Renal lesions in Greenland sledge dogs ( Canis familiaris ) exposed to a natural dietary cocktail of persistent organic pollutants

Persistent organic pollutants such as Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane (DDT) are known to exert various adverse health effects in wildlife mammals. The impact from dietary intake of minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) blubber high in organohalogen and other chemical contaminants on renal morphology and function was investigated via a controlled study on West Greenland sledge dogs (Canis familiaris). Our results showed significantly higher frequencies of glomerular, tubular, and interstitial lesions in the exposed group. Furthermore, higher urine protein?:?creatinine ratio and plasma urea levels were found in the exposed group, which indicated a negative impact on kidney function via tubular and glomerular dysfunctions. The lesions were similar to those observed in top predator marine species–such as seals and polar bears–and humans exposed via diet to persistent environmental pollutants. The lesions may have impacts on the overall health of these animals. It is reasonable to suggest that chronic exposure to organic pollutants via a country diet of high trophic level marine organisms may have an impact on renal morphology and function in Arctic apex predators in general as well as Inuit people.     

Modelling effects of chemical exposure on birds wintering in agricultural landscapes: The western burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) as a case study

We describe an ecotoxicological model that simulates the sublethal and lethal effects of chronic, low-level, chemical exposure on birds wintering in agricultural landscapes. Previous models estimating the impact on wildlife of chemicals used in agro-ecosystems typically have not included the variety of pathways, including both dermal and oral, by which individuals are exposed. The present model contains four submodels simulating (1) foraging behavior of individual birds, (2) chemical applications to crops, (3) transfers of chemicals among soil, insects, and small mammals, and (4) transfers of chemicals to birds via ingestion and dermal exposure. We demonstrate use of the model by simulating the impacts of a variety of commonly used herbicides, insecticides, growth regulators, and defoliants on western burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) that winter in agricultural landscapes in southern Texas, United States. The model generated reasonable movement patterns for each chemical through soil, water, insects, and rodents, as well as into the owl via consumption and dermal absorption. Sensitivity analysis suggested model predictions were sensitive to uncertainty associated with estimates of chemical half-lives in birds, soil, and prey, sensitive to parameters associated with estimating dermal exposure, and relatively insensitive to uncertainty associated with details of chemical application procedures (timing of application, amount of drift). Nonetheless, the general trends in chemical accumulations and the relative impacts of the various chemicals were robust to these parameter changes. Simulation results suggested that insecticides posed a greater potential risk to owls of both sublethal and lethal effects than do herbicides, defoliants, and growth regulators under crop scenarios typical of southern Texas, and that use of multiple indicators, or endpoints provided a more accurate assessment of risk due to agricultural chemical exposure. The model should prove useful in helping prioritize the chemicals and transfer pathways targeted in future studies and also, as these new data become available, in assessing the relative danger to other birds of exposure to different types of agricultural chemicals.     

农药内分泌干扰效应研究进展

农药作为农业生产过程中的一类重要生产资料,主要用作杀虫剂、杀菌剂和除草剂等。由于农药的大量使用,目前在各类农产品及各种环境介质中都能被检测到,对饮食健康和环境安全带来潜在危害。研究发现,许多农药为内分泌干扰物,其能够干扰人类和其他生物体的内分泌系统正常功能。本文在总结国内外相关研究的基础上,对农药内分泌干扰效应的作用机理及筛选模型进行总结,对有机氯、有机磷和拟除虫菊酯等各类农药的内分泌干扰效应研究进展进行综述,并提出深入探究农药致毒作用机制和低剂量下多种农药联合毒性是本领域的重要研究方向。     

