Current emission and mobilization rates of mercury (Hg) in the environment pose extensive threats to both wildlife and human health. Assessing the exposure risk and effects of Hg contamination in model species such as seabirds is essential to understand Hg risks at the population and ecosystem levels. The lesser black‐backed gull (Larus fuscus), a generalist seabird species, is an excellent model species because it forages in both marine and terrestrial habitats, which in turn differ in their Hg exposure risk. To identify possible deleterious effects of Hg exposure on developing L. fuscus chicks, a dietary experiment was carried out and chicks were provided a marine, terrestrial, or mixed diet. The effects of embryonic and dietary Hg exposure on chick body condition and physiological state were assessed at different developmental stages until fledging age (30 d). Overall physiological condition was lower in chicks fed a predominantly marine diet, which coincided with higher Hg loads in blood and primary feathers. However, no effect of dietary uptake of Hg was observed on body condition or in terms of genotoxic damage. Body condition and genotoxic damage correlated instead with Hg exposure during embryonic development, which seems to indicate that embryonic exposure to Hg may result in carry‐over effects on later chick development. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:2008–2017. © 2020 SETAC

中文翻译：

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摄取汞（Hg）影响红嘴小鸡的发育。

当前环境中汞（Hg）的排放和迁移率对野生生物和人类健康均构成了广泛的威胁。评估模型物种（如海鸟）中的汞暴露风险和汞污染的影响，对于了解种群和生态系统水平的汞风险至关重要。较小的黑背鸥（Larus fuscus）是一种通才的海鸟物种，是极好的典范物种，因为它在海洋和陆地生境中觅食，因此其汞暴露风险不同。识别汞暴露对正在发展的镰刀菌的可能有害影响雏鸡，进行了饮食实验，并向雏鸡提供了海洋，陆地或混合饮食。在发育初期（30 d），评估了胚胎和饮食中汞暴露对雏鸡身体状况和生理状态的影响。饲喂主要是海洋饮食的雏鸡的总体生理状况较低，这与血液和原羽毛中的汞含量较高相吻合。然而，在身体状况或遗传毒性损害方面，未观察到饮食摄入Hg的影响。身体状况和遗传毒性损害与胚胎发育过程中的汞暴露相关，而这似乎表明胚胎暴露于汞可能会对以后的雏鸡发育产生残留效应。2020年《环境毒理学》 ; 39：2008–2017。©2020 SETAC