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King MD, Elliott JE, Williams TD. Effects of petroleum exposure on birds: A review. Sci Total Environ 2021; 755:142834. [PMID: 33109373 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Birds are vulnerable to petroleum pollution, and exposure has a range of negative effects resulting from plumage fouling, systemic toxicity, and embryotoxicity. Recent research has not been synthesized since Leighton's 1993 review despite the continued discharge of conventional petroleum, including high-volume oil spills and chronic oil pollution, as well as the emergence of understudied unconventional crude oil types. To address this, we reviewed the individual-level effects of crude oil and refined fuel exposure in avifauna with peer-reviewed articles published 1993-2020 to provide a critical synthesis of the state of the science. We also sought to answer how unconventional crude petroleum effects compare with conventional crude oil. Relevant knowledge gaps and research challenges were identified. The resulting review examines avian exposure to petroleum and synthesizes advances regarding the physical effects of oil hydrocarbons on feather structure and function, as well the toxic effects of inhaled or ingested oil, embryotoxicity, and how exposure affects broader scale endpoints related to behavior, reproduction, and survival. Another outcome of the review was the knowledge gaps and challenges identified. The first finding was a paucity of oil ingestion rate estimates in birds. Characterizing environmentally realistic exposure and ingestion rates is a higher research priority than additional conventional oral dosing experiments. Second, there is an absence of toxicity data for unconventional crude petroleum. Although the effects of air and water contamination in the Canadian oil sands region have received attention, toxicity data for direct exposure to unrefined bitumen produced there in high volumes and other such unconventional oil types are needed. Third, we encountered barriers to the interpretation, replication, broad relevance, and comparability of studies. We therefore propose best practices and promising technological advancements for researchers. This review consolidates our understanding of petroleum's effects on birds and points a way forward for researchers and resource managers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mason D King
- Simon Fraser University, Department of Biological Sciences, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
| | - John E Elliott
- Simon Fraser University, Department of Biological Sciences, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada; Environment and Climate Change Canada, Science and Technology Division, 5421 Robertson Road, Delta, BC V4K 3N2, Canada.
| | - Tony D Williams
- Simon Fraser University, Department of Biological Sciences, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
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Oro D, Álvarez D, Velando A. Complex demographic heterogeneity from anthropogenic impacts in a coastal marine predator. Ecol Appl 2018; 28:612-621. [PMID: 29297945 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Revised: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Environmental drivers, including anthropogenic impacts, affect vital rates of organisms. Nevertheless, the influence of these drivers may depend on the physical features of the habitat and how they affect life history strategies depending on individual covariates such as age and sex. Here, the long-term monitoring (1994-2014) of marked European Shags in eight colonies in two regions with different ecological features, such as foraging habitat, allowed us to test several biological hypotheses about how survival changes by age and sex in each region by means of multi-event capture-recapture modeling. Impacts included fishing practices and bycatch, invasive introduced carnivores and the severe Prestige oil spill. Adult survival was constant but, unexpectedly, it was different between sexes. This difference was opposite in each region. The impact of the oil spill on survival was important only for adults (especially for females) in one region and lasted a single year. Juvenile survival was time dependent but this variability was not synchronized between regions, suggesting a strong signal of regional environmental variability. Mortality due to bycatch was also different between sex, age and region. Interestingly the results showed that the size of the fishing fleet is not necessarily a good proxy for assessing the impact of bycatch mortality, which may be more dependent on the fishing grounds and the fishing gears employed in each season of the year. Anthropogenic impacts affected survival differently by age and sex, which was expected for a long-lived organism with sexual size dimorphism. Strikingly, these differences varied depending on the region, indicating that habitat heterogeneity is demographically important to how environmental variability (including anthropogenic impacts) and resilience influence population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Oro
- Population Ecology Group, IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB), Esporles, Spain
- Theoretical Ecology Lab, CEAB (CSIC), Blanes, Spain
| | | | - Alberto Velando
- Departamento de Ecología y Biología Animal, Universidad de Vigo, Vigo, Spain
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3
