Effects of heavy metal exposure on the condition and health of adult great tits (Parus major)

We examined the possible effects of heavy metal exposure on the quality and health of adult great tits (Parus major) at four study sites along a pollution gradient near a non-ferrous smelter in Belgium. Tarsus length, wing length, body mass and condition of great tits were compared with respect to study site, age (first-year and older great tits), sex and season (birds caught in winter and during breeding). Tarsus length did not differ significantly among study sites. The wing length of great tits was larger at the study site furthest from the smelter, especially for older great tits. The length of the outermost tail feathers, however, did not differ significantly among study sites. We found no signs of loss of body mass or condition towards the pollution source. The body mass and condition was lowest for female great tits at the site furthest from the smelter, especially during winter. Haematocrit values did not differ significantly among sites. Overall, we found no clear significant effects of heavy metal pollution on morphological measurements and health parameters of great tits.     

Evaluation of biochemical effects related to perfluorooctane sulfonic acid exposure in organohalogen-contaminated great tit (Parus major) and blue tit (Parus caeruleus) nestlings

A perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) biomonitoring survey was conducted on great tit (Parus major) and blue tit (Parus caeruleus) nestlings from Blokkersdijk, a bird reserve in the proximity of a fluorochemical plant in Antwerp (Belgium) and Fort IV, a control area. PFOS, together with 11 organochlorine pesticides, 20 polychlorinated biphenyl congeners and 7 polybrominated diphenyl ethers were measured in liver tissue. The hepatic PFOS concentrations at Blokkersdijk (86–2788 and 317–3322 ng/g wet weight (ww) for great and blue tit, respectively) were among the highest ever measured and were significantly higher than at the control area (17–206 and 69–514 ng/g ww for great and blue tit, respectively). The hepatic PFOS concentration was species- and sex-independent and correlated significantly and positively with the serum alanine aminotransferase activity and negatively with the serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels in both species but did not correlate with condition or serum protein concentration. In the great tit, a significant positive correlation was observed between the liver PFOS concentration and the relative liver weight. In the blue tit, the hepatic PFOS concentration correlated positively and significantly with hematocrite values. None of the investigated organohalogen pollutants except for PFOS were suggested to be involved in the observed biological alterations.     

Empty nests in the great tit (Parus major) and the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) in a polluted area

Great tits (Parus major) are sometimes found to incubate in their nests even though the nests contain no eggs. This phenomenon has been observed in different parts of Europe (Sweden, Finland, UK, Netherlands, Germany) and it has become more common during the 1980s. We analysed the occurrence of empty nests in P. major and in pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) in SW Finland from 6-year data collected in a polluted area around a copper smelter which emits large quantities of sulphuric oxides and heavy metals. Among first broods 3.3% of P. major females incubated in empty nests. Incubation on empty nests was not observed in F. hypoleuca, but in this species 2.4% of the nests remained without eggs. In both species empty nests were more common close to the pollution source than farther away. Histopathological analyses in P. major suggest that there are diverse reasons for the incapability of a female to lay. One out of five P. major females captured from incubating in an empty nest had dark cysts in her oviduct. Two P. major females had very scanty medullary bone tissue in their tibiotarsus and tarsometatarsus and one female showed exceptionally high concentrations of lead in her bone tissue. We conclude that air pollutants enhance the number of empty nests especially in F. hypoleuca, but cannot wholly explain the phenomenon in P. major.     

Within- and among-clutch variation of organohalogenated contaminants in eggs of great tits (Parus major)

In this study we investigated the variation of organohalogenated compounds, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), within and among clutches of a small insectivorous songbird, the great tit (Parus major), and determined whether egg laying order affects the concentrations of these compounds. PCBs were the major organohalogenated contaminants in the eggs of great tits (mean 4778 ng/g lipid weight), while PBDEs (mean 204 ng/g lipid weight) and DDTs (mean 601 ng/g lipid weight) were found at much lower concentrations. Within-clutch variability of PCBs, PBDEs, and DDTs residues in the egg samples was small (7%, 3%, and 22%, respectively) compared to among-clutch variability (93%, 97%, and 78%, respectively). The small within-clutch variability may be in part related to the small home range of great tits and low spatial heterogeneity of the contaminants. We found no laying order effects on the concentrations of PCBs, PBDEs, and DDTs. Our results show that random egg samples of great tits are suitable as a biomonitoring tool for contamination with persistent organohalogenated pollutants in terrestrial environments.     

