Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 98, Hobart, Tas 7001, Australia.
School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 79, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia.
Sci Total Environ. 2022 Aug 20;835:155526. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155526. Epub 2022 Apr 27.
Rehabilitation of disused mine sites through stabilisation and botanical restoration is ecologically important, but metal transfer pathways to colonising wildlife are often less understood and have never been studied in marsupials. The rehabilitated Royal George tin mine tailings (Tasmania, Australia) and colonisation by bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus) represented an opportunity to examine potential metal transfer from mine tailings to an herbivorous marsupial. The aim of this study was to examine metal transfer pathways from the mine tailings to wombats, and to determine if wombats are at risk from metal exposure. Concentrations of metals were measured in the tailings substrate, surface water and vegetation, as well as fur samples from a resident wombat, and non-resident (control) wombats. The mineralogy of the tailings is dominated by quartz, muscovite, feldspars, topaz, kaolinite and calcite. Concentrations of several metals were high (exceeding varying health standards) in the tailings (As, Cu, Hg, Pb, Ni, Zn), water (As, Cd, Cu, Zn) and vegetation (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Mn, Zn). Relative to non-resident wombats, elevated levels of As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Sn were measured in the fur of a resident wombat. Based on modelling of the exposure pathways, consumption of plant material is the most likely metal transfer pathway for As, Cu and Pb, although the risks from ingestion of tailings to this fossorial marsupial should not be discounted. This study is the first to investigate metal exposure pathways to marsupials using rehabilitated mine tailings. Further research is needed to accurately quantify ecological risks and toxicity for wombats and other marsupials native to mining landscapes.
废弃矿山的稳定化和植物修复对于生态恢复非常重要，但对于迁移到定居野生动物的金属转移途径，人们了解甚少，在有袋动物中也从未进行过研究。经过修复的皇家乔治锡矿尾矿（澳大利亚塔斯马尼亚）和裸鼻袋熊（Vombatus ursinus）的定居代表了一个机会，可以研究从矿山尾矿到食草有袋动物的潜在金属迁移。本研究的目的是检验从尾矿向袋熊转移金属的途径，并确定袋熊是否面临金属暴露的风险。在尾矿基质、地表水和植被以及一只定居袋熊和非定居（对照）袋熊的皮毛样本中测量了金属的浓度。尾矿的矿物学主要由石英、白云母、长石、黄玉、高岭石和方解石组成。尾矿（As、Cu、Hg、Pb、Ni、Zn）、水（As、Cd、Cu、Zn）和植被（As、Cd、Cu、Pb、Mn、Zn）中几种金属的浓度很高（超过了不同的健康标准）。与非定居袋熊相比，一只定居袋熊的皮毛中测量到的 As、Cd、Cu、Pb 和 Sn 含量较高。基于暴露途径的建模，植物材料的消耗是 As、Cu 和 Pb 最有可能的金属转移途径，尽管不能低估这种穴居有袋动物摄入尾矿的风险。本研究首次使用经过修复的矿山尾矿研究了有袋动物的金属暴露途径。需要进一步研究以准确量化对袋熊和其他原产于采矿景观的有袋动物的生态风险和毒性。
