Environmental Biology, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Van Steenis, Building, Einsteinweg 2, 2333 CC Leiden, the Netherlands.
Rodent Research, Institute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Julius Kühn-Institute (JKI) Federal Research Institute for Cultivated Plants, Toppheideweg 88, 48161 Münster, Germany.
Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2023 Jul 1;259:115036. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115036. Epub 2023 May 20.
To prevent the non-acceptable effects of agrochemicals on arable fields, Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) aims to assess and protect against a wide range of risks due to stressors to non-target species. While exposure to stress is a key factor in ERA models, exposure values are difficult to obtain and rely on laboratory studies with often debatable relevance to field situations. To improve intake estimates, data from realistic field-based scenarios are needed. We developed calibration curves relating known seed numbers of up to 20 onion and carrot seeds consumed by wild-caught wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) to the seed DNA content in the feces. Based on these inferred quantitative relationships, a field trial was run to determine seed intake in a natural setting using realistic levels of seed spillage. Onion DNA was detected in the fecal samples of the wood mice caught in the field, which resembled a seed intake of up to 1 onion seed. No intake of carrot seeds was detected. This is the first-ever study to quantify seed intake in a realistic field scenario using a DNA-based analysis, showing that accurate seed intake estimates can be obtained. Our approach can help to improve risk assessment models through its minimally-invasive and accurate assessment of seed intake by ERA representative and non-target species, which would otherwise be undetectable with traditional methods. Our novel approach and its results are highly relevant to studies of food intake and diet composition for basic and applied research alike.
为了防止农用化学品对耕地造成不可接受的影响，环境风险评估（ERA）旨在评估和防范由于非靶标物种受到压力而产生的广泛风险。虽然暴露于压力是 ERA 模型中的一个关键因素，但暴露值很难获得，并且依赖于实验室研究，而这些研究通常与田间情况的相关性存在争议。为了提高摄入量的估计值，需要来自现实的基于田间的情景的数据。我们开发了校准曲线，将野生捕获的林鼠（Apodemus sylvaticus）食用的多达 20 个洋葱和胡萝卜种子的已知种子数量与粪便中的种子 DNA 含量相关联。基于这些推断出的定量关系，进行了一项现场试验，以确定在自然环境中使用现实水平的种子溢出情况下的种子摄入量。在野外捕获的林鼠的粪便样本中检测到了洋葱 DNA，这类似于摄入了多达 1 个洋葱种子。未检测到胡萝卜种子的摄入。这是首次使用基于 DNA 的分析在现实的田间情景中定量种子摄入量的研究，表明可以获得准确的种子摄入量估计值。我们的方法可以通过对 ERA 代表性和非靶标物种的种子摄入量进行微创且准确的评估来帮助改进风险评估模型，而传统方法则无法检测到这些摄入量。我们的新方法及其结果与基础和应用研究中的食物摄入量和饮食组成研究高度相关。