Effects of heavy metal exposure on the condition and health of nestlings of the great tit (Parus major), a small songbird species

In this study we examined the possible effects of heavy metal exposure on the condition and health of great tit nestlings (Parus major) at four study sites along a pollution gradient near a large non-ferrous smelter in Belgium during three consecutive breeding seasons. Our results showed that nestlings were indeed exposed to large amounts of heavy metals. Excrements contained significantly higher concentrations of several heavy metals (silver, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead) near the pollution source than at study sites farther away. When taking into account the number of young in the nest at the time of sampling, nestling body mass and condition were significantly reduced at the most polluted site. Nestlings at the two most polluted sites fledged significantly later than at the least polluted site. We also observed growth abnormalities of the legs near the pollution source. Tarsus length, wing length and haematocrit values did not differ significantly among study sites.     

Lead and cadmium in leaves of deciduous trees in Beijing, China: development of a metal accumulation index (MAI)

Lead and cadmium uptake was investigated for common deciduous street trees in Beijing in this study. Species having Cd accumulation included Populus tomentosa, Sophora japonica and Catalpa speciosa. P. tomentosa had the highest ratios between leaf and soil Cd (0.848), followed by S. japonica (0.536), C. speciosa (0.493), Paulownia tomentosa (0.453) and Juglans regia (0.415). Pb levels were high in leaves of C. speciosa, J. regia and Pa. tomentosa. S. japonica had the highest ratio between leaf Pb and soil Pb (0.146), followed by Pa. tomentosa (0.143), Ginko biloba (0.103) and C. speciosa (0.095). A predictive foliar metal accumulation index (MAI) was developed and C. speciosa was calculated to have the highest MAI value (53.8). This suggests that C. speciosa would be a good choice for planting in areas of Beijing where soil contamination with Cd and Pb may be a problem.     

The reproductive success and quality of blue tits (Parus caeruleus) in a heavy metal pollution gradient

Studying the effects of pollution on the reproductive performance of birds in the natural environment is of increasing importance due to the need to monitor environmental quality biologically. In this study we investigated the reproductive success and the quality of blue tits in four study sites (at 0.1, 1, 2.5 and 4 km from a metallurgic smelter) located within a heavy metal pollution gradient during three consecutive years. At the two sites closest to the pollution source, a significantly higher proportion of females had egg laying interruptions, and the interruptions also lasted longer (although not significantly). Although the hatching success differed significantly among sites, these differences could not be related to differences in pollution levels. Other important breeding parameters such as the start of egg laying, the clutch size and the breeding success did not differ significantly among sites. Our results suggest that exposure to heavy metal pollution did not influence blue tit reproduction in an important way.     

Trace metal distribution in sediments of the Pearl River Estuary and the surrounding coastal area, South China

Surface sediments and sediment cores collected at the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) and its surrounding coastal area were analysed for total metal concentrations, chemical partitioning, and Pb isotopic compositions. The distribution of Cu, Cr, Pb, and Zn demonstrated a typical diffusion pattern from the land to the direction of the sea. Two hotspots of trace metal contamination were located at the mixed zone between freshwater and marine waters. The enrichment of metals in the sediments could be attributed to the deposition of the dissolved and particulate trace metals in the water column at the estuarine area. The similar Pb isotopic signatures of the sediments at the PRE and its surrounding coastal area offered strong evidence that the PRE was a major source of trace metals to the adjacent coastal area. Slightly lower (206)Pb/(207)Pb ratios in the coastal sediments may indicate other inputs of Pb in addition to the PRE sources, including the inputs from Hong Kong and other parts of the region.     

Organochlorine pesticides (DDTs and HCHs) in soils from the outskirts of Beijing, China

Concentrations of HCH (hexachlorocyclohexane) and DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) were determined in shallow subsurface (5-30 cm depth) and deep soil layers (150-180 cm depth) from the outskirts of Beijing, China. Concentrations of total HCHs (including alpha, beta, gamma, delta-isomers) and total DDTs (including p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDD, o,p'-DDT) in shallow subsurface soils ranged from 1.36 to 56.61 ng/g dw (median 5.25 ng/g), and from 0.77 to 2178 ng/g (median 38.66 ng/g), respectively, and those in the deeper layers were approximately an order of magnitude less. The spatial distribution of HCHs and DDTs reflected the known historical usage of these pesticides. No correlation between the concentrations of pesticides and soil organic matter content or clay content can be found. The factors affecting residue levels and compositions of DDT and HCH were discussed. The contour maps of beta/gamma ratios and DDT/DDE ratios for both the shallow subsurface and deep layer soils were drawn.     

