Marschner Caroline, Gray Rachael, Terkildsen Michael, Higgins Damien P, McQuilty Robert, Krockenberger Mark B
Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia.
Department of Chemical Pathology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Level 7 Building 65, Missenden Road, Camperdown, NSW, 2050, Australia.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 31;15(1):27920. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-12702-3.
Increased exposure to environmental contaminants is a concern for local koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) populations where massive transformation or loss of habitat has occurred over the past century as a consequence of increased urbanisation and industrial and agricultural practices. The koala is a specialist eucalypt feeder that relies on an almost exclusive diet of eucalypt foliage. Eucalypts can accumulate elements to varying degrees. Chronic ingestion and bioaccumulation could potentially affect the metabolic pathways of koalas and consequently interfere with detoxification of eucalypt plant secondary metabolites, reduce food intake, and cause long-term health effects. This field study provides the first evidence of the significance of the environmental factor, land use, region and host factors, age and sex, on bioaccumulation of trace element and heavy metal (elements) in koalas. Data on observed ranges of element concentrations are provided from the hair of 328 koalas sampled across eight different regions of NSW and Victoria, Australia. Land use was shown to be the most significant factor affecting trace elements and heavy metal concentrations in koalas, followed by region. Associations between element concentrations and host factors, koala age and sex, were only seen for a small number of elements.
在过去的一个世纪里，由于城市化进程加快以及工农业活动增加，当地的考拉（树袋熊，学名：Phascolarctos cinereus）栖息地发生了大规模转变或丧失，这使得考拉更多地暴露于环境污染物中。考拉是一种专食桉树叶的动物，几乎完全依赖桉树叶为食。桉树会不同程度地积累元素。长期摄入和生物累积可能会影响考拉的代谢途径，进而干扰桉树植物次生代谢产物的解毒过程，减少食物摄入量，并对健康造成长期影响。这项实地研究首次证明了环境因素（土地利用）、区域因素以及宿主因素（年龄和性别）对考拉体内微量元素和重金属生物累积的重要性。研究提供了澳大利亚新南威尔士州和维多利亚州八个不同地区采集的328只考拉毛发中元素浓度观测范围的数据。结果表明，土地利用是影响考拉体内微量元素和重金属浓度的最重要因素，其次是区域。元素浓度与宿主因素（考拉年龄和性别）之间的关联仅在少数元素中被观察到。