Toxicity of the pyrethroid bifenthrin insecticide

Bifenthrin is a chiral synthetic pyrethroid insecticide that has been commonly used for agricultural and domestic pest control over the past decades. Due to its widespread application, residues of bifenthrin has been frequently detected in environmental media, residential areas and biota, thus posing potential risks to the health of wildlife and humans. In particular, bifenthrin exhibits high acute lethal toxicity to aquatic species, and it is the primary contributor to the toxicity of insecticides in waters. Additionally, bifenthrin can also cause sublethal toxic effects on various non-target organisms, including developmental toxicity, neurobehavioral toxicity, oxidative damage, immune toxicity and endocrine disrupting effects. Here we review recent studies about the fate of bifenthrin in the environment and biological systems, the toxicity of the chiral parent compound bifenthrin and the toxic effects of main metabolites. The adverse effects of bifenthrin, identified from both in vitro and in vivo studies, and the potential underlying mechanisms are presented. We discuss the enantiomeric difference in the toxicological effects of bifenthrin, since enantiomers of chiral compounds show different interactions with biological systems. Pyrethroid insecticides metabolites are not acutely toxic, but they have sublethal toxicity, such as endocrine disrupting effects and immunotoxicity. We provide emerging evidence for toxic effects of several main metabolites.     

胚胎期草甘膦铵盐暴露对中华鳖幼体的表型与生理表现的影响

草甘膦是全球范围内生产与使用量最大的除草剂。虽然草甘膦制剂被分于低毒等级,但是许多研究显示其对动物的生理、行为表达具有广泛的干扰作用。本研究将中华鳖胚胎暴露于不同浓度的草甘膦铵盐溶液以评估草甘膦除草剂对其胚胎发育及孵出幼体表型及生理表现的影响。结果显示:一定浓度范围(5～5 000 mg·L~(-1))内,草甘膦铵盐对中华鳖胚胎发育速率、孵出幼体大小、游泳能力、肝脏甘油三酯含量、超氧化物歧化酶活性、丙二醛含量以及热激蛋白70 mRNA相对表达量无显著影响。结果表明:一定浓度范围草甘膦除草剂暴露对中华鳖胚胎发育的影响较小,不改变孵出幼体的表型及其生理表现。     

Investigating potential for effects of environmental endocrine disrupters on wild populations of amphibians in UK and Japan: status of historical databases and review of methods.

Concern over global declines among amphibians has resulted in increased interest in the effects of environmental contaminants on amphibian populations, and more recently, this has stimulated research on the potential adverse effects of environmental endocrine disrupters in amphibians. Laboratory studies of the effects of single chemicals on endocrine-relevant endpoints in amphibian, mainly anuran, models are valuable in characterizing sensitivity at the individual level and may yield useful bioassays for screening chemicals for endocrine toxicity (for example, thyroid disrupting activity). Nevertheless, in the UK and Japan as in many other countries, it has yet to be demonstrated unequivocally that the exposure of native amphibians to endocrine disrupting environmental contaminants results in adverse effects at the population level. Assessing the potential of such effects is likely to require an ecoepidemiological approach to investigate associations between predicted or actual exposure of amphibians to (endocrine disrupting) environmental contaminants and biologically meaningful responses at the population level. In turn, this demands recent but relatively long-term population trend data. We review two potential sources of such data for widespread UK anurans that could be used in such investigations: records for common frogs and common toads in several databases maintained by the Biological Records Centre (UK Government Centre for Ecology and Hydrology), and adult toad count data from 'Toads on Roads' schemes registered with the UK wildlife charity 'Froglife'. There were little abundance data in the BRC databases that could be used for this purpose, while count data from the Toads on Roads schemes is potentially confounded by the effects of local topology on the detection probabilities and operation of nonchemical anthropogenic stressors. For Japan, local and regional surveys of amphibians and national ecological censuses gathering amphibian data were reviewed to compile survey methodologies and these were compared with methods used in the UK and other countries. Substantial consensus exists in amphibian survey methodologies and this should be exploited in the initiation of coordinated monitoring programs for widespread and common anuran amphibians in Japan and the UK to generate long-term robust and standardized population trend data. Such data would support comparative ecoepidemiological assessments of the impact of environmental endocrine disrupters in these two cooperating countries.     