Trace element (Cd, Cu, Hg, Se, Zn) accumulation and tissue distribution in loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) from the Western Mediterranean Sea (southern Italy)

Cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) were determined in the liver, kidney and muscle of 29 loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta, from the South Tyrrhenian Sea (Western Mediterranean). No significant differences (p>0.05) were detected between males and females. Trace element concentrations were not influenced by the size of the specimen except Se in the liver, which was negatively correlated with the curved carapace length (p<0.001). Muscles generally displayed the lowest trace element burdens, with the exception of Zn which contained concentrations as high as 176 microgg-1dwt. Kidneys displayed the highest Cd and Se mean concentrations (57.2+/-34.6 and 15.5+/-9.1 microgg-1dwt, respectively), while liver exhibited the highest Cu and Hg levels (37.3+/-8.7 and 1.1+/-1.7 microgg-1dwt, respectively). Whichever tissue is considered, the toxic elements had elevated coefficients of variation (i.e. from 60% to 177%) compared to those of the essential ones (i.e. from 14% to 65%), which is a consequence of homeostatic processes for Cu, Se and Zn. Globally, the concentrations of Hg remained low in all the considered tissues, possibly the result of low trophic level in sea turtles. In contrast, the diet of loggerhead turtles would result in a significant exposure to Cd. Highly significant correlations between Cd and Cu and Zn in the liver and kidney suggest that efficient detoxification processes involving MT occur which prevent Cd toxicity in loggerhead turtles.     

Trace metal concentrations and their distribution in the lobster Panulirus inflatus (Bouvier, 1895) from the Mexican Pacific coast

The concentration and distribution of Fe, Mn, Ni, Cu, Co, Cd, Cr and Zn among the tissues of female and male lobster Panulirus inflatus from the Pacific coast of México were determined. Distinct inter-tissue and intersize differences in metal concentrations were observed. In general, highest Zn concentrations were found in viscera while highest Cu levels occurred in the gill and gonadal material. The highest Mn, Ni, Cr and Co concentrations were observed in exoskeleton and highest in eggs and gills. Cadmium was undetectable (<0.05 microg g(-1)) in most tissues, only muscle and viscera contained low but detectable amounts. A positive relationship between size and metal concentration was observed only for Zn contained in the muscle of females and males, for Zn contained in the gonad of females, for Mn contained in the gonad of males and for Cu associated with muscle of males. These results are discussed with regard to trace metal concentrations found in temperate and tropical regions.     

Ozone injury on cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) and crown-beard (Verbesina occidentalis) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Incidence and severity of visible foliar ozone injury on cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata L.) and crown-beard (Verbesina occidentalis Walt.) were determined along selected trails at three locations in Great Smoky Mountains National Park during the summers of 2000 and 2001: Clingmans Dome, Cherokee Orchard Road and Purchase Knob. Cutleaf coneflower exhibited a greater amount of foliar injury than crown-beard each year of the 2-year study. Incidence and severity of injury was significantly greater for cutleaf coneflower growing near the edge of the Clingmans Dome trail than in the interior of the stand. Injury was greater at Clingmans Dome than Purchase Knob (70% vs. 40% ozone-injured plants, respectively), coincident with greater ozone exposures. In contrast to Clingmans Dome, there were no differences in injury between plants growing near- and off-trail at Purchase Knob. Differences in sensitivity to ozone were not observed for crown-beard growing near the edge compared with the interior of the stand adjacent to the Cherokee Orchard Road Loop. Ozone injury was greatest on the lower leaves for both species sampled with over 95% of the injured leaves occurring on the lower 50% of the plant. This is the first report of foliar ozone injury on these plant species in situ, in the Park, illustrating the great variability in symptom expression with time, and within and between populations.     

