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Lehel J, Grúz A, Bartha A, Menyhárt L, Szabó R, Tibor K, Budai P. Potentially toxic elements in different tissues of great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) at a wetland area. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2023; 30:120540-120551. [PMID: 37943439 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-30791-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Concentrations of 4 potentially toxic elements (As, Cd, Hg, Pb) were investigated in the feather, liver, kidney, and bone of great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo). The tissue samples were taken at the Central Tisza - Jászság Nature Conservation Area in Hungary. They were analysed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The goal of the investigation was to analyse the metal burden of the above-mentioned elements in the various tissues of these wild birds and to provide important information for monitoring the environmental pollution.Amongst the examined potentially toxic elements no statistical gender difference was observed, so the data were not separated based on them during the statistical analysis. The concentration of mercury was the highest in the feather, followed by the liver, kidney, and bone. The lead was detected in the feather with the highest level followed by the kidney, liver, and bone. The cadmium was determined in all investigated tissues with the next descending order: kidney > bone > liver > feather. Highest arsenic concentration was measured in the feather, followed by liver, kidney, and bone with the same concentration.The detected concentrations of the investigated potentially toxic elements in different tissues of great cormorants (feathers, liver, kidney, bone) means that the living area of this birds is not highly contaminated to induce health problems or toxic signs, or even other undesirable effect in the animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- József Lehel
- Department of Food Hygiene, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, István u. 2, Budapest, H-1400, Hungary
- National Laboratory for Infectious Animal Diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance, Veterinary Public Health and Food Chain Safety, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, István u. 2, Budapest, H-1400, Hungary
| | - Adrienn Grúz
- Medpace Hungary Kft., Csörsz u. 49-51, Budapest, H-1124, Hungary
| | - András Bartha
- Department of Animal Hygiene, Herd Health and Mobile Clinic, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, István u. 2, Budapest, H-1400, Hungary
| | - László Menyhárt
- Institute of Mathematics and Basic Science, Georgikon Campus, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Deák F. u. 16, Keszthely, H-8360, Hungary
| | - Rita Szabó
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Plant Protection, Georgikon Campus, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Deák F. u. 16, Keszthely, H-8360, Hungary
| | - Kocsner Tibor
- Digital Food Chain Education, Research, Development and Innovation Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, István u. 2, Budapest, H-1400, Hungary
| | - Péter Budai
- Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Plant Protection, Georgikon Campus, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Deák F. u. 16, Keszthely, H-8360, Hungary.
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Sahlstén J, Rajasilta M, Mäkinen K, Hänninen J. The prevalence of Corynosoma parasite worms in the great cormorants and the Baltic herring in the northern Baltic Sea, Finland. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2023; 21:287-295. [PMID: 37538509 PMCID: PMC10393744 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2023.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
During 2014-2019, the prevalence of Corynosoma spp., a parasite species in great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo spp.) and in Baltic herring (Clupea harengus membras), was studied in the Archipelago and the Bothnian Seas of the northern Baltic Sea. These results suggest that cormorants may act as a definitive host for these acanthocephalan parasites. Adults were more infected with the parasites than juveniles, which could be due to their larger size. A lower prevalence of Corynosoma spp. in juveniles may be because smaller cormorants eat smaller fish that have less parasites. We found that the most abundant corynosoma species in both the Baltic herring and cormorants were Corynosoma semerme, whereas only a few individuals of C. strumosum and only one C. magdaleni were found. The prevalence of corynosoma in herring increased from 2014 to 2018, and individuals in the Bothnian Sea were infected less frequently than herring in the Archipelago Sea. Results also showed that infected herring individuals were generally larger than non-infected individuals, which could be explained by their size and their feeding habits. Currently, the changing environment of the Baltic Sea may cause an effect on the herring making them more susceptible to infections. Our results, therefore, emphasize the importance of the regular monitoring of infections and the parasite-host relationships in the Baltic Sea.
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Lehel J, Grúz A, Bartha A, Pintér I, Lénárt Z, Major L, Menyhárt L, Szabó R, Budai P. Comparison of metal burden in different muscle tissues of Great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo). Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2022; 29:2375-2384. [PMID: 34370194 PMCID: PMC8732976 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-15600-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Concentrations of 12 metals (As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb and Zn) were examined in the pectoral and thigh muscle of great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo). The samples were collected from Central Tisza-Jászság Nature Conservation Area in Hungary. The tissue samples were analysed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The aim of the study was to examine the impacts of heavy metal pollution on the water birds, determine the concentrations of the abovementioned metals in the different muscle tissues of these wetland birds, and provide the basic materials for monitoring the environmental pollution. Among the investigated elements/metals, the detected concentrations of As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Mo and Ni were below the detection limit. Higher concentration of Cu, Hg, Mn and Pb was measured in the pectoral muscle compared to the thigh muscle, but only in the case of Cu and Mn were found significant differences between the tissues. In the case of the Zn concentration, the higher value was detected in the thigh muscle. There were no statistical differences between males and females in either metal concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- József Lehel
- Department of Food Hygiene, University of Veterinary Medicine, István u. 2, Budapest, H-1400, Hungary.
