Baos Raquel, Jovani Roger, Forero Manuela G, Tella José L, Gómez Gemma, Jiménez Begoña, González María J, Hiraldo Fernando
Department of Applied Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (C.S.I.C.), Avda. Ma Luisa s/n Pabellón del Perú, 41013 Sevilla, Spain.
Environ Toxicol Chem. 2006 Apr;25(4):1153-9. doi: 10.1897/05-395r.1.
In the Aznalcóllar mining accident (April 1998), nearly six million cubic meters of toxic wastes were spilled in the surroundings of the Doñana National Park (southwestern Spain). The present study focused on the likely effects of metal pollution on the immune system of nestling white storks (Ciconia ciconia) and black kites (Milvus migrans) sampled in the nearby area. Using the phytohaemagglutinin skin test, we examined cell-mediated immune response (CMI) in relation to Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, and As concentrations in blood of 281 nestling white storks and of 89 black kites. The former species was monitored along a four-year period (1999, 2001-2003), while black kites were sampled in 1999. Overall, average levels of heavy metals and As were relatively low when compared to those reported for birds in metal-polluted areas. Copper showed a negative effect on CMI in both species, although the relationship was significant only for white storks in 2002. We found no evidence that environmental exposure to Pb, Zn, As, and Cd had any effect on nestlings' CMI. Interannual consistency is revealed as an important factor, supporting the need of long-term studies when assessing the immunotoxic effects of metal exposure in the wild.
在阿兹纳尔科拉尔采矿事故（1998年4月）中，近600万立方米的有毒废物泄漏到多尼亚纳国家公园（西班牙西南部）周边地区。本研究聚焦于金属污染对在附近区域采集的白鹳（白鹳属）雏鸟和黑鸢（黑鸢属）免疫系统可能产生的影响。我们采用植物血凝素皮肤试验，检测了281只白鹳雏鸟和89只黑鸢血液中铅、锌、铜、镉和砷浓度与细胞介导免疫反应（CMI）的关系。对前一个物种进行了为期四年（1999年、2001 - 2003年）的监测，而黑鸢样本于1999年采集。总体而言，与金属污染地区鸟类的报告水平相比，重金属和砷的平均含量相对较低。铜对两个物种的CMI均有负面影响，不过这种关系仅在2002年对白鹳具有显著意义。我们没有发现环境暴露于铅、锌、砷和镉对雏鸟CMI有任何影响的证据。年际一致性被证明是一个重要因素，这支持了在评估野外金属暴露的免疫毒性效应时进行长期研究的必要性。