Assessment of heavy metal pollution in surface soils of urban parks in Beijing, China

Assessing the concentration of potentially harmful heavy metals in the soil of urban parks is imperative in order to evaluate the potential risks to residents and tourists. To date, little research on soil pollution in China's urban parks has been conducted. To identify the concentrations and sources of heavy metals, and to assess the soil environmental quality, samples were collected from 30 urban parks located in the city of Beijing. Subsequently, the concentrations of Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in the samples were analyzed. The investigation revealed that the accumulations of Cu and Pb were readily apparent in the soils. The integrated pollution index (IPI) of these four metals ranged from 0.97 to 9.21, with the highest IPI in the densely populated historic center district (HCD). Using multivariate statistic approaches (principal components analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis), two factors controlling the heavy metal variability were obtained, which accounted for nearly 80% of the total variance. Nickel and Zn levels were controlled by parent material in the soils, whereas Cu, Pb and, in part, Zn were accounted for mainly by anthropogenic activities. The findings presented here indicate that the location and the age of the park are important factors in determining the extent of heavy metal, particularly Cu and Pb, pollution. In addition, the accumulation of Zn did not appear to reach pollution levels, and no obvious pollution by Ni was observed in the soils of the parks in Beijing.     

Fine organic aerosols collected in a humid,rural location (Great Smoky Mountains,Tennessee, USA): Chemical and temporal characteristics

Fine organic aerosols collected at the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Tennessee (USA) during 15 July –25 August 1995 as part of the Southeastern Aerosol and Visibility Study (SEAVS) were chemically characterized. The water-soluble organic species (WSOS) often dominated over the solvent-soluble organic species (SSOS) at this remote, humid sampling site, contributing 76–98% of the total identified organic mass in 17 out of the 21 daytime samples analyzed. Nighttime samples tended to have slightly larger concentrations of total SSOS than the daytime, with nocturnal/diurnal organic mass ratios greater than 1.0 in 7 out of the 10 paired samples. However, for total WSOS mass, the nocturnal-to-diurnal ratios were less than 0.3 in 7 out of the 10 paired samples, reflecting much more substantial depletion and/or less production of the more polar organics during nighttime. Based on identified species, the organic-mass-to-organic-carbon (OM–OC) ratios at the SEAVS site are estimated as 2.0, 2.2, and 1.3 for the daytime total organics, WSOS, and SSOS, respectively. For the nighttime samples, the OM–OC ratio for total identified organics is estimated to be 1.8, slightly lower than the daytime ratio due to the smaller mass fraction of WSOS present at night.     

Atmospheric transport of urban-derived NH(x): Evidence from nitrogen concentration and delta(15)N in epilithic mosses at Guiyang, SW China

Nitrogen concentration and δ¹⁵N in 175 epilithic moss samples were investigated along four directions from urban to rural sites in Guiyang, SW China. The spatial variations of moss N concentration and δ¹⁵N revealed that atmospheric N deposition is dominated by NH_x-N from two major sources (urban sewage NH₃ and agricultural NH₃), the deposition of urban-derived NH_x followed a point source pattern characterized by an exponential decline with distance from the urban center, while the agricultural-derived NH_x was shown to be a non-point source. The relationship between moss N concentration and distance (y = 1.5e^−0.13x + 1.26) indicated that the maximum transporting distance of urban-derived NH_x averaged 41 km from the urban center, and it could be determined from the relationship between moss δ¹⁵N and distance [y = 2.54 ln(x) − 12.227] that urban-derived NH_x was proportionally lower than agricultural-derived NH_x in N deposition at sites beyond 17.2 km from the urban center. Consequently, the variation of urban-derived NH_x with distance from the urban center could be modeled as y = 56.272e^−0.116x − 0.481 in the Guiyang area.     

Trace analysis of dissolved polychlorinated organic compounds in the water of the Yangtse River (Nanjing, China)

Eighteen organochlorine contaminants from the water samples of the Yangtse River have been qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. The analysis of polychlorinated organic compounds (PCOCs) extracted by C18 Solid Phase Extract (SPE) was performed using HP6890 gas chromatograph coupled by ECD detector. The analytical results demonstrate that the analytical methods are reliable based on the fact that most of the recoveries for the targeted compounds are 60-90%. Most of the concerned contaminants, i.e. chlorinated pesticides and PCBs were found in the water samples of the Yangtse River, but their concentration was very low, <2.97 ng l(-1), which is far less than 1 microg l(-1)--the standard of drinking water of China. It is apparent that the PCOCs were in high concentration during the dry season, and in low concentration during the rainy season. The situation of PCOCs contamination in the water of the Yangtse River in 1999 was greatly improved in comparison with 10 years ago.     

