School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, No.159, Longpan Road, 210037 Nanjing, China.
Sci Total Environ. 2021 Jun 1;771:144816. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144816. Epub 2021 Jan 27.
Environmental pollution, especially because of trace metals, seriously affects ecological safety, and bird feathers are often used as bioindicators to monitor this risk in various environments. However, the feasibility of feathers as bioindicators for trace metals in polymetallic contaminated areas has not been extensively studied. In this study, we used inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to quantify and compare the contents of nine trace metal(loid)s (V, Cr, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb) among soil, plants, insects and birds (feathers and internal tissues) sampled in the mining area of Tongling, a polymetallic contaminated area in Anhui Province, eastern China. We detected significant trace metal pollution in the abiotic and biotic materials. The contents of Cr, Cu, Zn, As and Pb in feathers differed among bird species and among sampling sites, with higher contents often recorded in tree sparrows (Passer montanus). The metal(loid)s V, Mn, Co, Zn, and As had higher contents in feathers than in internal tissues including heart, liver, kidneys, muscles and bones. The contents of some elements in feathers were positively correlated with those in internal tissues, for example, Co, As, and Cd in the heart, V and Co in the kidneys, Cd in the liver, Pb in bones, and As in muscles. Furthermore, the contents of V, Cr, As and Pb in feathers were higher than those in other biomaterials, implying an increasing trend from plants, insects, and feathers. Our study indicates that bird feathers can be used as effective, non-destructive bioindicators to monitor trace metal(loid) pollution, especially for V, Co, As, Cd and Pb, in polymetallic contaminated areas, providing reliable information for ecological assessment.
环境污染，特别是痕量金属，严重影响生态安全，鸟类羽毛常被用作生物指标，以监测各种环境中的这种风险。然而，羽毛作为多金属污染地区痕量金属生物指标的可行性尚未得到广泛研究。在这项研究中，我们使用电感耦合等离子体质谱法（ICP-MS）定量和比较了安徽铜陵多金属污染区土壤、植物、昆虫和鸟类（羽毛和内部组织）中 9 种痕量金属（V、Cr、Mn、Co、Cu、Zn、As、Cd 和 Pb）的含量。我们检测到非生物和生物材料中存在明显的痕量金属污染。不同鸟类和采样点之间羽毛中的 Cr、Cu、Zn、As 和 Pb 含量存在差异，树麻雀（Passer montanus）的含量通常较高。V、Mn、Co、Zn 和 As 等金属（loid）在羽毛中的含量高于包括心脏、肝脏、肾脏、肌肉和骨骼在内的内部组织。一些元素在羽毛中的含量与内部组织中的含量呈正相关，例如心脏中的 Co、As 和 Cd，肾脏中的 V 和 Co，肝脏中的 Cd，骨骼中的 Pb 和肌肉中的 As。此外，羽毛中的 V、Cr、As 和 Pb 含量高于其他生物材料，表明从植物、昆虫和羽毛来看，呈上升趋势。我们的研究表明，鸟类羽毛可以作为监测多金属污染痕量金属（loid）的有效、非破坏性生物指标，特别是对于 V、Co、As、Cd 和 Pb，为生态评估提供可靠信息。
