Kenntner N, Krone O, Altenkamp R, Tataruch F
Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, PF 601103, D-10252 Berlin, Germany.
Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 2003 Jul;45(1):128-35. doi: 10.1007/s00244-002-2100-8.
The northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) is a top predator in the terrestrial food web of large parts of the Holarctic. Due to its sedentary nature and well-investigated feeding ecology, it represents the most suitable bird of prey species in continental Europe for monitoring environmental pollutants. We analyzed the levels of organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), and nonessential heavy metals in organ samples of 62 free-ranging northern goshawks found dead or injured in Germany from 1995 to 2001. Our results indicate significant differences in the contaminant burden of northern goshawks between three regions in Germany. Presumably, these differences were caused by different application periods and legislative restrictions before the German reunion, especially for the use of DDT in agriculture and forestry. Extraordinarily high residues of PCBs and DDE, the main metabolite of DDT, were found mainly in livers of northern goshawks inhabiting Berlin. Body condition is highly negatively correlated with the contamination level of the individual, especially for the persistent and lipophilic organochlorines and for mercury. PCB concentrations in hepatic tissue increase rapidly with age, and birds in their first summer had significantly lower levels than birds in their first winter or older. Adult female northern goshawks from Berlin had significantly higher hepatic concentrations of most of the higher-chlorinated PCBs and of cadmium than males from the same region. Cadmium residues were in general higher in renal tissue than in hepatic tissue, and cadmium levels in kidneys increased with age. Lead concentrations indicative of acute lead poisoning were detected in one bird and suggested in two others. All other heavy metal concentrations were low and represent background levels for birds of prey in Germany.
北方苍鹰（Accipiter gentilis）是全北区大部分地区陆地食物网中的顶级捕食者。由于其定居习性和深入研究的觅食生态，它是欧洲大陆最适合用于监测环境污染物的猛禽物种。我们分析了1995年至2001年在德国发现死亡或受伤的62只自由放养北方苍鹰的器官样本中有机氯农药、多氯联苯（PCB）和非必需重金属的含量。我们的结果表明德国三个地区的北方苍鹰污染物负荷存在显著差异。据推测，这些差异是由德国统一前不同的施用时期和立法限制造成的，特别是农业和林业中滴滴涕的使用。多氯联苯和滴滴涕的主要代谢产物滴滴伊的残留量极高，主要发现于栖息在柏林的北方苍鹰的肝脏中。身体状况与个体的污染水平高度负相关，尤其是对于持久性和亲脂性有机氯以及汞而言。肝脏组织中的多氯联苯浓度随年龄迅速增加，第一年夏天的鸟类体内的浓度明显低于第一年冬天或更年长的鸟类。来自柏林的成年雌性北方苍鹰肝脏中大多数高氯代多氯联苯和镉的浓度明显高于同一地区的雄性。肾脏组织中的镉残留量一般高于肝脏组织，且肾脏中的镉含量随年龄增加。在一只鸟体内检测到了表明急性铅中毒的铅浓度，另外两只鸟体内也疑似有此类情况。所有其他重金属浓度较低，代表了德国猛禽的背景水平。
