Deoniziak Krzysztof, Winiewicz Anna, Nartowicz Marta, Mierzejewska Weronika, Niedźwiecki Sławomir, Pol Wojciech, Dubis Alina T
Division of Biodiversity and Behavioural Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bialystok, Konstantego Ciołkowskiego 1J, 15-245, Białystok, Poland.
The Włodzimierz Chętnicki Biological Science Club, Faculty of Biology, University of Bialystok, Konstantego Ciołkowskiego 1J, 15-245, Białystok, Poland.
Sci Rep. 2025 May 13;15(1):16631. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-01608-9.
Microscopic anthropogenic waste (MAW) has become a major environmental concern worldwide. Our study aimed to assess the accumulation of MAW in the gastrointestinal tracts of nine common European passerine species from finch (Fringillidae) and tit (Paridae) families, and evaluate their suitability for environmental monitoring. We searched for MAW in the birds' stomachs and intestines and identified suspected particles using Raman microspectroscopy. In total, we found 57 MAW particles in 31 out of 149 analyzed individuals, 7 of which were microplastics (polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polystyrene), 1 was identified as carbon nanotube, while 49 were cellulosic-based (cotton, cellulose, rayon, viscose). The generalized linear mixed models identified bird family and time in season as significant predictors of MAW ingestion. Finches ingested more MAW than tits, and higher ingestion rates were observed during the non-breeding period. Other predictors, including bird sex, age, gastrointestinal tract section, and site, showed varying but non-significant effects. As predicted, the studied species exhibited a lower ingestion rate of MAW compared to terrestrial birds studied so far, possibly due to their diet and feeding behavior. Given that these species are prey for many avian and non-avian predators, they may contribute to the transfer of MAW to higher trophic levels.
微观人为废物（MAW）已成为全球主要的环境问题。我们的研究旨在评估来自雀科（Fringillidae）和山雀科（Paridae）的9种常见欧洲雀形目鸟类胃肠道中MAW的积累情况，并评估它们作为环境监测指标的适用性。我们在鸟类的胃和肠道中搜索MAW，并使用拉曼光谱显微镜鉴定可疑颗粒。在总共149只被分析的个体中，有31只体内发现了57个MAW颗粒，其中7个是微塑料（聚乙烯、聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯、聚苯乙烯），1个被鉴定为碳纳米管，而49个是纤维素基的（棉花、纤维素、人造丝、粘胶纤维）。广义线性混合模型确定鸟类家族和季节时间是MAW摄入的重要预测因素。雀类摄入的MAW比山雀多，并且在非繁殖期观察到更高的摄入率。其他预测因素，包括鸟类性别、年龄、胃肠道部位和地点，显示出不同但不显著的影响。正如预期的那样，与迄今为止研究的陆生鸟类相比，所研究的物种表现出较低的MAW摄入率，这可能是由于它们的饮食和觅食行为。鉴于这些物种是许多鸟类和非鸟类捕食者的猎物，它们可能会导致MAW向更高营养级的转移。
