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Xing L, Zhang T, Han X, Xie M, Chao L, Chen J, Yu X, Zhou J, Yu G, Sun J. Variability in methylmercury exposure across migratory terrestrial bird species: Influencing factors, biomagnification and potential risks. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:167775. [PMID: 37839483 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167775] [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: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Despite China's considerable mercury (Hg) emissions, monitoring of methylmercury (MeHg) levels in its terrestrial environments remains limited. This study examined the occurrence and accumulation of MeHg in body feathers of 12 migratory terrestrial bird species originating from Siberia and northeastern China. Considerable variations in foraging habits and MeHg levels were observed among these species. Accipiters, including Eurasian and Japanese sparrowhawks (A. gularis and A. nisus) and northern goshawk (A. gentilis), along with insectivorous songbirds including grey-backed thrush (T. hortulorum) and orange-flanked bluetail (T. cyanurus), showed notable levels of MeHg (0.62-1.20 mg/kg). Up to 25 % of the individuals within these species were classified as low-risk based on feather Hg toxicity thresholds, while the remaining species fell into the no-risk category. Despite showing enriched δ15N, MeHg concentrations in short-eared and long-eared owls (A. flammeus and A. otus) were lower than in sparrowhawks. The herbivorous oriental turtle dove (S. orientalis) exhibited significantly lower MeHg levels compared to all other species. There was a significant positive correlation between MeHg concentrations and δ15N across species, highlighting the substantial biomagnification potential of MeHg within the terrestrial food web. Additionally, we found significantly higher MeHg levels in adults than juveniles in both sparrowhawk species. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of utilizing migratory bird feathers for monitoring terrestrial Hg contamination, and underscore the importance of further assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Xing
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, Shandong, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, Shandong, China
| | - Xuetao Han
- Shandong Changdao National Nature Reserve Administration, Yantai 265800, Shandong, China
| | - Maowen Xie
- Shandong Changdao National Nature Reserve Administration, Yantai 265800, Shandong, China
| | - Le Chao
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, Shandong, China
| | - Jingrui Chen
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaoming Yu
- Shandong Changdao National Nature Reserve Administration, Yantai 265800, Shandong, China
| | - Jiahong Zhou
- Shandong Changdao National Nature Reserve Administration, Yantai 265800, Shandong, China
| | - Guoxiang Yu
- Shandong Changdao National Nature Reserve Administration, Yantai 265800, Shandong, China.
| | - Jiachen Sun
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, Shandong, China.
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Gómez-Ramírez P, Bustnes JO, Eulaers I, Johnsen TV, Lepoint G, Pérez-García JM, García-Fernández AJ, Espín S, Jaspers VLB. Mercury Exposure in Birds of Prey from Norway: Relation to Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Signatures in Body Feathers. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2023; 110:100. [PMID: 37266735 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-023-03740-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were analysed in body feathers from nestlings of white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) (WTE; n = 13) and Northern goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) (NG; n = 8) and in red blood cells (RBC) from NG (n = 11) from Norway. According to linear mixed model, species factor was significant in explaining the Hg concentration in feathers (LMM; p < 0.001, estimate (WTE) = 2.51, 95% CI = 1.26, 3.76), with concentrations higher in WTE (3.01 ± 1.34 µg g-1 dry weight) than in NG (0.51 ± 0.34 µg g-1 dry weight). This difference and the isotopic patterns for each species, likely reflect their diet, as WTE predominantly feed on a marine and higher trophic-chain diet compared to the terrestrial NG. In addition, Hg concentrations in RBCs of NG nestlings were positively correlated with feather Hg concentrations (Rho = 0.77, p = 0.03), supporting the potential usefulness of nestling body feathers to biomonitor and estimate Hg exposure. Hg levels in both species were generally below the commonly applied toxicity threshold of 5 µg g-1 in feathers, although exceeded in two WTE (6.08 and 5.19 µg g-1 dry weight).
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilar Gómez-Ramírez
- Toxicology Group, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain.
| | - Jan Ove Bustnes
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Fram Centre, 9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Igor Eulaers
- Department of Bioscience, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, PO Box 358, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | | | - Giles Lepoint
- Laboratory of Oceanology, UR FOCUS, University of Liège, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | | | - Antonio Juan García-Fernández
- Toxicology Group, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - Silvia Espín
- Toxicology Group, Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - Veerle Leontina Bernard Jaspers
- Environmental Toxicology Group, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 7024, Trondheim, Norway.
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Peterson SH, Ackerman JT, Holser RR, McDonald BI, Costa DP, Crocker DE. Mercury Bioaccumulation and Cortisol Interact to Influence Endocrine and Immune Biomarkers in a Free-Ranging Marine Mammal. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:5678-5692. [PMID: 36996077 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c08974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Mercury bioaccumulation from deep-ocean prey and the extreme life history strategies of adult female northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) provide a unique system to assess the interactive effects of mercury and stress on animal health by quantifying blood biomarkers in relation to mercury (skeletal muscle and blood mercury) and cortisol concentrations. The thyroid hormone thyroxine (tT4) and the antibody immunoglobulin E (IgE) were associated with mercury and cortisol concentrations interactively, where the magnitude and direction of the association of each biomarker with mercury or cortisol changed depending on the concentration of the other factor. For example, when cortisol concentrations were lowest, tT4 was positively related to muscle mercury, whereas tT4 had a negative relationship with muscle mercury in seals that had the highest cortisol concentrations. Additionally, we observed that two thyroid hormones, triiodothyronine (tT3) and reverse triiodothyronine (rT3), were negatively (tT3) and positively (rT3) associated with mercury concentrations and cortisol in an additive manner. As an example, tT3 concentrations in late breeding seals at the median cortisol concentration decreased by 14% across the range of observed muscle mercury concentrations. We also observed that immunoglobulin M (IgM), the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 (IL-6), and a reproductive hormone, estradiol, were negatively related to muscle mercury concentrations but were not related to cortisol. Specifically, estradiol concentrations in late molting seals decreased by 50% across the range of muscle mercury concentrations. These results indicate important physiological effects of mercury on free-ranging apex marine predators and interactions between mercury bioaccumulation and extrinsic stressors. Deleterious effects on animals' abilities to maintain homeostasis (thyroid hormones), fight off pathogens and disease (innate and adaptive immune system), and successfully reproduce (endocrine system) can have significant individual- and population-level consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah H Peterson
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, Dixon, California 95620, United States of America
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95064, United States of America
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95064, United States of America
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, Dixon, California 95620, United States of America
| | - Rachel R Holser
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95064, United States of America
| | - Birgitte I McDonald
- Moss Landing Marine Labs, San Jose State University, Moss Landing, California 95039, United States of America
| | - Daniel P Costa
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95064, United States of America
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 95064, United States of America
| | - Daniel E Crocker
- Department of Biology, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, California 94928, United States of America
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Chastel O, Fort J, Ackerman JT, Albert C, Angelier F, Basu N, Blévin P, Brault-Favrou M, Bustnes JO, Bustamante P, Danielsen J, Descamps S, Dietz R, Erikstad KE, Eulaers I, Ezhov A, Fleishman AB, Gabrielsen GW, Gavrilo M, Gilchrist G, Gilg O, Gíslason S, Golubova E, Goutte A, Grémillet D, Hallgrimsson GT, Hansen ES, Hanssen SA, Hatch S, Huffeldt NP, Jakubas D, Jónsson JE, Kitaysky AS, Kolbeinsson Y, Krasnov Y, Letcher RJ, Linnebjerg JF, Mallory M, Merkel FR, Moe B, Montevecchi WJ, Mosbech A, Olsen B, Orben RA, Provencher JF, Ragnarsdottir SB, Reiertsen TK, Rojek N, Romano M, Søndergaard J, Strøm H, Takahashi A, Tartu S, Thórarinsson TL, Thiebot JB, Will AP, Wilson S, Wojczulanis-Jakubas K, Yannic G. Mercury contamination and potential health risks to Arctic seabirds and shorebirds. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 844:156944. [PMID: 35752241 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Since the last Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) effort to review biological effects of mercury (Hg) on Arctic biota in 2011 and 2018, there has been a considerable number of new Arctic bird studies. This review article provides contemporary Hg exposure and potential health risk for 36 Arctic seabird and shorebird species, representing a larger portion of the Arctic than during previous AMAP assessments now also including parts of the Russian Arctic. To assess risk to birds, we used Hg toxicity benchmarks established for blood and converted to egg, liver, and feather tissues. Several Arctic seabird populations showed Hg concentrations that exceeded toxicity benchmarks, with 50 % of individual birds exceeding the "no adverse health effect" level. In particular, 5 % of all studied birds were considered to be at moderate or higher risk to Hg toxicity. However, most seabirds (95 %) were generally at lower risk to Hg toxicity. The highest Hg contamination was observed in seabirds breeding in the western Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Most Arctic shorebirds exhibited low Hg concentrations, with approximately 45 % of individuals categorized at no risk, 2.5 % at high risk category, and no individual at severe risk. Although the majority Arctic-breeding seabirds and shorebirds appeared at lower risk to Hg toxicity, recent studies have reported deleterious effects of Hg on some pituitary hormones, genotoxicity, and reproductive performance. Adult survival appeared unaffected by Hg exposure, although long-term banding studies incorporating Hg are still limited. Although Hg contamination across the Arctic is considered low for most bird species, Hg in combination with other stressors, including other contaminants, diseases, parasites, and climate change, may still cause adverse effects. Future investigations on the global impact of Hg on Arctic birds should be conducted within a multi-stressor framework. This information helps to address Article 22 (Effectiveness Evaluation) of the Minamata Convention on Mercury as a global pollutant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS- La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France.
| | - Jérôme Fort
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 17000 La Rochelle, France.