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Santos CSA, Blondel L, Sotillo A, Müller W, Stienen EWM, Boeckx P, Soares AMVM, Monteiro MS, Loureiro S, de Neve L, Lens L. Offspring Hg exposure relates to parental feeding strategies in a generalist bird with strong individual foraging specialization. Sci Total Environ 2017; 601-602:1315-1323. [PMID: 28605850 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.05.286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Generalist species can potentially exploit a wide variety of resources, but at the individual level they often show a certain degree of foraging specialization. Specific foraging strategies, however, may increase exposure to environmental contaminants that can alter the cost-benefit balance of consuming particular food items. The Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) is known to opportunistically feed on a wide range of marine and terrestrial prey that differ in contaminant load, such as mercury (Hg) that strongly biomagnifies through the aquatic food web. The hypothesis tested in this study were: i) a predominant use of marine prey by females during egg-formation and by both parents during chick rearing increases the exposure to Hg during embryonic development and chick growth, and ii) this affects parental investment in clutch volume, chick growth and body condition. Total Hg burden and isotopic signatures of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) were determined for eggs, down feathers, and primary feathers of L. fuscus chicks collected at a coastal colony in Belgium. As expected, eggs and feathers of chicks from parents with a stable isotope signature that suggested a predominantly marine diet had higher levels of Hg. The use of marine resources by females during the egg-formation period positively correlated to maternal investment in egg size, though entailing the cost of increased Hg-concentrations which in turn negatively affected clutch volume. Furthermore, it is shown that the use of chick down feathers is a suitable matrix to non-lethally estimate Hg concentrations in eggs. Contrary to our expectations, no relationship between Hg exposure and chick growth or chick body condition was found, which may be due the low concentrations found. We conclude that currently Hg contamination does not constitute a risk for development and condition of L. fuscus offspring at the levels currently observed at the Belgian coast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cátia S A Santos
- Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal..
| | - Léa Blondel
- Redpath Museum, Biology Department, McGill University, 859 Sherbrooke, Montréal, QC H3A 0C4, Canada
| | - Alejandro Sotillo
- Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Wendt Müller
- Department of Biology - Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Eric W M Stienen
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Kliniekstraat 25, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Pascal Boeckx
- Isotope Bioscience Laboratory (ISOFYS), Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Amadeu M V M Soares
- Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Marta S Monteiro
- Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Susana Loureiro
- Department of Biology & CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Liesbeth de Neve
- Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Luc Lens
- Department of Biology, Terrestrial Ecology Unit, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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Willie M, Esler D, Boyd WS, Molloy P, Ydenberg RC. Spatial variation in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure in Barrow's goldeneye (Bucephala islandica) in coastal British Columbia. Mar Pollut Bull 2017; 118:167-179. [PMID: 28238486 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2016] [Revised: 01/29/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Barrow's goldeneyes are sea ducks that winter throughout coastal British Columbia (BC). Their diet consists primarily of intertidal blue mussels, which can accumulate PAHs; accordingly, goldeneyes may be susceptible to exposure through contaminated prey. In 2014/15, we examined total PAH concentrations in mussels from undeveloped and developed coastal areas of BC. At those same sites, we used EROD to measure hepatic CYP1A induction in goldeneyes. We found higher mussel PAH concentrations at developed coastal sites. Regionally, goldeneyes from southern BC, which has relatively higher coastal development, had higher EROD activity compared to birds from northern BC. Our results suggest goldeneyes wintering in coastal BC were exposed to PAHs through diet, with higher exposure among birds wintering in coastal areas with greater anthropogenic influence. These results suggest the mussel-goldeneye system is suitable as a natural, multi-trophic-level indicator of contemporary hydrocarbon contamination occurrence and exposure useful for establishing oil spill recovery endpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Willie
- Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
| | - Daniel Esler
- US Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA.
| | - W Sean Boyd
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 5421 Robertson Road, Delta, BC V4K 3N2, Canada.
| | - Philip Molloy
- Stantec Consulting Ltd., 2042 Mills Rd W, Sidney, BC V8L 5X4, Canada.
