We assessed the spatial variation in concentrations of ten metals in faeces of the lesser black-backed gull (LBBG) Larus fuscus wintering at seven localities in South-West Spain. We found high concentrations of metals in gull faeces, with several elements (As, Cu, Mo, Pb, Zn) locally exceeding (by 2 to 11 times) derived Lowest Effect Level (LEL) values. We also found strong spatial variation, related to the main pollution sources associated with the different sites. Faeces from Chipiona Port (Gulf of Cádiz) showed the highest levels of As; Cetina saltpans (Bay of Cádiz) ranked first for Pb, Zn and Mo, which was consistent with historic mining and industrial pollution; Doñana ricefields showed the highest levels of Mn, a highly available element in flooded areas; while landfills ranked first for Cd, Co, Cr, Cu and Ni, potentially associated with electronic waste. Furthermore, we demonstrate how faecal analysis can be used to quantify biovectoring of metals into specific localities, using LBBG movement ecology and census data. At Fuente de Piedra, a shallow, closed-basin lake important for waterbirds, we show that metal inputs by LBBG have increased in recent years, and long-term deposition (e.g., of Pb) may impact aquatic communities and ecological processes in this Ramsar site.

我们评估了小黑背鸥（LBBG）鸥属粪便的粪便中十种金属的浓度的空间变化西班牙西南部的七个地方过冬。我们发现鸥粪便中的金属浓度很高，其中几种元素（As，Cu，Mo，Pb，Zn）局部超过了最低影响水平（LEL）值（是其最低限度值（LEL））（超过2到11倍）。我们还发现强烈的空间变化，与与不同地点相关的主要污染源有关。来自奇皮奥纳港（加的斯湾）的粪便中砷含量最高；反之亦然。Cetina saltpans（加的斯湾）的Pb，Zn和Mo排名第一，这与历史悠久的采矿和工业污染相一致；多纳那（Doñana）稻田显示出最高水平的锰，这是洪水泛滥地区的一种高度可用元素。垃圾填埋场的镉，钴，铬，铜和镍排在第一位，这可能与电子垃圾有关。此外，我们使用LBBG运动生态学和人口普查数据演示了粪便分析可如何用于将金属的生物媒介量化为特定地点。在对水鸟很重要的浅而封闭的浅流域湖泊Fuente de Piedra，我们表明，近几年来，LBBG的金属输入量有所增加，长期沉积（例如，Pb的沉积）可能会影响拉姆萨尔邦的水生生物群落和生态过程地点。