| Content Provider |
World Health Organization (WHO)-Global Index Medicus |
| Author |
Carneiro, Manuela Colaço, Bruno Brandão, Ricardo Azorín, Beatriz Nicolas, Olga Colaço, Jorge Pires, Maria João Agustí, Susana Casas-Díaz, Encarna Lavin, Santiago Oliveira, Paula A. |
| Spatial Coverage |
Portugal Spain |
| Description |
Author Affiliation: Carneiro M ( Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal. Electronic address: manuandreia@gmail.com.); Colaço B ( Department of Zootechnics, ECAV, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta dos Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal); Brandão R ( Ecology, Monitoring and Recovery Centre of Wild Animals (CERVAS), 6290-909 Gouveia, Portugal.); Azorín B ( Study and Recovery Centre of Wild Animals/Quercus, 6000-284 Castelo Branco, Portugal.); Nicolas O ( Recovery Centre of Wild Animals from Vallcallent, 25199 Lleida, Spain.); Colaço J ( Department of Zootechnics, ECAV, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta dos Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal.); Pires MJ ( Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta dos Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal); Agustí S ( Servei d´Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Department of Medicine and Animal Surgery, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.); Casas-Díaz E ( Servei d´Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Department of Medicine and Animal Surgery, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.); Lavin S ( Servei d´Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge (SEFaS), Department of Medicine and Animal Surgery, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain.); Oliveira PA ( Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta dos Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal) |
| Abstract |
Griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus), by virtue of their position at the top of the food chain and as obligate scavengers, are at risk of accumulating and concentrating heavy metals in their tissues and may be more predisposed to their toxic effects. The aim of this study is to investigate heavy metal concentrations in Griffon vultures in Portugal and Catalonia, Spain and to determine if heavy metal concentrations in the blood of weak and/or injured Griffon vultures admitted to wildlife rehabilitation centres (WRC) reflect contamination profiles in the local, free-living and outwardly healthy population. Whole-blood samples taken from 121 Griffon vultures caught in the wild or admitted to WRC in Portugal and Catalonia, Spain were examined for cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Cd and Hg were not detected in most samples (98.3% and 95%, respectively), while Pb was detected in all birds in concentrations ranging between 4.97 and 300.23 µg/dl. Birds admitted to WRC had significantly lower Pb concentrations (24.15 ± 15.07 and 25.98 ± 18.04 µg/dl in Portugal and Catalonia, Spain, respectively) than animals caught in the wild (29.67 ± 13.19 and 42.22 ± 50.08 µg/dl in Portugal and Catalonia, Spain, respectively) (p<0.05). This may be explained by the fact that malnutrition was the main cause of admission of Griffon vultures to WRC, as ingestion has been described as the most significant pathway for Pb exposure in raptors. Therefore Griffon vultures admitted to WRC do not seem to be representative of the local, free-flying populations, so it remains necessary to continue catching when one intends to monitor Pb exposure in this species. The population of vultures captured in Catalonia, Spain showed the highest mean blood Pb concentration, perhaps due to the municipal rubbish dump located near the feeding station, with rubbish providing a significant fraction of their trophic needs. The ingestion of game meat with bullet fragments in carcasses or with Pb shots embedded in their flesh could also be the cause of the high blood Pb concentrations found in some vultures. The potential risk of Pb exposure in Griffon vulture populations must be given consideration, since most individuals evaluated had Pb concentrations between 20 and 100µg/dl, which is considered to be subclinical exposure to Pb, and which is above the threshold level at which Pb can affect antioxidant system in this species (15 µg/dl). |
| File Format |
HTM / HTML |
| ISSN |
01476513 |
| Volume Number |
113 |
| e-ISSN |
10902414 |
| Journal |
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
| Language |
English |
| Publisher |
Elsevier |
| Publisher Date |
2015-03-01 |
| Publisher Place |
Netherlands |
| Access Restriction |
One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) |
| Subject Keyword |
Discipline Environmental Sciences Falconiformes Blood Metals, Heavy Animals Birds Mercury Portugal Raptors Spain Journal Article Research Support, Non-u.s. Gov't |
| Content Type |
Text |
| Resource Type |
Article |
| Subject |
Pollution Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health |
