Abstract
The Cape petrel (Daption capense) has circumpolar distribution and potential to be used as sentinels of trace elements levels in the Antarctic environment. This study measured trace elements in carcass feathers (n = 30) of this yet under-studied Procellariiform species, in King George Island, Antarctica. This non-invasive sampling method was useful for quantifying mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), selenium (Se), and to perform the sex identification of birds. There were no significant differences between males and females for Hg (mean ± SD, 973 ± 930 ng g−1; 977 ± 570 ng g−1) and Se (3919 ± 637 ng g−1; 3782 ± 799 ng g−1), levels but males had significantly lower Cd levels than females (101 ± 76 ng g−1; 293 ± 251 ng g−1), respectively. Hg concentration in D. capense is lower than other Procellariiformes which indicate interspecific variations that may be related to their proximity to pollution sources. The reason for males having significantly lower Cd levels than females is unknown. This opportunistic and non-invasive sampling strategy can be useful in the environmental monitoring of the trace elements in polar environments.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Anderson ORJ, Phillips RA, Mcdonald RA, Shore RF, Mcgill RAR, Bearhop S (2009) Influence of trophic position and foraging range on mercury levels within a seabird community. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 375:277–288. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07784
Anderson ORJ, Phillips RA, Shore RF, Mcgill RAR, Mcdonald RA, Bearhop S (2010) Element patterns in albatrosses and petrels: influence of trophic position, foraging range, and prey type. Environ Pollut 158:98–107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2009.07.040
Bargagli R (2008) Environmental contamination in Antarctic ecosystems. Sci Total Environ 400:212–226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2008.06.062
Bargagli R, Nelli L, Ancora S, Focardi S (1996) Elevated cadmium accumulation in marine organisms from Terranova Bay (Antarctica). Polar Biol 16:513–520. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02329071
Bargagli R, Monaci F, Sanchez-Hernandez JC, Cateni D (1998) Biomagnification of mercury in an Antarctic marine coastal food web. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 169:65–76
Bastos WR, Malm O, Pfeiffer WC, Cleary D (1998) Establishment and analytical quality control of laboratories for Hg determination in biological and geological samples in the Amazon, Brazil. Ciência e Cultura 50:255–260
Becker PH, González-Solís J, Behrends B, Croxall J (2002) Feather mercury levels in seabirds at South Georgia: influence of trophic position, sex and age. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 243:261–269. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps243261
Burger J (1993) Metals in avian feathers: bioindicators of environmental pollution. Rev Environ Toxicol 5:203–311
Burger J (1996) Heavy metal and selenium levels in feathers of franklin’s gulls in interior North America. Auk 113:399–407. https://doi.org/10.2307/4088906
Burger J, Gochfeld M (1991) Cadmium and lead in common terns (aves: Sterna hirundo): relationship between levels in parents and eggs. Environ Monit Assess 16:253–258. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00397612
Burger J, Gochfeld M (1992) Heavy metal and selenium concentrations in black skimmers (Rynchops niger): gender differences. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 23:431–434
Burger J, Gochfeld M (1997a) Risk, mercury levels, and birds: relating adverse laboratory effects to field biomonitoring. Environ Res 75:160–172. https://doi.org/10.1006/enrs.1997.3778
Burger J, Gochfeld M (1997b) Age differences in metals in the blood of herring (Larus argentatus) and franklin's (Larus pipixcan) Gulls. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 33:436–440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s002449900274
Burger J, Gochfeld M (2004) Marine birds as sentinels of environmental pollution. EcoHealth 1:263–274. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-004-0096-4
Bustamante P, Bocher P, Chérel Y, Miramand P, Caurant F (2003) Distribution of trace elements in the tissues of benthic and pelagic fish from the Kerguelen Islands. Sci Total Environ, 313:25–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-9697(03)00265-1
Carravieri A, Cherel Y, Blévin P, Brault-Favrou M, Chastel O, Bustamante P (2014) Mercury exposure in a large subantarctic avian community. Environ Pollut 190:51–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2014.03.017
Cipro CVZ, Montone RC, Bustamante P (2017) Mercury in the ecosystem of Admiralty Bay, King George Island, Antarctica: occurrence and trophic distribution. Mar Pollut Bull 114:564–570. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.09.024
Creet S, van Franeker JA, van Spanje TM, Wolff WJ (1994) Diet of the pintado petrel Daption capense at King George Island, Antarctica, 1990/91. Mar Ornithol 22:221–229
Coria NR, Soave GE, Montalti D (1997) Diet of Cape Petrel Daption capense during the post-hatching period at Laurie Island, South Orkney Islands. Antarctica Polar Biol 18:236–239. https://doi.org/10.1007/s003000050183
Cuvin-Aralar MLA, Furness RW (1991) Mercury and selenium interaction: a review. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 21:348–364. https://doi.org/10.1016/0147-6513(91)90074-Y
D’Amato ME, Corach D (1996) Genetic diversity of the fresh-water shrimp Macrobrachium borellii (Caridea, Palaemonidae) evaluated by RAPD analysis. J Crustacean Biol 16:650–655. https://doi.org/10.1163/193724096X00720
Dorneles PR, Lailson-Brito J Jr, dos Santos RA, da Costa PAS, Malm O, de AzevedoF, A (2007) Cephalopods and cetaceans as indicators of offshore bioavailability of cadmium off Central South Brazil Bight. Environ Pollut 148:352–359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2006.09.022
Espejo W, Padilha JA, Kidd KA, Dorneles PR, Barra R, Malm O, Chiang G, Celis JE (2018) Trophic transfer of cadmium in marine food webs from Western Chilean Patagonia and Antarctica. Mar Pollut Bull 137:246–251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.10.022