| | - Ronald C Ydenberg
- Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
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Esler D, Ballachey BE, Bowen L, Miles AK, Dickson RD, Henderson JD. Cessation of oil exposure in harlequin ducks after the Exxon Valdez oil spill: Cytochrome P4501A biomarker evidence. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017; 36:1294-1300. [PMID: 27764895 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2016] [Revised: 07/18/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The authors quantified hepatic hydrocarbon-inducible cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) expression, as ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity, in wintering harlequin ducks (Histrionicus histrionicus) captured in Prince William Sound, Alaska (USA), during 2011, 2013, and 2014 (22-25 yr following the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill). Average EROD activity was compared between birds from areas oiled by the spill and those from nearby unoiled areas. The present study replicated studies conducted from 1998 to 2009 demonstrating that harlequin ducks using areas oiled in 1989 had elevated EROD activity, indicative of oil exposure, up to 2 decades post spill. In the present study, it was found that average EROD activity during March 2011 was significantly higher in wintering harlequin ducks captured in oiled areas relative to unoiled areas, which the authors interpret to indicate that harlequin ducks continued to be exposed to residual Exxon Valdez oil up to 22 yr after the original spill. However, the 2011 results also indicated reductions in exposure relative to previous years. Average EROD activity in birds from oiled areas was approximately 2 times that in birds from unoiled areas in 2011, compared with observations from 2005 to 2009, in which EROD activity was 3 to 5 times higher in oiled areas. It was also found that average EROD activity during March 2013 and March 2014 was not elevated in wintering harlequin ducks from oiled areas. The authors interpret these findings to indicate that exposure of harlequin ducks to residual Exxon Valdez oil abated within 24 yr after the original spill. The present study finalizes a timeline of exposure, extending over 2 decades, for a bird species thought to be particularly vulnerable to oil contamination in marine environments. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1294-1300. Published 2016 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Esler
- Alaska Science Center, US Geological Survey,, Anchorage, Alaska, USA
| | | | - Lizabeth Bowen
- Western Ecological Research Center, Davis Field Station, US Geological Survey, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - A Keith Miles
- Western Ecological Research Center, Davis Field Station, US Geological Survey, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Rian D Dickson
- Black Duck Biological, Gabriola, British Columbia, Canada
| | - John D Henderson
- Animal Sciences and Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
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Guomao Z, Yi W, Jianying H. Intrinsic Clearance of Xenobiotic Chemicals by Liver Microsomes: Assessment of Trophic Magnification Potentials. Environ Sci Technol 2016; 50:6343-53. [PMID: 27152959 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b01178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The use of trophic magnification factors (TMFs) to characterize the bioaccumulation potentials of chemicals was encouraged; however, the method for the assessment of trophic magnification potentials is still lacking. We optimized the in vitro assays used for the measurement of intrinsic clearance in liver microsomes by incorporating benzo[a]pyrene (B(a)P) as a benchmark compound. The intrinsic clearance of 40 compounds was then measured in microsomes from fish (weevers) and birds (quail); the characteristics of the trophic transfer of these 40 compounds were previously investigated in an aquatic food web in Bohai in northern China. Chemicals that are biotransformed at a rate similar to or higher than that of B[a]P in the microsomes of both weevers and quail (in vitro intrinsic clearance values, CL; CL/CLB[a]P: 0.1 to 2.4) generally exhibited no significant trophic magnification or dilution in the food web (TMF ≈ 1 or < 1), whereas chemicals that are biotransformed at extremely slow rates compared with B[a]P (CL/CLB[a]P: 0 to 0.2) showed significant trophic magnification in the food web (TMF > 1). The in vitro intrinsic clearance values of the target chemicals were found to be consistent with their respective trophic transfer behavior in the aquatic food web. Significant negative correlations were also found between the TMFs and the intrinsic clearance values of all target chemicals obtained in microsomes from both weevers and quail. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that biotransformation rates (CL/CLB[a]P) are a more important factor compared with the lipophilicity of the chemicals (log Kow) in the assessment of the trophic magnification of chemicals in the aquatic food web.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Guomao
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, China
| | - Wan Yi
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, China
| | - Hu Jianying
- Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, China