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, 800 Business Park Drive, Suite D, Dixon, CA 95620, United States.
| | - Céline Albert
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS- La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Niladri Basu
- McGill University, Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Montreal, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | | | - Maud Brault-Favrou
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Jan Ove Bustnes
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, FRAM Centre, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, 17000 La Rochelle, France; Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 75005 Paris, France
| | | | | | - Rune Dietz
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | | | - Igor Eulaers
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram center, 9296 Tromsø, Norway; Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Alexey Ezhov
- Murmansk Marine Biological Institute Russian Academy of Science, 183010 Vladimirskaya str. 17 Murmansk, Russia
| | - Abram B Fleishman
- Conservation Metrics, Inc., Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
| | | | - Maria Gavrilo
- Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, 199397 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Grant Gilchrist
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Raven Road, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ont., Canada K1A 0H3
| | - Olivier Gilg
- Laboratoire Chrono-environnement, UMR 6249, Université de Bourgogne Franche Comté, 25000 Besançon, France; Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique, 16 rue de Vernot, F-21440 Francheville, France
| | - Sindri Gíslason
- Southwest Iceland Nature Research Centre, Gardvegur 1, 245 Sudurnesjabaer, Iceland
| | - Elena Golubova
- Laboratory of Ornithology, Institute of Biological Problems of the North, RU-685000 Magadan, Portovaya Str., 18, Russia
| | - Aurélie Goutte
- EPHE, PSL Research University, UMR 7619 METIS, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - David Grémillet
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), UMR 5175 Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France,; Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Gunnar T Hallgrimsson
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Iceland, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Erpur S Hansen
- South Iceland Nature Research Centre, Ægisgata 2, 900 Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland
| | | | - Scott Hatch
- Institute for Seabird Research and Conservation, Anchorage, 99516-3185, AK, USA
| | - Nicholas P Huffeldt
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Dariusz Jakubas
- Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, University of Gdansk, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Jón Einar Jónsson
- University of Iceland's Research Center at Snæfellsnes, 340 Stykkishólmur, Iceland
| | - Alexander S Kitaysky
- University of Alaska Fairbanks, Institute of Arctic Biology, Department of Biology & Wildlife, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7000, United States of America
| | | | - Yuri Krasnov
- Murmansk Marine Biological Institute Russian Academy of Science, 183010 Vladimirskaya str. 17 Murmansk, Russia
| | - Robert J Letcher
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Raven Road, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ont., Canada K1A 0H3
| | | | - Mark Mallory
- Biology, Acadia University Wolfville, Nova Scotia B4P 2R6, Canada
| | - Flemming Ravn Merkel
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland
| | - Børge Moe
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - William J Montevecchi
- Memorial Univerisity of Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, Newoundland A1C 3X9, Canada
| | - Anders Mosbech
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Bergur Olsen
- Faroe Marine Reseaqrch Institute, Nóatún 1, FO-110 Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
| | - Rachael A Orben
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, OR, USA
| | - Jennifer F Provencher
- Science & Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0H3
| | | | - Tone K Reiertsen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, FRAM Centre, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Nora Rojek
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Maritime Wildlife Refuge, Homer, AK, USA
| | - Marc Romano
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Maritime Wildlife Refuge, Homer, AK, USA
| | - Jens Søndergaard
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Hallvard Strøm
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram center, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Akinori Takahashi
- National Institute of Polar Research, 10-3 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-8518, Japan
| | - Sabrina Tartu
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS- La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | | | - Jean-Baptiste Thiebot
- National Institute of Polar Research, 10-3 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-8518, Japan
| | - Alexis P Will
- University of Alaska Fairbanks, Institute of Arctic Biology, Department of Biology & Wildlife, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7000, United States of America; National Institute of Polar Research, 10-3 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-8518, Japan
| | - Simon Wilson
- Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) Secretariat, The Fram Centre, Box 6606, Stakkevollan, 9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - Glenn Yannic
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, 38000 Grenoble, France
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Esparza I, Elliott KH, Choy ES, Braune BM, Letcher RJ, Patterson A, Fernie KJ. Mercury, legacy and emerging POPs, and endocrine-behavioural linkages: Implications of Arctic change in a diving seabird. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 212:113190. [PMID: 35367428 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Arctic species encounter multiple stressors including climate change and environmental contaminants. Some contaminants may disrupt hormones that govern the behavioural responses of wildlife to climatic variation, and thus the capacity of species to respond to climate change. We investigated correlative interactions between legacy and emerging persistent organic pollutants (POPs), mercury (Hg), hormones and behaviours, in thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia) (N = 163) breeding in northern Hudson Bay (2016-2018). The blood profile of the murres was dominated by methylmercury (MeHg), followed by much lower levels of sum (∑) 35 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethylene (DDE), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) BDE-47, -99 and BDE-100; all other measured organochlorine pesticides and replacement brominated flame retardants had low concentrations if detected. Inter-annual variations occurred in MeHg, circulating triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and the foraging behaviours of the murres, identified using GPS-accelerometers. Compared to the 50-year mean date (1971-2021) for 50% of sea-ice coverage in Hudson Bay, sea-ice breakup was 1-2 weeks earlier (2016, 2017) or comparable (2018). Indeed, 2017 was the earliest year on record. Consistent with relationships identified individually between MeHg and total T3, and T3 and foraging behaviour, a direct interaction between these three parameters was evident when all possible interactions among measured chemical pollutants, hormones, and behaviours of the murres were considered collectively (path analysis). When murres were likely already stressed due to early sea-ice breakup (2016, 2017), blood MeHg influenced circulating T3 that in turn reduced foraging time underwater. We conclude that when sea-ice breaks up early in the breeding season, Hg may interfere with the ability of murres to adjust their foraging behaviour via T3 in relation to variation in sea-ice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilse Esparza
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road Ste, Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Kyle H Elliott
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road Ste, Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada.
| | - Emily S Choy
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road Ste, Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Birgit M Braune
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Center, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Robert J Letcher
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Center, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Allison Patterson
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road Ste, Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Kim J Fernie
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road Ste, Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada; Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 867 Lakeshore Rd, Burlington, ON L7S 1A1, Canada.
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Mancuso K, Hodges KE, Grosselet M, Elliott JE, Alexander JD, Zanuttig M, Bishop CA. Mercury toxicity risk and corticosterone levels across the breeding range of the Yellow-breasted Chat. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2022; 31:234-250. [PMID: 34973137 PMCID: PMC8901494 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-021-02510-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is an environmental contaminant that can negatively impact human and wildlife health. For songbirds, Hg risk may be elevated near riparian habitats due to the transfer of methylmercury (MeHg) from aquatic to terrestrial food webs. We measured Hg levels in tail feathers sampled across the breeding range of the Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens), a riparian songbird species of conservation concern. We assessed the risk of Hg toxicity based on published benchmarks. Simultaneously, we measured corticosterone, a hormone implicated in the stress response system, released via the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. To better understand range-wide trends in Hg and corticosterone, we examined whether age, sex, subspecies, or range position were important predictors. Lastly, we examined whether Hg and corticosterone were correlated. Hg levels in chats were relatively low: 0.30 ± 0.02 µg/g dry weight. 148 out of 150 (98.6%) had Hg levels considered background, and 2 (1.6%) had levels considered low toxicity risk. Hg levels were similar between sexes and subspecies. Younger chats (<1 year) had higher Hg levels than older chats (>1 year). Hg levels were lowest in the northern and central portion of the eastern subspecies' range. Corticosterone concentrations in feathers averaged 3.68 ± 0.23 pg/mm. Corticosterone levels were similar between ages and sexes. Western chats had higher levels of corticosterone than eastern chats. Hg and corticosterone were not correlated, suggesting these low Hg burdens did not affect the activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. Altogether, the chat has low Hg toxicity risk across its breeding range, despite living in riparian habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Mancuso
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, BC, Canada.