Human–wildlife coexistence in a changing world

Human–wildlife conflict (HWC) is a key topic in conservation and agricultural research. Decision makers need evidence-based information to design sustainable management plans and policy instruments. However, providing objective decision support can be challenging because realities and perceptions of human–wildlife interactions vary widely between and within rural, urban, and peri-urban areas. Land users who incur costs through wildlife argue that wildlife-related losses should be compensated and that prevention should be subsidized. Supporters of human–wildlife coexistence policies, such as urban-dwelling people, may not face threats to their livelihoods from wildlife. Such spatial heterogeneity in the cost and benefits of living with wildlife is germane in most contemporary societies. This Special Section features contributions on wildlife-induced damages that range from human perspectives (land use, psychology, governance, local attitudes and perceptions, costs and benefits, and HWC and coexistence theory) to ecological perspectives (animal behavior). Building on current literature and articles in this section, we developed a conceptual model to help frame HWC and coexistence dimensions. The framework can be used to determine damage prevention implementation levels and approaches to HWC resolution. Our synthesis revealed that inter- and transdisciplinary approaches and multilevel governance approaches can help stakeholders and institutions implement sustainable management strategies that promote human–wildlife coexistence.     

室内环境中持久性卤代有机污染物的人体暴露及潜在生殖健康影响

卤代持久性有机污染物(Hal-POPs),如多溴联苯醚(PBDEs)、多氯联苯(PCBs)、滴滴涕(DDT)等是环境中广泛存在的全球性有机污染物,同时它们又是内分泌干扰物,是威胁人类生殖健康的重要因素之一。由于人们每天约有80%以上的时间在室内度过,且室内环境是Hal-POPs人体暴露的主要来源之一,因此室内环境中Hal-POPs对人体内分泌系统的干扰作用及其机理等问题亟待研究,但目前这方面的研究很有限。本文通过综述Hal-POPs在室内环境中的赋存水平和在人体体内的负荷水平及其半衰期,探讨了其对人体内分泌系统尤其是男性生殖健康的影响情况及其可能的机理,并分析了目前研究的不足之处及研究前景,为进一步开展这方面的研究提供借鉴。     

Impacts of rural to urban migration,urbanization, and generational change on consumption of wild animals in the Amazon

For the first time in history, more people live in urban areas than in rural areas. This trend is likely to continue, driven largely by rural-to-urban migration. We investigated how rural-to-urban migration, urbanization, and generational change affect the consumption of wild animals. We used chelonian (tortoises and freshwater turtles), one of the most hunted taxa in the Amazon, as a model. We surveyed 1356 households and 2776 school children across 10 urban areas of the Brazilian Amazon (6 small towns, 3 large towns, and Manaus, the largest city in the Amazon Basin) with a randomized response technique and anonymous questionnaires. Urban demand for wild meat (i.e., meat from wild animals) was alarmingly high. Approximately 1.7 million turtles and tortoises were consumed in urban areas of Amazonas during 2018. Consumption rates declined as size of the urban area increased and were greater for adults than children. Furthermore, the longer rural-to-urban migrants lived in urban areas, the lower their consumption rates. These results suggest that wild meat consumption is a rural-related tradition that decreases as urbanization increases and over time after people move to urban areas. However, it is unclear whether the observed decline will be fast enough to conserve hunted species, or whether children's consumption rate will remain the same as they become adults. Thus, conservation actions in urban areas are still needed. Current conservation efforts in the Amazon do not address urban demand for wildlife and may be insufficient to ensure the survival of traded species in the face of urbanization and human population growth. Our results suggest that conservation interventions must target the urban demand for wildlife, especially by focusing on young people and recent rural to urban migrants. Article impact statement: Amazon urbanite consumption of wildlife is high but decreases with urbanization, over time for rural to urban migrants, and between generations. Impactos de la Migración del Campo a la Ciudad, la Urbanización y del Cambio Generacional sobre el Consumo de Animales Silvestres en el Amazonas     