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Seegar WS, Yates MA, Doney GE, Jenny JP, Seegar TCM, Perkins C, Giovanni M. Migrating Tundra Peregrine Falcons accumulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons along Gulf of Mexico following Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Ecotoxicology 2015; 24:1102-1111. [PMID: 25794559 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-015-1450-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/12/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring internal crude oil exposure can assist the understanding of associated risks and impacts, as well as the effectiveness of restoration efforts. Under the auspices of a long-term monitoring program of Tundra Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus tundrius) at Assateague (Maryland) and South Padre Islands (Texas), we measured the 16 parent (unsubstituted) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), priority pollutants identified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and components of crude oil, in peripheral blood cells of migrating Peregrine Falcons from 2009 to 2011. The study was designed to assess the spatial and temporal trends of crude oil exposure associated with the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill which started 20 April 2010 and was capped on 15 July of that year. Basal PAH blood distributions were determined from pre-DWH oil spill (2009) and unaffected reference area sampling. This sentinel species, a predator of shorebirds and seabirds during migration, was potentially exposed to residual oil from the spill in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Results demonstrate an increased incidence (frequency of PAH detection and blood concentrations) of PAH contamination in 2010 fall migrants sampled along the Texas Gulf Coast, declining to near basal levels in 2011. Kaplan-Meier peak mean ∑PAH blood concentration estimates varied with age (Juveniles-16.28 ± 1.25, Adults-5.41 ± 1.10 ng/g, wet weight) and PAHs detected, likely attributed to the discussed Tundra Peregrine natural history traits. Increased incidence of fluorene, pyrene and anthracene, with the presence of alkylated PAHs in peregrine blood suggests an additional crude oil source after DWH oil spill. The analyses of PAHs in Peregrine Falcon blood provide a convenient repeatable method, in conjunction with ongoing banding efforts, to monitoring crude oil contamination in this avian predator.
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Velando A, Barros Á, Moran P. Heterozygosity-fitness correlations in a declining seabird population. Mol Ecol 2015; 24:1007-18. [PMID: 25626726 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2014] [Revised: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Loss of genetic diversity is thought to lead to increased risk of extinction in endangered populations due to decreasing fitness of homozygous individuals. Here, we evaluated the presence of inbreeding depression in a long-lived seabird, the European shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis), after a severe decline in population size by nearly 70%. During three reproductive seasons, 85 breeders were captured and genotyped at seven microsatellite loci. Nest sites were monitored during the breeding season to estimate reproductive success as the number of chicks surviving to full-size-grown per nest. Captured birds were tagged with a ring with an individual code, and resighting data were collected during 7-year period. We found a strong effect of multilocus heterozygosity on female reproductive performance, and a significant, although weaker, effect on breeder survival. However, our matrix population model suggests that this relatively small effect of genetic diversity on breeder survival may have a profound effect on fitness. This highlights the importance of integrating life history consequences in HFC studies. Importantly, heterozygosity was correlated across loci, suggesting that genomewide effects, rather than single loci, are responsible for the observed HFCs. Overall, the HFCs are a worrying symptom of genetic erosion in this declining population. Many long-lived species are prone to extinction, and future studies should evaluate the magnitude of fitness impact of genetic deterioration on key population parameters, such as survival of breeders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Velando
- Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Universidade de Vigo, Campus As Lagoas, 36310, Vigo, Spain
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Cruz-Martinez L, Smits JEG, Fernie K. Stress response, biotransformation effort, and immunotoxicity in captive birds exposed to inhaled benzene, toluene, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2015; 112:223-230. [PMID: 25463874 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2014.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Revised: 10/08/2014] [Accepted: 10/10/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
In the oil sands of Alberta, Canada, toxicology research has largely neglected the effects of air contaminants on biota. Captive Japanese quail (Coturnix c. japonica) and American kestrels (Falco sparverius) were exposed to mixtures of volatile organic compounds and oxidizing agents (benzene, toluene, NO2 and SO2) in a whole-body inhalation chamber, to test for toxicological responses. Hepatic biotransformation measured through 7-ethoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase (EROD) tended to be increased in exposed kestrels (p=0.06) but not in quail (p=0.15). Plasma corticosterone was increased in the low dose group for quail on the final day of exposure (p=0.0001), and midway through the exposure period in exposed kestrels (p=0.04). For both species, there was no alteration of T and B-cell responses, immune organ mass, or histology of immune organs (p>0.05). This study provides baseline information valuable to complement toxicology studies and provides a better understanding of potential health effects on wild avifauna.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Cruz-Martinez
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N4Z6
| | - Judit E G Smits
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N4Z6.