| | - Karen E Hodges
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | | | - John E Elliott
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, BC, Canada
| | | | - Michelle Zanuttig
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, BC, Canada
| | - Christine A Bishop
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, BC, Canada
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7
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Carravieri A, Warner NA, Herzke D, Brault-Favrou M, Tarroux A, Fort J, Bustamante P, Descamps S. Trophic and fitness correlates of mercury and organochlorine compound residues in egg-laying Antarctic petrels. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 193:110518. [PMID: 33245882 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the drivers and effects of exposure to contaminants such as mercury (Hg) and organochlorine compounds (OCs) in Antarctic wildlife is still limited. Yet, Hg and OCs have known physiological and fitness effects in animals, with consequences on their populations. Here we measured total Hg (a proxy of methyl-Hg) in blood cells and feathers, and 12 OCs (seven polychlorinated biphenyls, PCBs, and five organochlorine pesticides, OCPs) in plasma of 30 breeding female Antarctic petrels Thalassoica antarctica from one of the largest colonies in Antarctica (Svarthamaren, Dronning Maud Land). This colony is declining and there is poor documentation on the potential role played by contaminants on individual physiology and fitness. Carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope values measured in the females' blood cells and feathers served as proxies of their feeding ecology during the pre-laying (austral spring) and moulting (winter) periods, respectively. We document feather Hg concentrations (mean ± SD, 2.41 ± 0.83 μg g-1 dry weight, dw) for the first time in this species. Blood cell Hg concentrations (1.38 ± 0.43 μg g-1 dw) were almost twice as high as those reported in a recent study, and increased with pre-laying trophic position (blood cell δ15N). Moulting trophic ecology did not predict blood Hg concentrations. PCB concentrations were very low (Σ7PCBs, 0.35 ± 0.31 ng g-1 wet weight, ww). Among OCPs, HCB (1.02 ± 0.36 ng g-1 ww) and p, p'-DDE (1.02 ± 1.49 ng g-1 ww) residues were comparable to those of ecologically-similar polar seabirds, while Mirex residues (0.72 ± 0.35 ng g-1 ww) were higher. PCB and OCP concentrations showed no clear relationship with pre-laying or moulting feeding ecology, indicating that other factors overcome dietary drivers. OC residues were inversely related to body condition, suggesting stronger release of OCs into the circulation of egg-laying females upon depletion of their lipid reserves. Egg volume, hatching success, chick body condition and survival were not related to maternal Hg or OC concentrations. Legacy contaminant exposure does not seem to represent a threat for the breeding fraction of this population over the short term. Yet, exposure to contaminants, especially Mirex, and other concurring environmental stressors should be monitored over the long-term in this declining population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Carravieri
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS- La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle, 17000, France.
| | - Nicholas A Warner
- NILU-Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Fram Centre, Tromsø, NO-9296, Norway; UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Hansine Hansens veg 18, Tromsø, 9037, Norway
| | - Dorte Herzke
- NILU-Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Fram Centre, Tromsø, NO-9296, Norway; UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Hansine Hansens veg 18, Tromsø, 9037, Norway
| | - Maud Brault-Favrou
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS- La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle, 17000, France
| | - Arnaud Tarroux
- NINA-Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Fram Centre, Tromsø, NO-9296, Norway
| | - Jérôme Fort
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS- La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle, 17000, France
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS- La Rochelle Université, 2 Rue Olympe de Gouges, La Rochelle, 17000, France; Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 1 Rue Descartes, Paris, 75005, France
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8
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Stenhouse IJ, Adams EM, Phillips LM, Weidensaul S, McIntyre CL. A preliminary assessment of mercury in the feathers of migratory songbirds breeding in the North American subarctic. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2020; 29:1221-1228. [PMID: 31531800 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-019-02105-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/24/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Passerines appear to have a greater sensitivity to mercury than other avian orders, and little data exists for mercury exposure in songbirds breeding at high latitudes. In this preliminary study, we examined mercury exposure in 12 migratory songbird species breeding in Denali National Park & Preserve, in subarctic interior Alaska. Overall, we analyzed 343 feather samples collected in 2015-2017 for their total mercury content. Mercury levels found in feathers indicates exposure during the period of feather growth, which we assume largely took place on the breeding ground. In this limited sample of songbird feathers, mercury concentrations ranged from near zero to 6.34 μg/g. Most species sampled showed relatively low mercury, but some individuals had high enough concentrations to be subject to adverse physiological and behavioral effects. There was an indication that mercury concentrations of breeding songbirds may vary by diet composition, with non-invertivorous species possibly tending towards lower mercury concentrations. Overall, however, the degree of mercury exposure observed was low for songbirds breeding in the subarctic. Further examination would prove useful in clarifying mercury exposure and ecological relationships in this under-studied region.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - E M Adams
- Biodiversity Research Institute, Portland, ME, USA
| | - L M Phillips
- National Park Service, Denali National Park & Preserve, Denali Park, AK, USA
| | | | - C L McIntyre
- National Park Service, Denali National Park & Preserve, Fairbanks, AK, USA
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9
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Glucs ZE, Smith DR, Tubbs CW, Bakker VJ, Wolstenholme R, Dudus K, Burnett LJ, Clark M, Clark M, Finkelstein ME. Foraging behavior, contaminant exposure risk, and the stress response in wild California condors (Gymnogyps californianus). ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 189:109905. [PMID: 32738723 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.109905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Wild California condors (Gymnogyps californianus) are frequently exposed to lead via lead-based ammunition ingestion, and recent studies indicate significant exposure to organochlorines (e.g. dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)) for condors feeding on beach-cast marine mammals. We investigated the influence of contaminant exposure on condor glucocorticoid response through comparisons between wild and captive populations and identification of modifiers of glucocorticoid release in wild condors. We assessed the glucocorticoid response to routine trapping and handling events through measurement of plasma corticosterone and urate glucocorticoid metabolites (GCM). Comparison of peak urate GCM levels showed wild condors exhibited higher responses to handling-associated stressors (2300 ± 1400 ng/g dry wt, average ± SD, n = 27) than captive condors (910 ± 490 ng/g dry wt., n = 6, U = 28, p = 0.003). Multiple linear regression models and an information theoretic approach (AICc) identified several extrinsic variables (e.g., time captive in flight pen before sample collection) that were negatively associated with plasma corticosterone and urate GCM levels in wild condors, which explained ~25% of glucocorticoid variation. When accounting for these extrinsic variables we found that behavioral variables associated with increased lead and organochlorine exposure risk were positively associated with GCM levels, explaining an additional 15% of glucocorticoid variation among wild condors. Days absent from management area, a variable associated with reduced survival attributed to increased lead exposure risk, had a positive influence on plasma corticosterone levels (β = 53 ± 20 SE) and peak urate GCM levels (β = 1090 ± 586 SE). Years observed feeding on marine mammals, a variable positively associated with DDE and PCB exposure, positively influenced peak urate GCM (β = 1100 ± 520 SE) and the magnitude of GCM response (peak GCM - 1st urate GCM) (β = 1050 ± 500 SE). Our findings suggest that individual propensities for contaminant-associated foraging behaviors predict higher stress-induced glucocorticoid levels in wild condors, and that accounting for variables associated with trapping and handling is essential for assessing the impact of environmental stressors such as contaminants on the condor stress response. As an abnormal glucocorticoid response to stress is associated with reduced reproduction and survival in vertebrates, this work indicates the need for further investigations into the physiological impacts of sub-lethal contaminant exposures in scavenging species worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeka E Glucs
- Predatory Bird Research Group, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA; Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
| | - Donald R Smith
- Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Christopher W Tubbs
- San Diego Zoo Global, Institute for Conservation Research, Escondido, CA, USA
| | | | - Rachel Wolstenholme
- National Park Service, Interior Regions 8, 9, 10, 12, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kristina Dudus
- National Park Service, Interior Region 2, Gulf Breeze, FL, USA
| | | | | | - Michael Clark
- Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Myra E Finkelstein
- Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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10
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Huang P, St.Mary CM, Kimball RT. Habitat urbanization and stress response are primary predictors of personality variation in northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis). JOURNAL OF URBAN ECOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jue/juaa015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Behavioral traits that vary consistently among individuals across different contexts are often termed as ‘personality traits,’ while the correlated suite formed by those traits is called a ‘behavioral syndrome’. Both personality trait and behavioral syndrome are potentially responsive to animal ‘states’, defined as strategically relevant individual features affecting the cost-and-benefit trade-offs of behavioral actions. Both extrinsic ‘states’ (e.g. urban versus rural habitats), and intrinsic ‘states’ (e.g. sex), may shape among-individual variation in personality traits, as well as behavioral syndromes. Here, we used northern cardinals sampled from four locations to examine the effect of habitat type (urban versus rural, an extrinsic state), stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) parameters, body weight and sex (intrinsic states) on personality traits and behavioral syndrome variation. We used behavioral trials to measure five personality traits. Using principal component analysis to quantify personality traits first, followed by general linear mixed models, we found that habitat type, CORT at capture and 2-day CORT response affected some personality traits, while body weight and sex did not. Cardinals inhabiting more urbanized areas had lower CORT metabolite levels at capture and were more neophilic, less neophobic and also less aggressive than their rural conspecifics. Using structural equation modeling to construct behavioral syndromes formed by our selected personality traits, we found that urban and rural cardinals varied in the models representing syndrome structure. When utilizing the shared syndrome structural model to examine the effects of states, habitat type and 2-day CORT response appear to affect syndrome variation in a coordinated, not hierarchical, manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Huang
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, 220 Bartram Hall, P. O. Box 118525, Gainesville, FL 32611-8525, USA
| | - Colette M St.Mary
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, 220 Bartram Hall, P. O. Box 118525, Gainesville, FL 32611-8525, USA
| | - Rebecca T Kimball
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, 220 Bartram Hall, P. O. Box 118525, Gainesville, FL 32611-8525, USA
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11
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Powolny T, Bassin N, Crini N, Fourel I, Morin C, Pottinger TG, Massemin S, Zahn S, Coeurdassier M. Corticosterone mediates telomere length in raptor chicks exposed to chemical mixture. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 706:135083. [PMID: 31841853 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/19/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Stressors experience early in life by animals may have carry over impacts on life-traits over the life cycle. Accelerated telomere attrition induced by stress during development and growth could play a role in such delayed effects. Among stressors, exposure to chemicals may modify telomere dynamic but, to date, the trends evidenced between exposure and telomere shortening remains inconsistent. Moreover, the role of corticosterone as a possible mediator of chemical impact on telomere is not yet clearly established. Here, we investigated in wild populations of Red kite whether nestling exposure to metals and pesticides was related to corticosterone concentrations in feathers and telomere length measured in 47 individuals. Lead and mercury concentrations in blood ranged from 2.3 to 59.0 µg L-1 and to 1.4 to 115.7 µg L-1, respectively, and were below the toxicity thresholds proposed for wildlife. Rodenticides were detected in 30% of the chicks. Corticosterone increased with mercury and lead in interaction, showing a synergistic effect of these 2 non-essential metals on this stress hormone. Telomere length was not linked to metals and/or rodenticide exposure while it was related negatively to corticosterone. The relationship between telomere and corticosterone was modulated by nestling's age, which suggests that the rate of telomere shortening is higher when corticosterone increases. Our findings propose an effect of low exposure of Red Kite nestlings to mercury and lead mixture to raise baseline corticosterone in feathers. The relationships established suggest the hypothesis that telomere attrition could be an indirect consequence of metal exposure mediated by corticosterone.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Powolny
- Laboratoire Chrono-environment - University Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UMR/CNRS 6249, 16 route de Gray, 25030 Besançon, France.
