frequent. Among the 90 targeted and currently used PPPs, we detected six substances from which bromoxynil (14.2%) was most frequent. Especially Montagu's harrier (31%) and red kites (22.6%) were exposed and concentrations were higher in North Rhine-Westphalia as well. Among seven MPs, we detected ciprofloxacin (3.4%), which indicates that risk mitigation measures may be needed as resistance genes were already detected in wildlife from Germany. Taken together, our study demonstrates that raptors are exposed to various chemicals during an early life stage depending on their sampling location and underpins that red kites are at particular risk for multiple pesticide exposures in Germany.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Badry
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Detlef Schenke
- Institute for Ecological Chemistry, Plant Analysis and Stored Product Protection, Julius Kühn-Institut, Königin-Luise-Straße 19, 14195, Berlin, Germany
| | - Helmut Brücher
- Wiesenweihenschutz Brandenburg, Hauptstraße 11, 14913, Rohrbeck, Germany
| | - Nayden Chakarov
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | | | - Hubertus Illner
- Arbeitsgemeinschaft Biologischer Umweltschutz/Biologische Station Soest, Teichstraße 19, 59505, Bad Sassendorf, Germany
| | - Oliver Krüger
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Morgenbreede 45, 33615, Bielefeld, Germany
| | | | - Gerard Müskens
- Müskens Fauna, van Nispenstraat 4, 6561 BG, Groesbeek, The Netherlands
| | | | - Ronald Zollinger
- Natuurplaza, P.O. Box 1413, NL-6501, BK, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Gabriele Treu
- Department Chemicals, Umweltbundesamt, Wörlitzer Platz 1, 06844, Dessau-Roßlau, Germany
| | - Oliver Krone
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany
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