硫丹的环境行为及水生态毒理效应研究进展

有机氯农药硫丹作为一种典型的持久性有机污染物(POPs)曾广泛应用于农业生产,我国曾大量使用。硫丹作为一种重要的污染物通过地表径流、淋、溶、干/湿沉降等方式进入水体,在直接影响大型水生植物和浮游藻类的同时,给鱼类等水生动物也带来了一定的毒性效应。由于其半衰期较长、迁移能力强、富集性高,在水体环境中已普遍检测出硫丹的存在,因此,对硫丹的水生生态安全性评价显得十分重要。硫丹对水生生物具有高毒性,它可影响生物正常受体配体作用、损伤生物膜、影响活性氧代谢并具有潜在的内分泌干扰作用。本文介绍了硫丹的环境行为效应,并综述了硫丹对水生生物的毒性及几种致毒机制,展望了该领域今后的研究重点和方向。     

Agricultural chemical exposure in small farmers in Guyana

A study of self-reported injury from agricultural chemical exposure was conducted in farmers in rural Guyana. One hundred and ninety agricultural workers were studied, of which 167 (88%) were male. Morbidity from agricultural chemical exposure was common, with 87 farmers (46%) reporting having experienced at least one episode of illness after agricultural chemical exposure. Relatively few of the farmers sought medical assistance for their symptoms, with only 20 farmers (11%) visiting a local doctor and only two farmers (1%) reporting going to a hospital for treatment. Local farmer use of protective equipment was limited. Pyrethroids and herbicides paraquat and glyphosate were the most commonly used agricultural chemicals in the population studied. Data showed that exposure to agricultural chemicals remains frequent, with incidence of severe injury requiring less frequent medical attention.     

畜禽养殖排放的雌激素对周边水体环境的影响

环境雌激素是一大类化学物质,它们能够干扰生物体内激素的合成、分泌、转运、活性等,或与生物体内激素结构相似而发挥激素作用,对生物体的生长、繁殖及行为产生不利影响。环境雌激素包括天然雌激素及人工合成类雌激素。随着国内畜禽养殖的规模与数量的不断扩大,养殖场成为了一个很大的环境雌激素的产生源,其环境风险应得到相应的重视。目前对畜禽养殖过程中环境雌激素的产生量以及雌激素进入环境后的迁移转化行为已有很多的研究,包括野外的调查与实验室内机理研究。畜禽养殖过程产生的大量雌激素进入环境后能够被土壤吸附及微生物降解。室内的静态平衡吸附实验、土柱迁移试验及降解研究均表明雌激素进入环境后绝大部分迅速被吸附到土壤颗粒或悬浮胶体、沉积物颗粒上,同时发生转化与生物降解,由此推断其对周边环境中的雌激素贡献很小。然而,野外调查结果却表明实际情况下雌激素的迁移性高于理论期望值。因此,畜禽养殖对周边环境中雌激素的贡献量的大小尚未明确。本论文综述了畜禽养殖过程中环境雌激素的排放情况,结合国内外的调查研究,阐述了畜禽养殖产生的环境雌激素在土壤及水体中的迁移与降解行为,探讨了影响准确评估畜禽养殖排泄物对周边水体中雌激素贡献大小的因子,并提出了今后应开展原位吸附与迁移的实验,重点考虑天然有机质及抗生素等共存物质对雌激素环境行为的影响,建立综合模型来估算不同时期养殖场对周围水环境雌激素的贡献量的建议。     

Community Conservation and the Future of Africa's Wildlife

Abstract: The term community-based conservation (CBC) refers to wildlife conservation efforts that involve rural people as an integral part of a wildlife conservation policy. The key elements of such programs are that local communities participate in resource planning and management and that they gain economically from wildlife utilization. In part, CBC is seen as an alternative to the more exclusionary protectionist policies of the past, which often alienated rural people from conservation efforts. The new approach acts to make rural people a constituency for wildlife and therefore active backers of wildlife protection. Africans, however, are struggling with severe social and economic problems such as poverty, long-standing economic stagnation, rapid population growth, and environmental deterioration. Because of the pressures that Africans face in making a living, the application of CBC may not occur as readily or as successfully as its advocates would hope. It may also be that the approach is being oversold. I use brief case studies from Madagascar, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, and Swaziland to highlight the possible conflicts between rural people's economic needs and the implementation of community conservation. In addition, the CBC literature treats the role of protection vaguely, as it does the question of what might happen if CBC fails to achieve wildlife conservation goals. Community-based conservation is an obvious advance over past practices because of its inclusive philosophy, but if rural people accept CBC because of its economic benefits, they may reject it at some point in the future if a better economic alternative is presented. Thus, CBC programs can work to produce a better relationship between wildlife and people, but only a vast improvement in the lives of rural Africans will ultimately produce a more secure future for the continent's wildlife.     