| | - N Bassin
- Laboratoire Chrono-environment - University Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UMR/CNRS 6249, 16 route de Gray, 25030 Besançon, France
| | - N Crini
- Laboratoire Chrono-environment - University Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UMR/CNRS 6249, 16 route de Gray, 25030 Besançon, France
| | - I Fourel
- USC 1233 RS2GP, VetAgro Sup, INRA, Univ Lyon, 69280 Marcy l'Etoile, France
| | - C Morin
- LPO Franche-Comté, 7 rue Voirin, 25000 Besançon, France
| | - T G Pottinger
- CEH, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, LA1 4AP, Lancaster, UK
| | - S Massemin
- IPHC - University of Strasbourg, 23 rue du Loess, 67038 Strasbourg, France
| | - S Zahn
- IPHC - University of Strasbourg, 23 rue du Loess, 67038 Strasbourg, France
| | - M Coeurdassier
- Laboratoire Chrono-environment - University Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UMR/CNRS 6249, 16 route de Gray, 25030 Besançon, France
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12
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Scheiber IBR, Weiß BM, de Jong ME, Braun A, van den Brink NW, Loonen MJJE, Millesi E, Komdeur J. Stress behaviour and physiology of developing Arctic barnacle goslings ( Branta leucopsis) is affected by legacy trace contaminants. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20181866. [PMID: 30963902 PMCID: PMC6304058 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural populations are persistently exposed to environmental pollution, which may adversely impact animal physiology and behaviour and even compromise survival. Responding appropriately to any stressor ultimately might tip the scales for survival, as mistimed behaviour and inadequate physiological responses may be detrimental. Yet effects of legacy contamination on immediate physiological and behavioural stress coping abilities during acute stress are virtually unknown. Here, we assessed these effects in barnacle goslings ( Branta leucopsis) at a historical coal mine site in the Arctic. For three weeks we led human-imprinted goslings, collected from nests in unpolluted areas, to feed in an abandoned coal mining area, where they were exposed to trace metals. As control we led their siblings to feed on clean grounds. After submitting both groups to three well-established stress tests (group isolation, individual isolation, on-back restraint), control goslings behaved calmer and excreted lower levels of corticosterone metabolites. Thus, legacy contamination may decisively change stress physiology and behaviour in long-lived vertebrates exposed at a young age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella B. R. Scheiber
- Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Behavioural Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Brigitte M. Weiß
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Margje E. de Jong
- Arctic Centre, University of Groningen, 9718 CW Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Anna Braun
- Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Nico W. van den Brink
- Department of Toxicology, Wageningen University, 6700 EA Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Eva Millesi
- Department of Behavioural Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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Herring G, Eagles-Smith CA, Varland DE. Mercury and lead exposure in avian scavengers from the Pacific Northwest suggest risks to California condors: Implications for reintroduction and recovery. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 243:610-619. [PMID: 30218871 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 09/01/2018] [Accepted: 09/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) are widespread contaminants that pose risks to avian scavengers. In fact, Pb exposure is the primary factor limiting population recovery in the endangered California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) and Hg can impair avian reproduction at environmentally relevant exposures. The Pacific Northwest region of the US was historically part of the condor's native range, and efforts are underway to expand recovery into this area. To identify potential threats to reintroduced condors we assessed foraging habitats, Hg and Pb exposure, and physiological responses in two surrogate avian scavenger species (common ravens [Corvus corax] and turkey vultures [Cathartes aura] across the region between 2012 and 2016. Mercury exposure near the Pacific coast was 17-27-fold higher than in inland areas, and stable carbon and sulfur isotopes ratios indicated that coastal scavengers were highly reliant on marine prey. In contrast, Pb concentrations were uniformly elevated across the region, with 18% of the birds exposed to subclinical poisoning levels. Elevated Pb concentrations were associated with lower delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (δ-ALAD) activity, and in ravens there was an interactive effect between Hg and Pb on fecal corticosterone concentrations. This interaction indicated that the effects of Hg and Pb exposure on the stress axis are bidirectional, and depend on the magnitude of simultaneous exposure to the other contaminant. Our results suggest that condors released to the Pacific Northwest may be exposed to both elevated Hg and Pb, posing challenges to management of future condor populations in the Pacific Northwest. Developing a robust monitoring program for reintroduced condors and surrogate scavengers will help both better understand the drivers of exposure and predict the likelihood of impaired health. These findings provide a strong foundation for such an effort, providing resource managers with valuable information to help mitigate potential risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garth Herring
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Collin A Eagles-Smith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA.
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14
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Glucs ZE, Smith DR, Tubbs CW, Jones Scherbinski J, Welch A, Burnett J, Clark M, Eng C, Finkelstein ME. Glucocorticoid measurement in plasma, urates, and feathers from California condors (Gymnogyps californianus) in response to a human-induced stressor. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205565. [PMID: 30352070 PMCID: PMC6198957 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrates respond to stressful stimuli with the secretion of glucocorticoid (GC) hormones, such as corticosterone (CORT), and measurements of these hormones in wild species can provide insight into physiological responses to environmental and human-induced stressors. California condors (Gymnogyps californianus) are a critically endangered and intensively managed avian species for which information on GC response to stress is lacking. Here we evaluated a commercially available I125 double antibody radioimmunoassay (RIA) and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit for measurement of CORT and GC metabolites (GCM) in California condor plasma, urate, and feather samples. The precision and accuracy of the RIA assay outperformed the ELISA for CORT and GCM measurements, and CORT and GCM values were not comparable between the two assays for any sample type. RIA measurements of total CORT in condor plasma collected from 41 condors within 15 minutes of a handling stressor were highly variable (median = 70 ng/mL, range = 1-189 ng/mL) and significantly different between wild and captive condors (p = 0.02, two-tailed t-test, n = 10 wild and 11 captive). Urate GCM levels (median = 620 ng/g dry wt., range = 0.74-7200 ng/g dry wt., n = 216) significantly increased within 2 hr of the acute handling stressor (p = 0.032, n = 11 condors, one-tailed paired t-test), while feather section CORT concentrations (median = 18 pg/mm, range = 6.3-68 ng/g, n = 37) also varied widely within and between feathers. Comparison of multiple regression linear models shows condor age as a significant predictors of plasma CORT levels, while age, sex, and plasma CORT levels predicted GCM levels in urates collected within 30 min of the start of handling. Our findings highlight the need for validation when selecting an immunoassay for use with a new species, and suggest that non-invasively collected urates and feathers hold promise for assessing condor responses to acute or chronic environmental and human-induced stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeka E. Glucs
- Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Donald R. Smith
- Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
| | - Christopher W. Tubbs
- San Diego Zoo Global, Institute for Conservation Research, Escondido, CA, United States of America
| | | | - Alacia Welch
- National Park Service, Pinnacles National Park, Paicines, CA, United States of America
| | - Joseph Burnett
- Ventana Wildlife Society, Monterey, CA, United States of America
| | - Michael Clark
- Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Curtis Eng
- Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Los Angeles, CA, United States of America
| | - Myra E. Finkelstein
- Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
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15
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Cherel Y, Barbraud C, Lahournat M, Jaeger A, Jaquemet S, Wanless RM, Phillips RA, Thompson DR, Bustamante P. Accumulate or eliminate? Seasonal mercury dynamics in albatrosses, the most contaminated family of birds. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2018; 241:124-135. [PMID: 29803026 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.05.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Revised: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Albatrosses (Diomedeidae) are iconic pelagic seabirds whose life-history traits (longevity, high trophic position) put them at risk of high levels of exposure to methylmercury (MeHg), a powerful neurotoxin that threatens humans and wildlife. Here, we report total Hg (THg) concentrations in body feathers from 516 individual albatrosses from 35 populations, including all 20 taxa breeding in the Southern Ocean. Our key finding is that albatrosses constitute the family of birds with the highest levels of contamination by Hg, with mean feather THg concentrations in different populations ranging from moderate (3.8 μg/g) to exceptionally high (34.6 μg/g). Phylogeny had a significant effect on feather THg concentrations, with the mean decreasing in the order Diomedea > Phoebetria > Thalassarche. Unexpectedly, moulting habitats (reflected in feather δ13C values) was the main driver of feather THg concentrations, indicating increasing MeHg exposure with decreasing latitude, from Antarctic to subtropical waters. The role of moulting habitat suggests that the majority of MeHg eliminated into feathers by albatrosses is from recent food intake (income strategy). They thus differ from species that depurate MeHg into feathers that has been accumulated in internal tissues between two successive moults (capital strategy). Since albatrosses are amongst the most threatened families of birds, it is noteworthy that two albatrosses listed as Critical by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) that moult and breed in temperate waters are the most Hg-contaminated species (the Amsterdam and Tristan albatrosses). These data emphasize the urgent need for robust assessment of the impact of Hg contamination on the biology of albatrosses and they document the high MeHg level exposure of wildlife living in the most remote marine areas on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yves Cherel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 du CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France.
