Associations of urban environmental pollution with health-related physiological traits in a free-living bird species
Jazyk angličtina Země Nizozemsko Médium print-electronic
Typ dokumentu časopisecké články
PubMed
28605873
DOI
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.05.276
PII: S0048-9697(17)31384-0
Knihovny.cz E-zdroje
- Klíčová slova
- Anemia, Animal hematology, Anthropogenic pollution, Hematopoiesis, PM10, Trace metals,
- MeSH
- leukocyty cytologie MeSH
- monitorování životního prostředí * MeSH
- peří chemie MeSH
- těžké kovy analýza MeSH
- velkoměsta MeSH
- znečištění životního prostředí analýza MeSH
- zpěvní ptáci * MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- Geografické názvy
- Česká republika MeSH
- velkoměsta MeSH
- Názvy látek
- těžké kovy MeSH
Urban environmental pollution results in contamination of the tissues of synanthropic organisms by toxic trace elements with potential impacts on human health. Passerine birds may serve as convenient indicators of such contamination. In this study we investigated the effect of blood and plumage contamination with heavy metals (lead Pb, cadmium Cd, copper Cu, chromium Cr) and arsenic metalloid (As) on condition, health and ornamental colour in free-living great tit (Parus major) males from 13 cities across the Czech Republic (EU), mist netted during the early breading season (April-May). Our results showed a significant association of heavy metal tissue contamination with immune function, namely leukocyte composition in the avian blood circulation. High heavy metal contamination in bird feathers was linked to a high heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio, indicating long-term stress in individuals inhabiting heavily polluted environments. In contrast, males with higher concentrations of heavy metals in blood had a lower H/L ratio, assumingly due to the direct toxicity of heavy metals in certain cell types. This is also supported by traits indicative of anaemia-like haemolytic conditions (decreased absolute erythrocyte count) and increased haematopoiesis (a tendency for increased frequencies of immature erythrocytes). We did not find any association of heavy metal contamination with the bacteriolytic activity of plasma complement, feather growth or ornamentation (black breast stripe area and yellow colouration). There was no significant relationship between heavy metal contamination in blood or feathers and PM10 pollution at the study sites. Our correlational study is the first to show on a large geographic scale that despite strict European air pollution regulations and regular monitoring that have allowed general improvements in atmospheric contamination, non-degradable heavy metals persistently contaminate animal blood and feathers in anthropogenic environments at levels that may have subclinical yet physiological effects with varied influence on health.
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