| | - Kim Fernie
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada, 867 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington, Ontario, Canada L7R 4A6
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Abstract
Large oil spills are dramatic perturbations on marine ecosystems, and seabirds are one of the worst affected organisms in such events. It has been argued that oil spills may have important long-term consequences on marine organisms, but supporting evidence remains scarce. The European shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) was strongly impacted at population level by the Prestige oil spill, the biggest spillage in the eastern North Atlantic. In this paper, we report on the long-term consequences on reproduction of this coastal seabird, using temporal and spatial replicated data (before-after-control-impact design). Our study revealed long-term reproductive impairment during at least the first 10 years since the Prestige oil spill. Annual reproductive success did not differ before the impact, but after the impact it was reduced by 45% in oiled colonies compared with unoiled ones. This is a rare documentation of long-term effects after a major oil spill, highlighting the need for long-term monitoring in order to assess the real impact of this type of disturbance on marine organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro Barros
- Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Universidade de Vigo, , As Lagoas, Vigo 36310, Spain
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Moreno R, Jover L, Diez C, Sanpera C. Seabird feathers as monitors of the levels and persistence of heavy metal pollution after the Prestige oil spill. Environ Pollut 2011; 159:2454-60. [PMID: 21764195 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2011.06.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2011] [Revised: 06/19/2011] [Accepted: 06/20/2011] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
We measured heavy metal concentrations in yellow-legged gulls (n = 196) and European shags (n = 189) in order to assess the temporal pattern of contaminant exposure following the Prestige oil spill in November 2002. We analysed Pb, Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni and V levels in chick feathers sampled at four colonies during seven post-spill years (2003-2009), and compared results with pre-spill levels obtained from feathers of juvenile shag corpses (grown in spring/summer 2002). Following the Prestige wreck, Cu (4.3-10 μg g(-1)) and Pb concentrations (1.0-1.4 μg g(-1)) were, respectively, between two and five times higher than pre-spill levels (1.5-3.6 and 0.1-0.4 μg g(-1)), but returned to previous background concentrations after three years. Our study highlights the suitability of chick feathers of seabirds for assessing the impact of oil spills on heavy metal contamination, and provides the best evidence to date on the persistence of oil pollution after the Prestige incident.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocío Moreno
- Dept Biologia Animal Vertebrats, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avgda Diagonal 645, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
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Ji K, Seo J, Liu X, Lee J, Lee S, Lee W, Park J, Khim JS, Hong S, Choi Y, Shim WJ, Takeda S, Giesy JP, Choi K. Genotoxicity and endocrine-disruption potentials of sediment near an oil spill site: two years after the Hebei Spirit oil spill. Environ Sci Technol 2011; 45:7481-7488. [PMID: 21786741 DOI: 10.1021/es200724x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The Hebei Spirit oil spill episode (December 7, 2007) has affected the western coastal area of South Korea; however, there is limited information on the potential toxicity of the oil spill to the ecosystem or humans. The potential toxicity of sediments collected from the affected area (n = 22) 2 years after the spill was evaluated. Acute lethal toxicity tests using Vibrio fischeri and Moina macrocopa and tests for genotoxicity and alteration of steroidogenesis using chicken DT40 cells and H295R cells, respectively, were conducted. Both crude and weathered oil extracts were evaluated in order to link the observed toxicity in the sediment extracts to the oil spill. Whereas toxicity to bacteria and daphnids was observed in only two elutriate samples, 10 of the 22 sediment extracts showed genotoxic potential in DT40 cells. The mechanisms of genotoxicity involved nucleotide excision repair (XPA(-/)), homologous recombination (RAD54(-/-)), and translesion synthesis pathways (REV3(-/-)). In addition, nine sediment extracts caused significantly greater production of E2 in H295R cells, and significant up-regulation of CYP19, CYP11B2, and 3βHSD2 by sediment extracts was observed. The pattern of toxicities observed in both crude and weathered oil samples was similar to that observed in the sediment extracts. The genotoxicicity and endocrine-disruption potential of the sediment extracts suggest a need for long-term followup for such toxicity in humans and wildlife in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyunghee Ji
- School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea
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Munilla I, Arcos JM, Oro D, Álvarez D, Leyenda PM, Velando A. Mass mortality of seabirds in the aftermath of thePrestigeoil spill. Ecosphere 2011. [DOI: 10.1890/es11-00020.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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