| | - Christophe Barbraud
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 du CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Maxime Lahournat
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 du CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France; Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés, UMR 7266 du CNRS-Université de la Rochelle, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Audrey Jaeger
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 du CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France; Laboratoire ENTROPIE, UMR 9220 du CNRS- IRD-Université de La Réunion, 15 Avenue René Cassin, BP 92003, 97744 Saint-Denis, La Réunion, France
| | - Sébastien Jaquemet
- Laboratoire ENTROPIE, UMR 9220 du CNRS- IRD-Université de La Réunion, 15 Avenue René Cassin, BP 92003, 97744 Saint-Denis, La Réunion, France
| | - Ross M Wanless
- DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Richard A Phillips
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK
| | - David R Thompson
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd, 301 Evans Bay Parade, Hataitai, Wellington 6021, New Zealand
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés, UMR 7266 du CNRS-Université de la Rochelle, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France
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16
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Chatelain M, Gasparini J, Frantz A, Angelier F. Reproduction impairments in metal-polluted environments and parental hormones: No evidence for a causal association in an experimental study in breeding feral pigeons exposed to lead and zinc. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2018; 161:746-754. [PMID: 29957582 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.06.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Humans are responsible for land-cover changes resulting in the emission of hazardous chemical elements including metallic trace elements i.e. MTEs. As a consequence, urban wildlife is exposed to high concentrations of MTEs, which exposure is linked to reproductive impairments. MTE effects on reproduction outputs might result from MTE exposure disrupting the endocrine pathways involved in reproductive behaviours. In birds, there is strong evidence that prolactin, corticosterone and testosterone are all involved in the regulation of parental effort during incubation and chick rearing. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals might stimulate or inhibit the production of those hormones and consequently alter parental investment and reproductive success outcomes. We measured baseline corticosterone, prolactin and testosterone plasma levels, and the corticosterone stress response of breeding feral pigeons (Columba livia) experimentally exposed to ecologically relevant lead and/or zinc concentrations. Independently of lead and/or zinc exposure, male and female plasma levels of corticosterone and prolactin (but not testosterone) showed temporal variations along the reproduction stages (i.e. incubation, early rearing and late rearing). In addition, both hatching and fledging success were slightly correlated with corticosterone, prolactin and testosterone levels. However, our study did not find any influence of lead or zinc exposure on hormone levels, suggesting that MTE effects on reproductive outputs might not be explained by MTE-induced modifications of corticosterone, prolactin and testosterone-linked behaviours during incubation and rearing. Alternatively, MTE-induced reproductive impairments might result from MTE exposure having direct effects on offspring phenotypes or prenatal indirect effects on the embryo (e.g. maternal transfer of MTEs, hormones or immune compounds).
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Affiliation(s)
- M Chatelain
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, Paris, F-75005, France.
| | - J Gasparini
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, Paris, F-75005, France
| | - A Frantz
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, Paris, F-75005, France
| | - F Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS-ULR, UMR 7372, F-79360 Villiers en Bois, France
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17
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Egg turning behavior and incubation temperature in Forster's terns in relation to mercury contamination. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0191390. [PMID: 29447185 PMCID: PMC5813904 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0191390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Egg turning behavior is an important determinant of egg hatchability, but it remains relatively understudied. Here, we examined egg turning rates and egg temperatures in Forster’s terns (Sterna forsteri). We used artificial eggs containing a data logger with a 3-D accelerometer, a magnetometer, and a temperature thermistor to monitor parental incubation behavior of 131 tern nests. Overall, adults turned their eggs an average (±SD) of 3.8 ± 0.8 turns h-1, which is nearly two times higher than that of other seabirds. Egg turning rates increased with nest initiation date. We also examined egg turning rates and egg temperatures in relation to egg mercury contamination. Mercury contamination has been shown to be associated with reduced egg hatchability, and we hypothesized that mercury may decrease egg hatchability via altered egg turning behavior by parents. Despite the high variability in egg turning rates among individuals, the rate of egg turning was not related to mercury concentrations in sibling eggs. These findings highlight the need for further study concerning the potential determinants of egg turning behavior.
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Whitney MC, Cristol DA. Impacts of Sublethal Mercury Exposure on Birds: A Detailed Review. REVIEWS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2018; 244:113-163. [PMID: 28710647 DOI: 10.1007/398_2017_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant known to accumulate in, and negatively affect, fish-eating and oceanic bird species, and recently demonstrated to impact some terrestrial songbirds to a comparable extent. It can bioaccumulate to concentrations of >1 μg/g in tissues of prey organisms such as fish and insects. At high enough concentrations, exposure to mercury is lethal to birds. However, environmental exposures are usually far below the lethal concentrations established by dosing studies.The objective of this review is to better understand the effects of sublethal exposure to mercury in birds. We restricted our survey of the literature to studies with at least some exposures >5 μg/g. The majority of sublethal effects were subtle and some studies of similar endpoints reached different conclusions. Strong support exists in the literature for the conclusion that mercury exposure reduces reproductive output, compromises immune function, and causes avoidance of high-energy behaviors. For some endpoints, notably certain measures of reproductive success, endocrine and neurological function, and body condition, there is weak or contradictory evidence of adverse effects and further study is required. There was no evidence that environmentally relevant mercury exposure affects longevity, but several of the sublethal effects identified likely do result in fitness reductions that could adversely impact populations. Overall, 72% of field studies and 91% of laboratory studies found evidence of deleterious effects of mercury on some endpoint, and thus we can conclude that mercury is harmful to birds, and the many effects on reproduction indicate that bird population declines may already be resulting from environmental mercury pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret C Whitney
- Department of Biology, Institute for Integrative Bird Behavior Studies, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 23187, USA
| | - Daniel A Cristol
- Department of Biology, Institute for Integrative Bird Behavior Studies, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 23187, USA.
