Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada N6G 1G9; Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Savoyenstrasse 1a, 1160 Vienna, Austria.
Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada N6G 1G9.
Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2017 Dec;146:118-128. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2017.04.025. Epub 2017 Apr 28.
The external contamination of bird feathers with crude oil might have effects on feather structure and thus on thermoregulation. We tested the thermoregulatory ability of western sandpipers (Calidris mauri) in a respirometry chamber with oil applied either immediately prior, or three days before the experiment. The birds were then exposed to a sliding cold temperature challenge between 27°C and -3°C to calculate thermal conductance. After the experiment, a large blood sample was taken and the liver extracted to measure a range of parameters linked to toxicology and oxidative stress. No differences in thermal conductance were observed among groups, but birds exposed to oil for three days had reduced body temperatures and lost more body mass during that period. At necropsy, oiled birds showed a decrease in plasma albumin and sodium, and an increase in urea. This is reflective of dysfunction in the kidney at the loop of Henle. Birds, especially when exposed to the oil for three days, showed signs of oxidative stress and oxidative damage. These results show that the ingestion of externally applied oil through preening or drinking can cause toxic effects even in low doses, while we did not detect a direct effect of the external oil on thermoregulation over the temperature range tested.
鸟类羽毛上的原油污染可能会影响羽毛结构，从而影响体温调节。我们在呼吸室中对西部滨鹬（Calidris mauri）进行了测试，在实验前立即或三天前将油应用于羽毛上。然后，将鸟类暴露于 27°C 至-3°C 的滑动冷温度挑战下，以计算热导率。实验后，抽取大量血液样本并提取肝脏，以测量与毒理学和氧化应激相关的一系列参数。各组之间的热导率没有差异，但暴露于油三天的鸟类体温降低，在此期间体重减轻。在剖检时，涂油的鸟类的血浆白蛋白和钠减少，尿素增加。这反映了在亨勒环处的肾脏功能障碍。鸟类，尤其是在暴露于油三天时，表现出氧化应激和氧化损伤的迹象。这些结果表明，即使在低剂量下，通过梳理或饮水摄入外部应用的油也会引起毒性作用，而我们没有检测到外部油在测试温度范围内对体温调节的直接影响。
