Ozaki Shinji, Movalli Paola, Cincinelli Alessandra, Alygizakis Nikiforos, Badry Alexander, Chaplow Jacqueline S, Claßen Daniela, Dekker René W R J, Dodd Beverley, Duke Guy, Koschorreck Jan, Pereira M Glória, Potter Elaine, Slobodnik Jaroslav, Thacker Sarah, Thomaidis Nikolaos S, Treu Gabriele, Walker Lee
UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, United Kingdom.
Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333, CR, Leiden, Netherlands.
Environ Pollut. 2023 Apr 15;323:121308. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121308. Epub 2023 Feb 16.
Trace elements are chemical contaminants spread in the environment by anthropogenic activities and threaten wildlife and human health. Many studies have investigated this contamination in apex raptors as sentinel birds. However, there is limited data for long-term biomonitoring of multiple trace elements in raptors. In the present study, we measured the concentrations of 14 essential and non-essential trace elements in the livers of the common buzzard (Buteo buteo) collected in the United Kingdom from 2001 to 2019 and investigated whether concentrations have changed during this period. In addition, we estimated the importance of selected variables for modelling element accumulations in tissues. Except for cadmium, hepatic concentrations of harmful elements in most buzzards were lower than the biological significance level of each element. Hepatic concentrations of certain elements, including lead, cadmium, and arsenic, varied markedly seasonally within years. Their peak was in late winter and trough in late summer, except copper which showed an opposite seasonal pattern. In addition, lead in the liver consistently increased over time, whereas strontium showed a decreasing trend. Hepatic concentrations of cadmium, mercury, and chromium increased with age, whereas selenium and chromium were influenced by sex. Hepatic concentrations of arsenic and chromium also differed between different regions. Overall, our samples showed a low risk of harmful effects of most elements compared to the thresholds reported in the literature. Seasonal fluctuation was an important descriptor of exposure, which might be related to the diet of the buzzard, the ecology of their prey, and human activities such as the use of lead shot for hunting. However, elucidating reasons for these observed trends needs further examination, and biomonitoring studies exploring the effects of variables such as age, sex, and seasonality are required.
微量元素是由人类活动在环境中扩散的化学污染物，威胁着野生动物和人类健康。许多研究已将顶级猛禽作为指示性鸟类来调查这种污染情况。然而，关于猛禽体内多种微量元素长期生物监测的数据有限。在本研究中，我们测量了2001年至2019年在英国采集的普通鵟（Buteo buteo）肝脏中14种必需和非必需微量元素的浓度，并调查了在此期间这些浓度是否发生了变化。此外，我们估计了选定变量对模拟组织中元素积累的重要性。除镉外，大多数普通鵟肝脏中有害元素的浓度低于每种元素的生物学意义水平。某些元素（包括铅、镉和砷）的肝脏浓度在年内季节性变化显著。它们的峰值出现在冬末，谷值出现在夏末，除了铜呈现相反的季节性模式。此外，肝脏中的铅含量随时间持续增加，而锶呈下降趋势。镉、汞和铬的肝脏浓度随年龄增加，而硒和铬受性别影响。不同地区砷和铬的肝脏浓度也有所不同。总体而言，与文献报道的阈值相比，我们的样本显示大多数元素产生有害影响的风险较低。季节性波动是暴露的一个重要描述指标，这可能与普通鵟的饮食、猎物生态以及诸如使用铅弹狩猎等人类活动有关。然而，阐明这些观察到的趋势的原因需要进一步研究，并且需要开展探索年龄、性别和季节性等变量影响的生物监测研究。