Effects of traffic noise on tree frog stress levels,immunity, and color signaling

During the last decade, many studies have focused on the detrimental effects of noise pollution on acoustic communication. Surprisingly, although it is known that noise exposure strongly influences health in humans, studies on wildlife remain scarce. In order to gain insight into the consequences of traffic noise exposure, we experimentally manipulated traffic noise exposure as well as the endocrine status of animals to investigate physiological and phenotypic consequences of noise pollution in an anuran species. We showed that noise exposure increased stress hormone level and induced an immunosuppressive effect. In addition, both traffic noise exposure and stress hormone application negatively impacted H. arborea vocal sac coloration. Moreover, our results suggest profound changes in sexual selection processes because the best quality males with initial attractive vocal sac coloration were the most impacted by noise. Hence, our study suggests that the recent increases in anthropogenic noise worldwide might affect a broader range of animal species than previously thought, because of alteration of visual signals and immunity. Generalizing these results to other taxa is crucial for the conservation of biodiversity in an increasingly noisy world.     

Interactions of Endocrine-active environmental chemicals with the nuclear receptor PXR

There is growing concern about the human-health impact of environmental chemicals that have the potential to disrupt normal endocrine function. Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) include structurally diverse organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), plasticizers, fungicides, herbicides and pharmaceutical compounds, and can have a profound impact on development, and on reproductive, neurological and immune system functions. While many studies have focused on the role of androgen receptor, estrogen receptor and aryl hydrocarbon receptor in mediating the effects of EDCs, other nuclear receptors that regulate steroid hormone action and metabolism may also serve as targets of EDC action. This review focuses on two classes of EDCs, PCBs and phthalate monoesters, both of which have been shown to interact with pregnane X receptor (PXR), a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily that regulates a large number of target genes, many of which have important roles in steroid metabolism and transport. Recent findings on the ability of PCBs and phthalate monoesters to activate PXR are discussed and the potential role of PXR and other intracellular receptor proteins in mediating toxicities associated with EDC exposure is considered. Finally, we discuss several gaps in our knowledge regarding the actions of EDCs and the difficulties associated with the evaluation of risks associated with exposure to these endocrine active environmental chemicals.     

Hormonaktive Xenobiotika

Developmental and reproductive processes are most sensitive to the toxic effects of environmental chemicals. Especially alarming is the fact that many groups of industrial chemicals and pesticides are capable of disrupting the endocrine system in man and animals. Of great concern is the reduction in the sperm count in Europe, but also the worldwide increase in a great number of reproductive and developmental disturbances observed in both man and wildlife. A correlation to a high chemical burden has been demonstrated for many different animal species as well as for women. An important consideration in assessing the potential effects of environmental chemicals on the endocrine system is the time at which such an exposure occurs. In the adult organism, hormones initiate functional processes; these effects are usually transient. In early life, hormones control developmental processes and are capable of producing permanent changes in organ structure and function (organizational effects). Therefore, chemical disruption of hormonal functions during development can result in permanent functional changes of the afflicted organ.     