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19
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Zhao J, Niu C, Wang J, Yang H, Du Y, Wei L, Li C. The depressive-like behaviors of chronic unpredictable mild stress-treated mice, ameliorated by Tibetan medicine Zuotai: involvement in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis pathway. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2018; 14:129-141. [PMID: 29379286 PMCID: PMC5757979 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s151107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Zuotai, a famous Tibetan medicinal mixture containing metacinnabar, is traditionally used for the purpose of tranquilizing minds and soothing nerves. However, it still lacks substantial experimental data for it to be approved for use. AIM This study was designed to assess the effects of Zuotai on depressive-like symptoms in a chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) mouse model, and to explore its potential mechanism, particularly the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis pathway. MATERIALS AND METHODS First, Kunming mice were exposed to the CUMS procedure and simultaneously administered Zuotai or imipramine (positive control) by gavage continuously for 6 weeks. Then, depressive-like behaviors of mice in each group were tested with the sucrose preference test, forced swimming test, tail suspension test, and open field test. Meanwhile, the three key neuroendocrine hormones (corticotropin releasing hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone) in HPA axis pathway, and the level of the emotion-related monoamine neurotransmitters (5-hydroxytryptamine and norepinephrine) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Furthermore, total mercury in the hypothalamus and hippocampus were determined using an automatic, direct mercury analyzer. RESULTS Zuotai or imipramine significantly increased the body weight and the sucrose preference ratio in sucrose preference test, and dramatically improved motor activity in forced swimming test, tail suspension test, and open field test in CUMS mice. Zuotai or imipramine remarkably decreased levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and corticosterone in the HPA axis, and increased levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine and norepinephrine in the serum in CUMS mice. However, a small amount of mercury was deposited in the hypothalamus and hippocampus in Zuotai-treated mice, which may pose a potential risk to the central nervous system. CONCLUSION Zuotai has a strong ability to ameliorate depressive-like behaviors in CUMS-treated mice through inhibition of the HPA axis and upregulation of monoamine neurotransmitters. These findings provide new insight into the pharmacological effect of Zuotai on depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhao
- Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine in Qinghai Province, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai
| | - Cuiying Niu
- Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine in Qinghai Province, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianv Wang
- Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine in Qinghai Province, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hongxia Yang
- Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine in Qinghai Province, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai
| | - Yuzhi Du
- Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine in Qinghai Province, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai
| | - Lixin Wei
- Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine in Qinghai Province, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai
- Correspondence: Lixin Wei; Cen Li, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xin-ning Road 23, Xi-ning, Qinghai, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 971 614 3668, Fax +86 971 614 3765, Email ;
| | - Cen Li
- Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine in Qinghai Province, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai
- Correspondence: Lixin Wei; Cen Li, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xin-ning Road 23, Xi-ning, Qinghai, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 971 614 3668, Fax +86 971 614 3765, Email ;
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20
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de Jong ME, Scheiber IBR, van den Brink NW, Braun A, Matson KD, Komdeur J, Loonen MJJE. Indices of stress and immune function in Arctic barnacle goslings (Branta leucopsis) were impacted by social isolation but not a contaminated grazing environment. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 601-602:132-141. [PMID: 28550726 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.05.183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2017] [Revised: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 05/20/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In many areas around the Arctic remains and spoil heaps of old mines can be found, which have been abandoned after their heydays. Runoff from tailings of these abandoned mines can directly contaminate the local environment with elevated concentrations of trace metals. Few studies have investigated the possible negative effects of contaminants on Arctic terrestrial animals that use these areas. Trace metals can accumulate in animals and this accumulation has been linked to negative effects on fitness. Both, the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and/or the immune system have been named as possible underlying causes for these observations. Free-living animals are often exposed to multiple stressors simultaneously, however, and this is often not considered in studies on the effects of contaminants on animal physiology. Here, we performed a study on Spitsbergen (Svalbard) taking both potential effects of trace metal contamination and social stress into account. We investigated experimentally effects of exposure to contaminants from a historic coal mine area on plasma corticosterone levels and on four innate immune parameters (haemolysis, haemagglutination, haptoglobin-like activity and nitric oxide) before and after social isolation in human-raised barnacle goslings (Branta leucopsis). Baseline corticosterone and immune parameters were not affected by mine-exposure. After social isolation, mine goslings tended to show decreased haemagglutination in comparison with control goslings, but we detected no difference in the other measures. Social isolation increased corticosterone and decreased haptoglobin-like activity in all goslings. Immunology and corticosterone levels of barnacle goslings thus seem unaffected, at least on the short term, by Arctic coal mining contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margje E de Jong
- Arctic Centre, University of Groningen, Aweg 30, 9718 CW Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Isabella B R Scheiber
- Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, The University of Groningen, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Nico W van den Brink
- Department of Toxicology, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Anna Braun
- Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, The University of Groningen, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Kevin D Matson
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jan Komdeur
- Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, The University of Groningen, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Maarten J J E Loonen
- Arctic Centre, University of Groningen, Aweg 30, 9718 CW Groningen, The Netherlands.
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21
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Franceschini MD, Evers DC, Kenow KP, Meyer MW, Pokras M, Romero LM. Mercury correlates with altered corticosterone but not testosterone or estradiol concentrations in common loons. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2017; 142:348-354. [PMID: 28437726 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2017.04.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/14/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the relation between environmental mercury exposure and corticosterone concentrations in free-living adult common loons (Gavia immer). We determined blood and feather mercury concentrations and compared them to testosterone, estradiol, and stress-induced plasma corticosterone concentrations. Although neither testosterone nor estradiol correlated with Hg levels, there was a robust positive relation between blood Hg and stress-induced corticosterone concentrations in males, but not in females. The lack of an effect in females may have been due to overall less contamination in females. There were no significant correlations between feather Hg and stress-induced corticosterone in either sex. To help determine whether Hg had a causal effect on corticosterone, we investigated the impact of experimental Hg intake on the corticosterone stress response in captive juvenile loons. Juveniles were subjected to three different feeding regimes: 0, 0.4 and 1.2μg Hg (as MeHgCL)/g wet weight (ww) fish. We then measured baseline and 30min post-solitary confinement stressor corticosterone concentrations. The Hg fed chicks exhibited a decreased ability to mount a stress response. From these data, we conclude that Hg contamination does appear to alter the corticosterone response to stress, but not in a consistent predictable pattern. Regardless of the direction of change, however, exposure to mercury contamination and the resulting impact on the corticosterone stress response in common loons may substantially impact health, fitness and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David C Evers
- Biodiversity Research Institute, Portland, ME 04103, USA
| | - Kevin P Kenow
- US Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, La Crosse, WI 54603, USA
| | - Michael W Meyer
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Rhinelander, Wisconsin 54501, USA
| | - Mark Pokras
- Biodiversity Research Institute, Portland, ME 04103, USA; Wildlife Clinic, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA
| | - L Michael Romero
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA.
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22
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Herring G, Eagles-Smith CA, Ackerman JT. Mercury exposure may influence fluctuating asymmetry in waterbirds. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2017; 36:1599-1605. [PMID: 27862225 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Revised: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Variation in avian bilateral symmetry can be an indicator of developmental instability in response to a variety of stressors, including environmental contaminants. The authors used composite measures of fluctuating asymmetry to examine the influence of mercury concentrations in 2 tissues on fluctuating asymmetry within 4 waterbird species. Fluctuating asymmetry increased with mercury concentrations in whole blood and breast feathers of Forster's terns (Sterna forsteri), a species with elevated mercury concentrations. Specifically, fluctuating asymmetry in rectrix feather 1 was the most strongly correlated structural variable of those tested (wing chord, tarsus, primary feather 10, rectrix feather 6) with mercury concentrations in Forster's terns. However, for American avocets (Recurvirostra americana), black-necked stilts (Himantopus mexicanus), and Caspian terns (Hydroprogne caspia), the authors found no relationship between fluctuating asymmetry and either whole-blood or breast feather mercury concentrations, even though these species had moderate to elevated mercury exposure. The results indicate that mercury contamination may act as an environmental stressor during development and feather growth and contribute to fluctuating asymmetry of some species of highly contaminated waterbirds. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1599-1605. 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)
- Garth Herring
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, US Geological Survey, Corvallis, Oregon
| | - Collin A Eagles-Smith
- Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, US Geological Survey, Corvallis, Oregon
| | - Joshua T Ackerman
- Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, US Geological Survey, Dixon, California
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23
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Provencher JF, Forbes MR, Hennin HL, Love OP, Braune BM, Mallory ML, Gilchrist HG. Implications of mercury and lead concentrations on breeding physiology and phenology in an Arctic bird. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2016; 218:1014-1022. [PMID: 27567168 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.08.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Revised: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/21/2016] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Although physiological traits and phenology are thought to be evolved traits, they often show marked variation within populations, which may be related to extrinsic factors. For example, trace elements such as mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) alter biochemical processes within wildlife that may affect migration and breeding. While there is a growing understanding of how contaminants may influence wildlife physiology, studies addressing these interactions in free-living species are still limited. We examined how four non-essential trace elements (cadmium, Hg, Pb and selenium) interacted with physiological and breeding measures known to influence breeding in a free-living population of common eider ducks (Somateria mollissima). We collected blood from female eiders as they arrived at a breeding colony in northern Canada. Blood was subsequently assessed for baseline corticosterone (CORT), immunoglobulin Y (IgY), and the four trace elements. We used model selection to identify which elements varied most with CORT, IgY, arrival condition, and arrival timing. We then used path analysis to assess how the top two elements from the model selection process (Hg and Pb) varied with metrics known to influence reproduction. We found that arrival date, blood Hg, CORT, and IgY showed significant inter-annual variation. While blood Pb concentrations were low, blood Pb levels significantly increased with later arrival date of the birds, and varied negatively with eider body condition, suggesting that even at low blood concentrations, Pb may be related to lower investment in reproduction in eiders. In contrast, blood Hg concentrations were positively correlated with eider body condition, indicating that fatter birds also had higher Hg burdens. Overall, our results suggest that although blood Hg and Pb concentrations were below no-effect levels, these low level concentrations of known toxic metals show significant relationships with breeding onset and condition in female eider ducks, factors that could influence reproductive success in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- J F Provencher
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | - M R Forbes
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - H L Hennin
- Department of Biological Sciences and Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - O P Love
- Department of Biological Sciences and Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
| | - B M Braune
- WLSD, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - M L Mallory
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS, Canada
| | - H G Gilchrist
- WLSD, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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24
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Meillère A, Brischoux F, Bustamante P, Michaud B, Parenteau C, Marciau C, Angelier F. Corticosterone levels in relation to trace element contamination along an urbanization gradient in the common blackbird (Turdus merula). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 566-567:93-101. [PMID: 27213675 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Revised: 05/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/02/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In a rapidly urbanizing world, trace element pollution may represent a threat to human health and wildlife, and it is therefore crucial to assess both exposition levels and associated effects of trace element contamination on urban vertebrates. In this study, we investigated the impact of urbanization on trace element contamination and stress physiology in a wild bird species, the common blackbird (Turdus merula), along an urbanization gradient (from rural to moderately urbanized areas). Specifically, we described the contamination levels of blackbirds by 4 non-essential (Ag, Cd, Hg, Pb) and 9 essential trace elements (As, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Se, Zn), and explored the putative disrupting effects of the non-essential element contamination on corticosterone levels (a hormonal proxy for environmental challenges). We found that non-essential trace element burden (Cd and Pb specifically) increased with increasing urbanization, indicating a significant trace element contamination even in medium sized cities and suburban areas. Interestingly, the increased feather non-essential trace element concentrations were also associated with elevated feather corticosterone levels, suggesting that urbanization probably constrains birds and that this effect may be mediated by trace element contamination. Future experimental studies are now required to disentangle the influence of multiple urban-related constraints on corticosterone levels and to specifically test the influence of each of these trace elements on corticosterone secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alizée Meillère
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, F-79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France.