A comparative study of metal pollution and potential eco-risk in the sediment of Chaohu Lake (China) based on total concentration and chemical speciation

Total and extractable concentrations of Cu, Pb, and Zn were determined in surface sediments of west Chaohu Lake (China) by HCl-HNO₃-HF-HClO₄ digestion and an optimized BCR sequential extraction procedure, respectively. The metal pollution was evaluated by the enrichment factor approach, and the potential eco-risk was evaluated by the sediment quality guideline (SQG) and risk assessment code (RAC) assessments. The results indicated that both total and extractable metal concentrations were highly variable and were affected by sediment properties, even though the sediments were predominantly composed of <63-μm particles (>89 %). Enrichment factors of the metals based on the total and extractable concentrations all showed higher values in the northern lake area and decreasing values towards the south. This distribution indicated an input of anthropogenic metals via the Nanfei River. Anthropogenic Cu, Pb, and Zn in surface sediments showed comparable values for each metal based on the total and extractable concentrations, suggesting that anthropogenic Cu, Pb, and Zn resided predominantly in the extractable fractions. Sediment Cu had low eco-risk, and Pb and Zn had medium eco-risk by the SQG assessment, whereas the eco-risk rankings of Cu, Pb, and Zn were medium, low, and low–high, respectively, by the RAC assessment. Referencing to the labile (dilute acid soluble) metal concentrations, we deduced that the eco-risk of Cu may be largely overestimated by the RAC assessment, and the eco-risk of Pb may be largely overestimated by the SQG assessment. Overall, sediments Cu and Pb may pose low eco-risk, and Zn may pose low–high eco-risk.     

Levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in breast milk from Beijing, China

The levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in breast milk from Beijing, China, were studied. The 6 predominant PBDEs congeners (BDE47, BDE99, BDE100, BDE153, BDE154 and BDE183) in 23 pooled breast milk samples from 205 mothers living in Beijing were measured. Mean and median of SigmaPBDEs concentrations in all samples were 1.12ngg(-1) lipid and 1.07ngg(-1) lipid, respectively. The Statistical difference in SigmaPBDEs concentrations was found between urban areas (1.22ngg(-1) lipid, n=14) and rural areas (0.97ngg(-1) lipid n=9). The sum of BDE47 and BDE153 accounted for more than 70% of SigmaPBDEs in most samples. The significant correlation was found between the SigmaPBDEs in pooled samples and average of consumption of food of animal origin in the pools in urban area. However, there was no correlation was found between the SigmaPBDEs in pooled samples and average of consumption of food of animal origin in the pools in rural area of Beijing. The current study showed that the level of PBDEs in breast milk from Beijing was lower than that from South China and some developed countries such as USA and Sweden.     

Cloudwater studies at a high elevation site in the Vosges Mountains (France)

Cloud and rainwater samples have been collected at a high elevation site in the Vosges Mountains. An automated collection system has been used to collect bulk cloudwater and small cloudwater droplets. Bulk cloudwater concentrations were up to 10 times more concentrated than rainwater concentrations. Small clouddroplets showed generally higher concentrations than bulk cloudwater. Nevertheless, the enrichment factors depend on the compounds under study and appear to be related to the composition of the cloud condensation nuclei forming small or large clouddroplets. Principal component analysis and factor analysis were applied to the collected datasets and confirmed the influence of the cloud condensation nuclei on the composition difference between small and large cloudwater droplets.     

Distribution, source and risk assessment of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in urban soils of Beijing, China

The concentration of PCBs in urban soils of Beijing across six land types including business districts (BD), cultural and educational areas (CE), classical gardens (CG), public green (PG), residential areas (RA), and roadsides (RD) was investigated. The total concentrations of PCBs ranged from below method detection limit (M.D.L.) to 37.11 × 10⁻³ mg kg⁻¹ dry weight (mean: 11.70 × 10⁻³ mg kg⁻¹; median: 13.28 × 10⁻³ mg kg⁻¹), which was at a medium level compared with other cities around the world. In general, the levels of PCBs decreased from the center of Beijing city to the suburb, suggesting the increasing PCBs concentrations with the age of the urban area. For different types of land use, the highest level of PCBs was observed in CG soils which have the oldest age, and the homologue profiles were similar, which were predominated by lowly chlorinated congeners including di-, tri- and tetra-CBs. Principal component analysis indicated that local sources such as Aroclor 1016, 1242, and 1248 were important sources in addition to long-range transport of PCBs all over the world. Although the toxic equivalency (TEQ) concentrations of dioxin-like PCBs in all soil samples of Beijing were higher than those in other urban areas of China, they met the Canadian soil quality standard.