Effects of wind‐energy facilities on breeding grassland bird distributions

The contribution of renewable energy to meet worldwide demand continues to grow. Wind energy is one of the fastest growing renewable sectors, but new wind facilities are often placed in prime wildlife habitat. Long‐term studies that incorporate a rigorous statistical design to evaluate the effects of wind facilities on wildlife are rare. We conducted a before‐after‐control‐impact (BACI) assessment to determine if wind facilities placed in native mixed‐grass prairies displaced breeding grassland birds. During 2003–2012, we monitored changes in bird density in 3 study areas in North Dakota and South Dakota (U.S.A.). We examined whether displacement or attraction occurred 1 year after construction (immediate effect) and the average displacement or attraction 2–5 years after construction (delayed effect). We tested for these effects overall and within distance bands of 100, 200, 300, and >300 m from turbines. We observed displacement for 7 of 9 species. One species was unaffected by wind facilities and one species exhibited attraction. Displacement and attraction generally occurred within 100 m and often extended up to 300 m. In a few instances, displacement extended beyond 300 m. Displacement and attraction occurred 1 year after construction and persisted at least 5 years. Our research provides a framework for applying a BACI design to displacement studies and highlights the erroneous conclusions that can be made without the benefit of adopting such a design. More broadly, species‐specific behaviors can be used to inform management decisions about turbine placement and the potential impact to individual species. Additionally, the avoidance distance metrics we estimated can facilitate future development of models evaluating impacts of wind facilities under differing land‐use scenarios.     

Poaching Risks in Community‐Based Natural Resource Management

Poaching can disrupt wildlife‐management efforts in community‐based natural resource management systems. Monitoring, estimating, and acquiring data on poaching is difficult. We used local‐stakeholder knowledge and poaching records to rank and map the risk of poaching incidents in 2 areas where natural resources are managed by community members in Caprivi, Namibia. We mapped local stakeholder perceptions of the risk of poaching, risk of wildlife damage to livelihoods, and wildlife distribution and compared these maps with spatially explicit records of poaching events. Recorded poaching events and stakeholder perceptions of where poaching occurred were not spatially correlated. However, the locations of documented poaching events were spatially correlated with areas that stakeholders perceived wildlife as a threat to their livelihoods. This result suggests poaching occurred in response to wildlife damage occurred. Local stakeholders thought that wildlife populations were at high risk of being poached and that poaching occurred where there was abundant wildlife. These findings suggest stakeholders were concerned about wildlife resources in their community and indicate a need for integrated and continued monitoring of poaching activities and further interventions at the wildlife‐agricultural interface. Involving stakeholders in the assessment of poaching risks promotes their participation in local conservation efforts, a central tenet of community‐based management. We considered stakeholders poaching informants, rather than suspects, and our technique was spatially explicit. Different strategies to reduce poaching are likely needed in different areas. For example, interventions that reduce human‐wildlife conflict may be required in residential areas, and increased and targeted patrolling may be required in more remote areas. Stakeholder‐generated maps of human‐wildlife interactions may be a valuable enforcement and intervention support tool. Riesgos de Cacería Furtiva en el Manejo de Recursos Naturales Basado en Comunidades     

Evaluation of Selective Culling of Infected Individuals to Control Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumor Disease

Abstract: Sustainable strategies to manage infectious diseases in threatened wildlife are still lacking despite considerable concern over the global increase in emerging infectious diseases of wildlife and their potential to drive populations to extinction. Selective culling of infected individuals will often be the most feasible option to control infectious disease in a threatened wildlife host, but has seldom been implemented or evaluated as a management tool for the conservation of threatened species. The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is threatened with extinction by an infectious cancer, devil facial tumor disease (DFTD). We assess the success of an adaptive management trial involving selective culling of infected Tasmanian devils to control DFTD. Demographic and epidemiological parameters indicative of disease progression and impact were compared between the management site and a comparable unmanaged control site. Selective culling of infected individuals neither slowed rate of disease progression nor reduced population‐level impacts of this debilitating disease. Culling mortality simply compensated for disease mortality in this system. Failure of selective culling to impede DFTD progress and reduce its impacts in the managed population was attributed to DFTD's frequency‐dependent nature, its long latent period and high degree of infectivity, and the presence of a cryptic hidden disease reservoir or continual immigration of diseased individuals. We suggest that increasing the current removal rate and focusing removal efforts prior to the breeding season are options worth pursuing for future management of DFTD in this population. On the basis of our experience, we suggest that disease‐management programs for threatened wildlife populations be developed on the principles of adaptive management and utilize a wide variety of strategies with regular reviews and adaptation of strategies undertaken as new information is obtained.