| | - François Brischoux
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, F-79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, F-17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Bruno Michaud
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, F-79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Charline Parenteau
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, F-79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Coline Marciau
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, F-79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, F-79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
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25
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Tartu S, Lendvai ÁZ, Blévin P, Herzke D, Bustamante P, Moe B, Gabrielsen GW, Bustnes JO, Chastel O. Increased adrenal responsiveness and delayed hatching date in relation to polychlorinated biphenyl exposure in Arctic-breeding black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2015; 219:165-72. [PMID: 25796954 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2014.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2014] [Revised: 12/24/2014] [Accepted: 12/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
High levels of environmental contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and mercury (Hg) have been reported in some Arctic top predators such as seabirds. Chronic exposure to these contaminants might alter the response to environmental changes through interference with the regulation of corticosterone (CORT), a glucocorticoid stress hormone released by the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Positive and negative relationships between CORT and environmental contaminants have been reported in polar seabirds. However, patterns appear inconclusive and it is difficult to attribute these relationships to a dysfunction of the HPA axis or to other confounding effects. In order to explore the relationships between the HPA axis activity and contaminants, we tested whether different aspects of the HPA axis of an Arctic seabird, the black-legged kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla, would be related to blood Hg, PCB and OCP concentrations. Male kittiwakes were caught during the incubation period in Svalbard and were subjected to different stress series: (1) a capture-restraint stress protocol, (2) an injection of dexamethasone (DEX) that enabled to test the efficacy of the HPA negative feedback and (3) an injection of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) that informed on the adrenal responsiveness. The HPA axis activity was unrelated to ΣOCPs and Hg. However, birds with high concentrations of ΣPCBs released more CORT after the ACTH injection. It is suggested that ΣPCBs may increase the number of ACTH-receptors on the adrenals. Additionally, hatching date was delayed in males with higher concentrations of ΣPCBs and ΣOCPs. This study gives new evidence that PCBs and adrenal activity may be related. Thus high PCB burden may make individuals more prone to other stressors such as ongoing climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Tartu
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372-ULR CNRS, F-79360, France.
| | - Ádám Z Lendvai
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Pierre Blévin
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372-ULR CNRS, F-79360, France
| | - Dorte Herzke
- Norwegian Institute for Air Research, FRAM High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-Université de la Rochelle, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Børge Moe
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Postboks 5685 Sluppen, N-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Geir Wing Gabrielsen
- Norwegian Polar Institute, FRAM - High North Research Centre on Climate and the Environment, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Jan Ove Bustnes
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, FRAM - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372-ULR CNRS, F-79360, France
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26
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Strong RJ, Pereira MG, Shore RF, Henrys PA, Pottinger TG. Feather corticosterone content in predatory birds in relation to body condition and hepatic metal concentration. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2015; 214:47-55. [PMID: 25776461 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2015.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2014] [Revised: 02/27/2015] [Accepted: 03/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated the feasibility of measuring corticosterone in feathers from cryo-archived raptor specimens, in order to provide a retrospective assessment of the activity of the stress axis in relation to contaminant burden. Feather samples were taken from sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus, kestrel Falco tinnunculus, buzzard Buteo buteo, barn owl Tyto alba, and tawny owl Strix aluco and the variation in feather CORT concentrations with respect to species, age, sex, feather position, and body condition was assessed. In sparrowhawks only, variation in feather CORT content was compared with hepatic metal concentrations. For individuals, CORT concentration (pgmm(-1)) in adjacent primary flight feathers (P5 and P6), and left and right wing primaries (P5), was statistically indistinguishable. The lowest concentrations of CORT were found in sparrowhawk feathers and CORT concentrations did not vary systematically with age or sex for any species. Significant relationships between feather CORT content and condition were observed in only tawny owl and kestrel. In sparrowhawks, feather CORT concentration was found to be positively related to the hepatic concentrations of five metals (Cd, Mn, Co, Cu, Mo) and the metalloid As. There was also a negative relationship between measures of condition and total hepatic metal concentration in males. The results suggest that some factors affecting CORT uptake by feathers remain to be resolved but feather CORT content from archived specimens has the potential to provide a simple effects biomarker for exposure to environmental contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J Strong
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, United Kingdom; University of Lancaster, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, United Kingdom
| | - M Glória Pereira
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, United Kingdom
| | - Richard F Shore
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, United Kingdom
| | - Peter A Henrys
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, United Kingdom
| | - Tom G Pottinger
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4AP, United Kingdom.
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27
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Caudill MT, Spear EL, Varian-Ramos CW, Cristol DA. PHA-stimulated immune-responsiveness in mercury-dosed zebra finches does not match results from environmentally exposed songbirds. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2015; 94:407-411. [PMID: 25638440 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-015-1472-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Dietary mercury exposure is associated with suppressed immune responsiveness in birds. This study examined the immune-responsiveness of domestic zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) experimentally exposed to mercury through their diet. We used the phytohemagglutinin (PHA) skin-swelling test to assay the effect of two modes of mercury exposure. Some finches received exposure to mercury only after reaching sexual maturity, while others were maintained on a mercury-dosed diet throughout life, including development. Each bird received one of five dietary concentrations of methylmercury cysteine (0.0, 0.3, 0.6, 1.2 or 2.4 ppm). In contrast to a study on wild songbirds at a mercury-contaminated site, we detected no relationship between mercury level and immunological response to PHA, regardless of mode of exposure. This result represents the first major difference found by our laboratory between wild birds exposed to environmental mercury and captive birds experimentally exposed to mercury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell T Caudill
- Department of Biology, Institute for Integrative Bird Behavior Studies, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 23187-8795, USA
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Maddux SL, Cristol DA, Varian-Ramos CW, Bradley EL. The effect of mercury on baseline corticosterone in a breeding songbird. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2015; 94:135-139. [PMID: 25528272 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-014-1440-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2014] [Accepted: 12/06/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Although songbirds accumulate mercury at rates equivalent to better-studied aquatic avian species, effects of mercury bioaccumulation in songbirds remain understudied. Little is known about the effects of mercury on endocrine physiology, but recent evidence indicates that mercury may disrupt the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Both field-based correlational studies and a recent dosing experiment suggest that mercury exposure alters levels of the primary avian stress hormone, CORT. We sampled zebra finches that had been dosed with 0, 0.5, or 1.0 ppm dietary methylmercury for baseline CORT twice; once during pairing and once after successfully fledging young. Circulating levels of CORT were not significantly affected by mercury exposure. However, our findings indicate potentially important differences in CORT responses between the sexes when exposed to environmentally relevant doses of mercury across the nesting cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Maddux
- Department of Biology, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 23187, USA
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Tartu S, Angelier F, Wingfield JC, Bustamante P, Labadie P, Budzinski H, Weimerskirch H, Bustnes JO, Chastel O. Corticosterone, prolactin and egg neglect behavior in relation to mercury and legacy POPs in a long-lived Antarctic bird. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 505:180-188. [PMID: 25461020 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2014] [Revised: 10/01/2014] [Accepted: 10/02/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Seabirds often have high loads of contaminants. These contaminants have endocrine disrupting properties but their relationships with some endocrine mechanisms are still poorly investigated in free-living organisms. This is the case for the stress response which shifts energy investment away from reproduction and redirects it towards survival. In birds, this stress response is achieved through a release of corticosterone and is also accompanied by a decrease in circulating prolactin, an anterior pituitary hormone widely involved in regulating parental cares. We measured blood concentrations of some legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and mercury (Hg) and examined their relationships with the corticosterone and prolactin responses of known-age (9-46 years old) incubating snow petrels (Pagodroma nivea) to a standardized capture/handling stress protocol. In this Antarctic seabird, we also investigated whether high contaminant burden correlates with a higher occurrence of egg neglect, a frequently observed behavior in snow petrels. POPs and Hg were unrelated to age. Stress-induced corticosterone concentrations were positively related to POPs in both sexes, and stress-induced prolactin concentrations were negatively related to Hg in males. Egg-neglect behavior was not related to POPs burden, but males with higher Hg concentrations were more likely to neglect their egg. This suggests that in birds, relationships between age and contaminants are complex and that even low to moderate concentrations of POPs and Hg are significantly related to hormonal secretion. In this Antarctic species, exposure to legacy POPs and Hg could make individuals more susceptible to environmental stressors such as ongoing disturbances in Polar Regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Tartu
- UMR 7372, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers-en-bois, France.
