Ross Tobias A, Zhang Junjie, Wille Michelle, Ciesielski Tomasz Maciej, Asimakopoulos Alexandros G, Lemesle Prescillia, Skaalvik Tonje G, Atkinson Robyn, Jessop Roz, Jaspers Veerle L B, Klaassen Marcel
School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus, VIC 3216, Australia.
Department of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim 7491, Norway.
Sci Total Environ. 2023 Dec 15;904:166309. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166309. Epub 2023 Aug 15.
The rapid destruction of natural wetland habitats over past decades has been partially offset by an increase in artificial wetlands. However, these also include wastewater treatment plants, which may pose a pollution risk to the wildlife using them. We studied two long-distance Arctic-breeding migratory shorebird species, curlew sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea, n = 69) and red-necked stint (Calidris ruficollis, n = 103), while on their Australian non-breeding grounds using an artificial wetland at a wastewater treatment plant (WTP) and a natural coastal wetland. We compared pollutant exposure (elements and per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances/PFASs), disease (avian influenza), physiological status (oxidative stress) of the birds at the two locations from 2011 to 2020, and population survival from 1978 to 2019. Our results indicated no significant differences in blood pellet pollutant concentrations between the habitats except mercury (WTP median: 224 ng/g, range: 19-873 ng/g; natural wetland: 160 ng/g, 22-998 ng/g) and PFASs (total PFASs WTP median: 85.1 ng/g, range: <0.01-836 ng/g; natural wetland: 8.02 ng/g, <0.01-85.3 ng/g) which were higher at the WTP, and selenium which was lower at the WTP (WTP median: 5000 ng/g, range: 1950-34,400 ng/g; natural wetland: 19,200 ng/g, 4130-65,200 ng/g). We also measured higher blood o,o'-dityrosine (an indicator of protein damage) at the WTP. No significant differences were found for adult survival, but survival of immature birds at the WTP appeared to be lower which could be due to higher dispersal to other wetlands. Interestingly, we found active avian influenza infections were higher in the natural habitat, while seropositivity was higher in the WTP, seemingly not directly related to pollutant exposure. Overall, we found limited differences in pollutant exposure, health and survival of the shorebirds in the two habitats. Our findings suggest that appropriately managed wastewater treatment wetlands could provide a suitable alternative habitat to these migratory species, which may aid in curbing the decline of shorebird populations from widespread habitat loss.
在过去几十年里，天然湿地栖息地遭到迅速破坏，不过人工湿地数量的增加在一定程度上起到了弥补作用。然而，这些人工湿地中还包括污水处理厂，这可能会给使用它们的野生动物带来污染风险。我们研究了两种在北极繁殖、长途迁徙的滨鸟，弯嘴滨鹬（Calidris ferruginea，n = 69）和红颈滨鹬（Calidris ruficollis，n = 103），它们在澳大利亚非繁殖地时使用了一个污水处理厂（WTP）的人工湿地和一处天然海岸湿地。我们比较了2011年至2020年这两个地点鸟类的污染物暴露情况（元素以及全氟和多氟烷基物质/PFASs）、疾病（禽流感）、生理状态（氧化应激），以及1978年至2019年的种群存活率。我们的结果表明，除了汞（WTP中位数：224纳克/克，范围：19 - 873纳克/克；天然湿地：160纳克/克，22 - 998纳克/克）和PFASs（总PFASs WTP中位数：85.1纳克/克，范围：<0.01 - 836纳克/克；天然湿地：8.02纳克/克，<0.01 - 85.3纳克/克）在WTP中含量更高，以及硒在WTP中含量更低（WTP中位数：5000纳克/克，范围：1950 - 34,400纳克/克；天然湿地：19,200纳克/克，4130 - 65,200纳克/克）之外，两个栖息地鸟类血铅中的污染物浓度没有显著差异。我们还检测到WTP中鸟类血液的邻 - 酪氨酸（蛋白质损伤指标）含量更高。成年鸟的存活率没有显著差异，但WTP中幼鸟的存活率似乎较低，这可能是因为它们更多地扩散到了其他湿地。有趣的是，我们发现天然栖息地中活跃的禽流感感染率更高，而WTP中的血清阳性率更高，这似乎与污染物暴露没有直接关系。总体而言，我们发现这两种栖息地的滨鸟在污染物暴露、健康状况和存活率方面差异有限。我们的研究结果表明，经过适当管理的污水处理湿地可以为这些迁徙物种提供合适的替代栖息地，这可能有助于遏制因广泛的栖息地丧失而导致的滨鸟种群数量下降。