| | - Adrienn Grúz
- Institute of Plant Protection, Georgikon Campus, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Deák F. u. 16, Keszthely, H-8360, Hungary.
| | - András Bartha
- Herd Health and Mobile Clinic, Department of Animal Hygiene, University of Veterinary Medicine, István u. 2, Budapest, H-1400, Hungary
| | - Imre Pintér
- Division of Plant Protection and Soil Conservation, Department of Agriculture, Government Office of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County, Vízpart blvd. 28, Szolnok, H-5000, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Lénárt
- Department of Food Hygiene, University of Veterinary Medicine, István u. 2, Budapest, H-1400, Hungary
| | - László Major
- Institute of Plant Protection, Georgikon Campus, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Deák F. u. 16, Keszthely, H-8360, Hungary
| | - László Menyhárt
- Institute of Technology, Georgikon Campus, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Deák F. u. 16, Keszthely, H-8360, Hungary
| | - Rita Szabó
- Institute of Plant Protection, Georgikon Campus, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Deák F. u. 16, Keszthely, H-8360, Hungary
| | - Péter Budai
- Institute of Plant Protection, Georgikon Campus, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Deák F. u. 16, Keszthely, H-8360, Hungary
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Prakas P, Butkauskas D, Švažas S, Stanevičius V. Morphological and genetic characterisation of Sarcocystis halieti from the great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo). Parasitol Res 2018; 117:3663-7. [PMID: 30229295 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-6083-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Having examined 19 great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) hunted in Lithuania, sarcocysts were found in the muscles of two birds. Sarcocysts detected were examined using light microscopy (LM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and 18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, ITS1, cox1, and rpoB sequence comparison. Based on the molecular analysis, mainly of the ITS1 region, sarcocysts were identified as Sarcocystis halieti. This is the first Sarcocystis species characterised in the great cormorant. Under the LM sarcocysts were ribbon-shaped, very long and thin (the largest fragment found amounted to 6.5 × 0.1 mm) with a smooth and thin (up to 1.2 μm) cyst wall. Banana-shaped bradyzoites were 7.2 × 1.9 (6.3-8.2 × 1.4-2.4) μm. Under TEM, the cyst wall was wavy, 0.8- to 1.2-μm thick. The comparison of 12 species demonstrated cox1 and rpoB to be unsuitable for the identification of Sarcocystis spp. using birds as intermediate hosts.
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Aazami J, KianiMehr N. Survey of heavy metals in internal tissues of Great cormorant collected from southern wetlands of Caspian Sea, Iran. Environ Monit Assess 2017; 190:52. [PMID: 29288418 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-017-6433-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The level of mercury, iron, copper, and zinc was measured in 18 Great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) collected from Anzali and Gomishan wetlands in the south of the Caspian Sea. The mean level of metals in dried tissues of the muscle, liver, and kidney was 2.26, 5.71, 3.79-Hg; 943.54, 379.97, 348.05-Fe; 42.64, 14.78, 60.79-Cu, and 71.97, 134.63, 77.82-Zn, respectively (mg/kg). There was no significant different between genders in terms of accumulation of metals, except for copper in the kidney. The results of Pearson correlation showed a positive and strong relationship between the fat in the liver and mercury (r = 0.95, R2 = 0.90). Also, there was a significant difference between the values of all metals with the allowable limits presented in EPA, WHO, and CCME, where all of values were above standard levels. Thus, as the muscles of the bird are sometimes eaten by humans, this result is a serious warning. Nevertheless, the relatively high levels of heavy metals accumulated in different tissues of Great cormorant at that time are a result of their high weight and nourishment they have at the terminal days of their migration due to lack of natural physical activity. Regarding to the importance of heavy metals in birds, we suggest the same study to be conducted on the species in other seasons and wetlands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaber Aazami
- Department of Environment Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran.