| | - F Angelier
- UMR 7372, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers-en-bois, France
| | - J C Wingfield
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of CA, Davis, USA
| | - P Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-Université de la Rochelle, La Rochelle, France
| | - P Labadie
- Université de Bordeaux, EPOC/LPTC, UMR 5805, F-33400 Talence, France; CNRS, EPOC/LPTC, UMR 5805, F-33400 Talence, France
| | - H Budzinski
- Université de Bordeaux, EPOC/LPTC, UMR 5805, F-33400 Talence, France; CNRS, EPOC/LPTC, UMR 5805, F-33400 Talence, France
| | - H Weimerskirch
- UMR 7372, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers-en-bois, France
| | - J O Bustnes
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, FRAM - High North Research Centre on Climate and the Environment, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - O Chastel
- UMR 7372, CNRS-Université de La Rochelle, Villiers-en-bois, France
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Herring G, Eagles-Smith CA, Gawlik DE, Beerens JM, Ackerman JT. Physiological condition of juvenile wading birds in relation to multiple landscape stressors in the Florida Everglades: effects of hydrology, prey availability, and mercury bioaccumulation. PLoS One 2014; 9:e106447. [PMID: 25184221 PMCID: PMC4153589 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2014] [Accepted: 08/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The physiological condition of juvenile birds can be influenced by multiple ecological stressors, and few studies have concurrently considered the effects of environmental contaminants in combination with ecological attributes that can influence foraging conditions and prey availability. Using three temporally distinct indices of physiological condition, we compared the physiological response of nestling great egrets (Ardea alba) and white ibises (Eudocimus albus) to changing prey availability, hydrology (water depth, recession rate), and mercury exposure in the Florida Everglades. We found that the physiological response of chicks varied between species and among environmental variables. Chick body condition (short-term index) and fecal corticosterone levels (medium-term) were influenced by wetland water depth, prey availability, region, and age, but not by mercury contamination. However, mercury exposure did influence heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in egret chicks, indicating a longer-term physiological response to contamination. Our results indicate that the physiological condition of egret and ibis chicks were influenced by several environmental stressors, and the time frame of the effect may depend on the specialized foraging behavior of the adults provisioning the chicks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garth Herring
- United States Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Collin A. Eagles-Smith
- United States Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Dale E. Gawlik
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, United States of America
| | - James M. Beerens
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, United States of America
| | - Joshua T. Ackerman
- United States Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, Dixon, California, United States of America
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Moore CS, Cristol DA, Maddux SL, Varian-Ramos CW, Bradley EL. Lifelong exposure to methylmercury disrupts stress-induced corticosterone response in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2014; 33:1072-1076. [PMID: 24436046 DOI: 10.1002/etc.2521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2013] [Revised: 09/11/2013] [Accepted: 01/08/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Mercury can disrupt the endocrine systems of mammals and fish, but little is known about its effects on avian hormones. The authors employed an experimental manipulation to show that methylmercury suppresses the stress-induced corticosterone response in birds, an effect previously unreported in the literature. Corticosterone regulates many normal metabolic processes, such as the maintenance of proper blood glucose levels during stressful daily fasting; an inability to increase corticosterone levels in response to stressors renders a bird less able to face a wide array of environmental challenges. The authors studied reproductively mature zebra finches that had been exposed to 0.0 µg/g, 0.3 µg/g, 0.6 µg/g, 1.2 µg/g, or 2.4 µg/g (wet wt) dietary methylmercury throughout their life (i.e., from the egg onward). In contrast to some field studies, the present study found no significant change in baseline plasma corticosterone concentrations attributable to chronic methylmercury exposure. However, a comparison between the baseline corticosterone levels and levels after 30 min of handling stress revealed that the ability of birds to mount a stress response was reduced with increasing blood total mercury concentration. These results are consistent with adrenal corticoid disruption caused by chronic mercury exposure and mirror a similar study on free-living nestling songbirds exposed to environmental mercury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina S Moore
- Department of Biology, Institute for Integrative Bird Behavior Studies, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA
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Figueiredo NLL, Canário J, Duarte A, Serralheiro ML, Carvalho C. Isolation and characterization of mercury-resistant bacteria from sediments of Tagus Estuary (Portugal): implications for environmental and human health risk assessment. JOURNAL OF TOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH. PART A 2014; 77:155-168. [PMID: 24555656 DOI: 10.1080/15287394.2014.867204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) contamination of aquatic systems has been recognized as a global and serious problem affecting both human and environmental health. In the aquatic ecosystems, mercurial compounds are microbiologically transformed with methylation responsible for generation of methylmercury (MeHg) and subsequent biomagnification in food chain, consequently increasing the risk of poisoning for humans and wildlife. High levels of Hg, especially MeHg, are known to exist in Tagus Estuary as a result of past industrial activities. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize Hg-resistant bacteria from Tagus Estuary. Mercury-resistant (Hg-R) bacteria were isolated from sediments of two hotspots (Barreiro and North Channel) and one reserve area (Alcochete). Mercury contamination in these areas was examined and bacterial susceptibility to Hg compounds evaluated by determination of minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC). The isolates characterization was based on morphological observation and biochemical testing. Bacteria characteristics, distribution, and Hg resistance levels were compared with metal levels. Barreiro and North Channel were highly contaminated with Hg, containing 126 and 18 μg/g total Hg, respectively, and in Alcochete, contamination was lower at 0.87 μg/g total Hg. Among the isolates there were aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, namely, sulfate-reducing bacteria, and Hg resistance levels ranged from 0.16 to 140 μg/ml for Hg(2+) and from 0.02 to 50.1 μg/ml for MeHg. The distribution of these bacteria and the resistance levels were consistent with Hg contamination along the depth of the sediments. Overall, results show the importance of the characterization of Tagus Estuary bacteria for ecological and human health risk assessment.
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MESH Headings
- Bacteria, Aerobic/drug effects
- Bacteria, Aerobic/isolation & purification
- Bacteria, Anaerobic/drug effects
- Bacteria, Anaerobic/isolation & purification
- Chromatography, Gas
- Environmental Health
- Environmental Monitoring
- Estuaries
- Geologic Sediments/chemistry
- Geologic Sediments/microbiology
- Humans
- Mercury/analysis
- Mercury/pharmacology
- Methylmercury Compounds/analysis
- Methylmercury Compounds/pharmacology
- Microbial Sensitivity Tests
- Portugal
- Risk Assessment
- Spectrophotometry, Atomic
- Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis
- Water Pollutants, Chemical/pharmacology
- Water Pollution, Chemical/adverse effects
- Water Pollution, Chemical/analysis
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Affiliation(s)
- Neusa L L Figueiredo
- a Instituto de Investigação do Medicamento (iMed.ULisboa), Faculdade de Farmácia , Universidade de Lisboa Av. Prof. Gama Pinto , Lisboa , 1649-003 , Portugal
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Beck ML, Hopkins WA, Hallagan JJ, Jackson BP, Hawley DM. Exposure to residual concentrations of elements from a remediated coal fly ash spill does not adversely influence stress and immune responses of nestling tree swallows. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2014; 2:cou018. [PMID: 27293639 PMCID: PMC4732501 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/cou018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2013] [Revised: 04/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/18/2014] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities often produce pollutants that can affect the physiology, growth and reproductive success of wildlife. Many metals and trace elements play important roles in physiological processes, and exposure to even moderately elevated concentrations of essential and non-essential elements could have subtle effects on physiology, particularly during development. We examined the effects of exposure to a number of elements from a coal fly ash spill that occurred in December 2008 and has since been remediated on the stress and immune responses of nestling tree swallows. We found that nestlings at the site of the spill had significantly greater blood concentrations of Cu, Hg, Se and Zn in 2011, but greater concentrations only of Se in 2012, in comparison to reference colonies. The concentrations of elements were below levels of significant toxicological concern in both years. In 2011, we found no relationship between exposure to elements associated with the spill and basal or stress-induced corticosterone concentrations in nestlings. In 2012, we found that Se exposure was not associated with cell-mediated immunity based on the response to phytohaemagglutinin injection. However, the bactericidal capacity of nestling plasma had a positive but weak association with blood Se concentrations, and this association was stronger at the spill site. Our results indicate that exposure to these low concentrations of elements had few effects on nestling endocrine and immune physiology. The long-term health consequences of low-level exposure to elements and of exposure to greater element concentrations in avian species require additional study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle L. Beck
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, 106 Cheatham Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0321, USA
- Corresponding author: 106 Cheatham Hall, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0321, USA. Tel: +1 509 339 3235.
| | - William A. Hopkins
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, 106 Cheatham Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0321, USA
| | - John J. Hallagan
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, 106 Cheatham Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0321, USA
| | - Brian P. Jackson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, 6105 Fairchild Hall, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Dana M. Hawley
- Department of Biology, Virginia Tech, 2125 Derring Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0406, USA
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