Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC-CSIC-UCLM-JCCM) Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain.
Equip de Biologia de la Conservació, Departament de Biologia Animal, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal 645, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
Sci Total Environ. 2015 Dec 15;538:692-702. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.08.053. Epub 2015 Aug 29.
The exposure to persistent pollutants such as organochlorine compounds (OCs) or metals has been associated with declines in top predator populations, which can accumulate high amounts of these pollutants from their prey. However, understanding how variation in OC and metal accumulation in wild species affects their biochemical and physiological responses is a big challenge, especially for endangered predators like the Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata). This bird of prey is an interesting study model because the differences in diet composition among populations and territories can account for important pollutant uptake variations. We compared OC and metal accumulation in blood of Bonelli's eagle nestlings from three populations across Spain as a function of origin, age class (nestlings vs. adults), sex and number of siblings per nest, and related accumulation patterns to responses indicative of body condition, biochemistry and antioxidant status. Nestlings from Catalonia, the most industrialized area, showed the highest concentrations of PCBs and arsenic, and the lowest concentrations of zinc. The two former substances, together with DDTs, exerted an overall influence on nestling's physiology. PCBs and arsenic were associated with reduced retinol levels, pointing to oxidative damage in exposed individuals, which was also consistent with the low zinc levels in individuals from the polluted region. Increased plasma DDT levels were related to reduced body condition and lower levels of triglycerides. Mercury accumulation in Castile and Leon was higher in nestlings that were alone in the nest than in nestlings that shared it with a sibling; this suggests an increased mercury uptake from secondary prey in territories where preferred prey (i.e. rabbits) are scarce, which are also the territories where productivity is reduced. Overall, the results reveal a spatial variation in pollutant accumulation patterns and associated physiological effects, and suggest the major role that territory quality may have in such patterns.
接触持久性污染物，如有机氯化合物（OCs）或金属，与顶级捕食者数量的下降有关，这些污染物可以从它们的猎物中积累大量的污染物。然而，了解野生物种中 OC 和金属积累的变化如何影响它们的生化和生理反应是一个巨大的挑战，特别是对于像 Bonelli 的鹰（Aquila fasciata）这样的濒危捕食者。这种猛禽是一个有趣的研究模型，因为不同种群和领地之间的饮食成分差异可以解释重要的污染物吸收变化。我们比较了来自西班牙三个种群的 Bonelli 的鹰雏鸟血液中的 OC 和金属积累情况，作为起源、年龄（雏鸟与成年）、性别和每个巢中的兄弟姐妹数量的函数，并将相关的积累模式与身体状况、生物化学和抗氧化状态的指示反应相关联。来自加泰罗尼亚的雏鸟是最工业化的地区，其 PCB 和砷的浓度最高，锌的浓度最低。前两种物质，加上滴滴涕，对雏鸟的生理机能产生了整体影响。PCB 和砷与视黄醇水平降低有关，表明暴露个体存在氧化损伤，这也与污染地区个体的锌水平低相一致。血浆滴滴涕水平的增加与身体状况降低和甘油三酯水平降低有关。在卡斯蒂利亚和莱昂，单独在巢中的雏鸟的汞积累高于与兄弟姐妹共享巢的雏鸟；这表明在优先猎物（即兔子）稀缺的领地中，从次要猎物中吸收了更多的汞，而这些领地的生产力也降低了。总的来说，结果揭示了污染物积累模式和相关生理效应的空间变化，并表明了领地质量在这种模式中可能发挥的主要作用。