Furness RW (1996) Cadmium in birds. In: Bayer WN, Heinz GH, Redmon-Norwood AW (eds) Environmental contaminants in wildlife: interpreting tissue concentrations. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 389–404
Griffiths R, Doublem M, Orr KCY, Dawson RJG (1998) A DNA test to sex most birds. Mol Ecol 7:1071–1075. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-294x.1998.00389.x
Goutte A, Cherel Y, Churlaud C, Ponthus JP, Massé G, Bustamante P (2015) Trace elements in Antarctic fish species and the influence of foraging habitats and dietary habits on mercury levels. Sci Total Environ 538:743–749. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.08.103
Ikemoto T, Kunito T, Tanaka H, Baba N, Miyazaki N, Tanabe S (2004) Detoxification mechanism of heavy metals in marine mammals and seabirds: interaction of selenium with mercury, silver, copper, zinc, and cadmium in liver. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 47:402. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-004-3188-9
Lock JW, Thompson DR, Furness RW, Bartle AJ (1992) Metal concentrations in seabirds of the New Zealand region. Environ Pollut 75:289–300. https://doi.org/10.1016/0269-7491(92)90129-X
Locarnini SJP, Presley BJ (1995) Trace element concentrations in Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba. Polar Biol 15:283–288. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00239849
Kim EY, Saeki K, Tanabe S, Tanaka H, Tatsukawa R (1996) Specific accumulation of mercury and selenium in seabirds. Environ Pollut 94:261–265. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0269-7491(96)00110-8
Kojadinovic J, Corre ML, Cosson RP, Bustamante P (2007) Trace elements in three marine birds breeding on Reunion Island (Western Indian Ocean): part 1—factors influencing their bioaccumulation. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 52:418–430. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-005-0225-2
Metcheva R, Yurukova L, Teodorova S (2011) Biogenic and toxic elements in feathers, eggs, and excreta of Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua ellsworthii) in the Antarctic. Environ Monit Assess 182:571–585. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-011-1898-9
Norouzi M, Mansouri B, Hamidian AH, Ebrahimi T, Kardoni F (2012) Comparison of the metal concentrations in the feathers of three bird species from Southern Iran. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 89:1082–1086. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-012-0798-1
Ohlendorf HM, Heinz GH (2011) Selenium in birds. In: Beyer WN, Meador JP (eds) Environmental contaminants in biota: interpreting tissue concentrations, 2nd edn. CRC Press, Boca Raton, pp 669–701
Polito MJ, Brasso RL, Trivelpiece WZ, Karnovsky N, Patterson WP, Emslie SD (2016) Differing foraging strategies influence mercury (Hg) exposure in an Antarctic penguin community. Environ Pollut 218:196–206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.04.097
Prince PA (1980) The food and feeding ecology of Blue petrel (Halobaena caerulea) and Dove prion (Pachyptila desolata). J Zool Lond 190:59–76. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1980.tb01423.x
Robinson SA, Lajeunesse MJ, Forbes MR (2012) Sex Differences in mercury contamination of birds: testing multiple hypotheses with meta-analysis. Environ Sci Technol 46:7094–7101. https://doi.org/10.1021/es204032m
Shirihai H (2008) The complete guide to Antarctic Wildlife: birds and marine mammals of the Antarctic Continent and the Southern Ocean, 2nd edn. A C Black Publications, London
Stewart FM, Phillips RA, Bartle JA, Craig J, Shooter D (1999) Influence of phylogeny, diet, moult schedule and sex on heavy metal concentrations in New Zealand Procellariiformes. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 178:295–305. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps178295
Squadrone S, Abete MC, Brizio P, Monaco G, Colussi S, Biolatti C, Modesto P, Acutis PL, Pessani D, Favaro L (2016) Sex- and age-related variation in metal content of penguin feathers. Ecotoxicology 25:431–438. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-015-1593-7
Tin T, Fleming ZL, Hughes KA, Ainley DG, Convey P, Moreno CA, Pfeiffer S, Scott J, Snape I (2009) Impacts of local human activities on the Antarctic environment. Antarct Sci 21:3–33. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954102009001722
Thompson DR, Furness RW, Monteiro LR (1998) Seabirds as biomonitors of mercury inputs to epipelagic and mesopelagic marine food chains. Sci Total Environ 213:299–305. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0048-9697(98)00103-X
Thompson DR, Hamer KH, Furness RW (1991) Mercury accumulation in great skuas Catharacta skua of known age and sex, and its effects upon breeding and survival. J Appl Ecol 28:672–684. https://doi.org/10.2307/2404575
UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) (2019) Global mercury assessment 2018. United Nations Environment Programme, Chemicals and Health Branch, Geneva
Wright DA, Welbourn PM (1994) Cadmium in the aquatic environment: a review of ecological, physiological, and toxicological effects on biota. Environ Rev 2:187–214. https://doi.org/10.1139/a94-012
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq/MCT: 557049/2009-1), the Rio de Janeiro State Foundation of Support for Research (FAPERJ) for project funding and the Brazilian Antarctic Program (PROANTAR). Dra. Daniele Kasper (UFRJ) for reviewing a draft of the manuscript and Dr. Peter Convey (BAS) for language-editing the last version of this manuscript are acknowledged. J. Souza, A. Pessoa and J. Padilha thank CNPq for their scholarships. M. Alves also thanks CNPq (#305798/2014-6) and FAPERJ (# E-26/203191/2015) for funding. All samples were collected with the permission of the PROANTAR and PROANTAR Environmental Assessment Group (GAAm), coordinated by the Brazilian Ministry of Environment.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Souza, J.S., Padilha, J.A., Pessoa, A.R.L. et al. Trace elements in feathers of Cape Petrel (Daption capense) from Antarctica. Polar Biol 43, 911–917 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-020-02683-6
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-020-02683-6