Liu Wei, Zhao Cheng, Zhang Pengfei, Liang Ting, Huang Qifeng, Liu Yan, Liu Xiaoshou
College of Marine Life Sciences, and Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, Nanjing 210042, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Biosafety, Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, Nanjing 210042, China.
College of Marine Science and Engineering, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China.
J Hazard Mater. 2025 May 5;488:137386. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2025.137386. Epub 2025 Jan 27.
Microplastic pollution has emerged as a significant environmental concern at the global level, potentially threatening biodiversity conservation and human wellbeing. As an important biological group with a wide global distribution, migratory shorebirds face considerable stress due to plastic and microplastic pollution. However, few studies have explored the ecotoxic impact of microplastic pollution on migratory shorebirds. To investigate the physiological effects of microplastic pollution on migratory shorebirds, this study obtained the morphological data of 79 dunlins at a key stopover site at the midpoint of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway in 2023 autumn. Meanwhile, fecal and blood samples were collected to examine the microplastic abundance accumulated in the body and metabolic levels. Microplastics were detected in 100 % of dunlins, comprising 12 distinct polymer types. The average abundance of microplastics ingested by dunlins was 134.50 items/g, which was higher than the reported abundance of environmental sediment. The present study confirmed that individuals with longer bills ingested more microplastics, resulting in significantly decreased body mass for the same shorebird. Compared to the low contamination group, metabolomic analysis also revealed that dunlins with elevated microplastic contamination exhibited the down-regulation of 10 metabolic pathways, including pyrimidine metabolism, beta-alanine metabolism, and vitamin C metabolism. The findings of this study underscore the potential threat microplastics pose to the health of migratory shorebirds. It is recommended that synergies be developed between microplastic management and biodiversity conservation at global and regional scales, with migratory birds serving as pivotal indicator species.
微塑料污染已成为全球层面一个重大的环境问题，可能威胁生物多样性保护和人类福祉。作为一个全球分布广泛的重要生物群体，迁徙滨鸟因塑料和微塑料污染面临着巨大压力。然而，很少有研究探讨微塑料污染对迁徙滨鸟的生态毒性影响。为了研究微塑料污染对迁徙滨鸟的生理影响，本研究于2023年秋季在东亚-澳大拉西亚迁徙路线中点的一个关键中途停留地获取了79只黑腹滨鹬的形态数据。同时，采集了粪便和血液样本，以检测体内积累的微塑料丰度和代谢水平。在100%的黑腹滨鹬中都检测到了微塑料，包括12种不同的聚合物类型。黑腹滨鹬摄入微塑料的平均丰度为134.50个/克，高于报道的环境沉积物中的丰度。本研究证实，喙较长的个体摄入的微塑料更多，导致同一种滨鸟的体重显著下降。代谢组学分析还显示，与低污染组相比，微塑料污染水平升高的黑腹滨鹬有10条代谢途径下调，包括嘧啶代谢、β-丙氨酸代谢和维生素C代谢。本研究结果强调了微塑料对迁徙滨鸟健康构成的潜在威胁。建议在全球和区域尺度上，将微塑料管理与生物多样性保护结合起来，以迁徙鸟类作为关键指示物种。