| | - Naser KianiMehr
- Department of Environment Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran
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Nordén M, Berger U, Engwall M. Developmental toxicity of PFOS and PFOA in great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis), herring gull (Larus argentatus) and chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2016; 23:10855-10862. [PMID: 26895726 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-6285-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2015] [Accepted: 02/14/2016] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are found globally in environmental samples and have been studied in various species. In this study, we compare the sensitivity of three avian species to the toxic effects of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoate (PFOA). Eggs of great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis), herring gull (Larus argentatus) and the domestic White Leghorn chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) were exposed in ovo by injection into the air sac. Effects on embryo survival were observed following exposure to PFOS and PFOA in chicken and herring gull. Chicken was found to be the most sensitive species with 50 % reduced embryo survival at 8.5 μg/g egg for PFOS and 2.5 μg/g egg for PFOA. Cormorant was shown to be the least sensitive species. The difference in sensitivity between chicken and herring gull was a factor of 2.7 for PFOS and 3.5 for PFOA. Between chicken and great cormorant, the sensitivity difference was 2.6 for PFOS and 8.2 for PFOA. Effects on embryo survival were seen at egg injection doses of PFOS close to levels found in environmental samples from wild birds, indicating that PFOS could be having effects in highly exposed populations of birds. This study also shows that there are differences in species sensitivity to PFOS and PFOA that should be taken into consideration in avian wildlife risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Nordén
- Man-Technology-Environment Research Centre (MTM), School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, SE-701 82, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Urs Berger
- Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry (ACES), Stockholm university, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Magnus Engwall
- Man-Technology-Environment Research Centre (MTM), School of Science and Technology, Örebro University, SE-701 82, Örebro, Sweden.
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Minias P, Wojczulanis-Jakubas K, Rutkowski R, Kaczmarek K, Janiszewski T. Spatial patterns of extra-pair paternity in a waterbird colony: separating the effects of nesting density and nest site location. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016; 70:369-376. [PMID: 26900213 PMCID: PMC4748001 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-2056-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2015] [Revised: 12/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Centres of avian colonies are usually associated with reduced predation risk and, thus, attract individuals of high quality, while poor-quality individuals are relegated to peripheral zones. Assuming that the incidence of extra-pair paternity (EPP) is dependent on individual quality, we could expect lower incidence of extra-pair offspring in the central parts of colonies. On the other hand, central pairs often nest in higher densities, which might increase EPP rate. To test these hypotheses, we sampled 124 great cormorant Phalacarocorax carbo sinensis chicks from 30 broods from different zones of a colony and genotyped them at seven highly polymorphic microsatellite loci. Sibship reconstruction confirmed the presence of at least one extra-pair chick in 30.0 % of broods. We found that EPP varied significantly between the zones of the colony, with higher incidence of extra-pair broods in the peripheral zone (53.3 vs. 6.7 % of broods). Centre-edge difference in EPP was consistent with the expected distribution of pair quality and suggested that poor-quality peripheral females were more likely to solicit extra-pair interactions, possibly to gain ‘good genes’ for their offspring. By contrast, we found no evidence for density dependence in EPP rate, indicating that likelihood of raising extra-pair offspring was not constrained by limited availability of local males. The results indicate that spatial randomization of sampling within avian colonies is critical to obtain robust estimations of EPP for non-solitary species. To our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence for the centre-edge difference in EPP within a breeding colony of birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Minias
- Department of Teacher Training and Biodiversity Studies, University of Łódź, Banacha 1/3, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
| | | | - Robert Rutkowski
- Department of Molecular and Biometrical Techniques, Museum and Institute of Zoology PAS, 00-679 Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Tomasz Janiszewski
- Department of Teacher Training and Biodiversity Studies, University of Łódź, Banacha 1/3, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
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Minias P, Wojczulanis-Jakubas K, Rutkowski R, Kaczmarek K. Local Heterozygosity Effects on Nestling Growth and Condition in the Great Cormorant. Evol Biol 2015; 42:452-460. [PMID: 26586922 PMCID: PMC4642584 DOI: 10.1007/s11692-015-9339-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Under inbreeding, heterozygosity at neutral genetic markers is likely to reflect genome-wide heterozygosity and, thus, is expected to correlate with fitness. There is, however, growing evidence that some of heterozygosity-fitness correlations (HFCs) can be explained by ‘local effects’, where noncoding loci are at linkage disequilibrium with functional genes. The aim of this study was to investigate correlations between heterozygosity at seven microsatellite loci and two fitness-related traits, nestling growth rate and nutritional condition, in a recently bottlenecked population of great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis. We found that heterozygosity was positively associated with both nestling traits at the between-brood level, but the individual (within-brood) effects of heterozygosity were non-significant. We also found that only one locus per trait was primarily responsible for the significant multi-locus HFCs, suggesting a linkage disequilibrium with non-identified functional loci. The results give support for ‘local effect’ hypothesis, confirming that HFCs may not only be interpreted as evidence of inbreeding and that genetic associations between functional and selectively neutral markers could be much more common in natural populations than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Minias
- />Department of Teacher Training and Biodiversity Studies, University of Łódź, Banacha 1/3, 90-237 Łódź, Poland
- />Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201 USA
| | | | - Robert Rutkowski
- />Department of Molecular and Biometrical Techniques, Museum and Institute of Zoology PAS, 00-679 Warsaw, Poland
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