Galluzzo Francesco Giuseppe, Cammilleri Gaetano, Riolo Pietro, Spinnato Antonio, Buscemi Maria Drussilla, Messina Elisa Maria Domenica, Pantano Licia, Lo Dico Gianluigi Maria, Macaluso Andrea, Ferrantelli Vincenzo, Di Gaudio Francesca
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, via Gino Marinuzzi 3, Palermo, 90129, Italy.
Vet Res Commun. 2024 Dec 27;49(1):57. doi: 10.1007/s11259-024-10629-0.
Heavy metals and metalloids are increasingly recognised as a threat to avian health, especially in species at the top of the food chain such as vultures. Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus) are ideal bioindicators for studying environmental contamination due to their scavenging habits and territorial behavior. In this study, we analysed the concentrations of six trace elements (Cd, Pb, Cr, Sb, Ni, and Cu) in feathers, pectoral plumage, and blood samples of Griffon Vultures from a captive environment in Sicily, Southern Italy, using an ICP-MS method. Significant differences in the levels of trace elements were observed between different matrices (p < 0.05). The ramigal feathers were divided into rachis (basal, medial, apical), calamus, and barbs (basal, medial apical). The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) demonstrated a clear differentiation in metal accumulation between the sections of feather matrices and between pectoral plumage and blood, reflecting the diverse pathways and time of exposure and deposition. No significant differences in heavy metal concentrations were observed between sexes and age classes. This work highlights the effectiveness of using feather matrices for monitoring environmental exposure to toxic elements and highlight the importance of continuous surveillance of heavy metal contamination in reintroduced vulture populations.
重金属和类金属日益被认为是对鸟类健康的一种威胁，尤其是对处于食物链顶端的物种，如秃鹫。由于其食腐习性和领地行为，兀鹫（Gyps fulvus）是研究环境污染的理想生物指示物种。在本研究中，我们使用电感耦合等离子体质谱法（ICP-MS）分析了来自意大利南部西西里岛圈养环境中的兀鹫羽毛、胸羽和血液样本中六种微量元素（镉、铅、铬、锑、镍和铜）的浓度。在不同基质之间观察到微量元素水平存在显著差异（p < 0.05）。飞羽分为羽轴（基部、中部、顶端）、羽根和羽支（基部、中部、顶端）。主成分分析（PCA）表明，羽毛基质各部分之间以及胸羽和血液之间在金属积累方面存在明显差异，反映了不同的暴露和沉积途径及时间。在性别和年龄组之间未观察到重金属浓度的显著差异。这项工作突出了使用羽毛基质监测环境中有毒元素暴露的有效性，并强调了对重新引入的秃鹫种群中重金属污染进行持续监测的重要性。
