Mercury elimination by shorebirds using temperate and tropical wetlands
Mercury pollution is a global issue due to atmospheric transport and its bioaccumulation by organisms, resulting in several adverse effects on wildlife. Migratory shorebirds use several wetlands at different latitudes where mercury pollution is likely to differ. Little is currently known about mercu...
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ftria:oai:ria.ua.pt:10773/31921 2023-05-15T13:02:25+02:00 Mercury elimination by shorebirds using temperate and tropical wetlands Eliminação de mercúrio por aves limícolas em zonas húmidas temperadas e tropicais Correia, Telmo Alexandre Ferreira Alves, José Augusto Belchior Loureiro, Susana Patrícia Mendes 2021-07-16 http://hdl.handle.net/10773/31921 eng eng http://hdl.handle.net/10773/31921 openAccess https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ CC-BY Pollution Bioaccumulation Feathers Eggshells Faeces Tagus Estuary Bijagós Archipelago Saltpans masterThesis 2021 ftria 2022-05-25T18:39:10Z Mercury pollution is a global issue due to atmospheric transport and its bioaccumulation by organisms, resulting in several adverse effects on wildlife. Migratory shorebirds use several wetlands at different latitudes where mercury pollution is likely to differ. Little is currently known about mercury levels in shorebirds in tropical regions. In this study, we assessed mercury levels in freshly grown feathers of several shorebirds species wintering in two important wetlands of East Atlantic Flyway: Bijagós Archipelago (tropical; Calidris alba, Calidris canutus, Charadrius hiaticula, Tringa totanus, Actitis hypoleucos, Arenaria interpres, Calidris ferruginea and Pluvialis squatarola) and Tagus Estuary (temperate; Calidris alba, Calidris canutus, Charadrius hiaticula, Tringa totanus, Calidris alpina and Limosa limosa). We also assess mercury levels of breeding species, by analysing eggshells of Charadrius alexandrinus and Himantopus himantopus, collected in saltpans of the Ria de Aveiro and of the Tagus Estuary, and in the faeces of the last species collected mostly throughout the non-breeding season. Mercury levels in feathers and eggshells varied significantly among species and wetlands. The results showed that, in general, shorebirds wintering in Tagus Estuary had higher mercury concentrations (2.106±0.681 – 9.918±3.499 ppm) than those from Bijagós Archipelago (0.932±0.369 – 2.773±0.784 ppm), suggesting that mercury exposure is higher in this temperate wetland. Charadrius alexandrinus eggshells had higher concentrations in both portuguese wetlands (0.034±0.006 e 0.037±0.006 ppm) than Himantopus himantopus ones (0.018±0.004 e 0.009±0.002 ppm). The Himantopus himantopus faeces contained detectable mercury but the mean concentrations (0.040±0.003 – 0.085±0.025 ppm) did not vary over the season. The differences observed in this study were likely caused by spatial differences in mercury pollution between wetlands and by interspecific differences on trophic habits of species. Overall, mean mercury levels in feather ... Master Thesis Actitis hypoleucos Arenaria interpres Calidris alba Calidris alpina Calidris canutus Charadrius hiaticula Limosa limosa Repositório Institucional da Universidade de Aveiro (RIA) |
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Open Polar |
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Repositório Institucional da Universidade de Aveiro (RIA) |
op_collection_id |
ftria |
language |
English |
topic |
Pollution Bioaccumulation Feathers Eggshells Faeces Tagus Estuary Bijagós Archipelago Saltpans |
spellingShingle |
Pollution Bioaccumulation Feathers Eggshells Faeces Tagus Estuary Bijagós Archipelago Saltpans Correia, Telmo Alexandre Ferreira Mercury elimination by shorebirds using temperate and tropical wetlands |
topic_facet |
Pollution Bioaccumulation Feathers Eggshells Faeces Tagus Estuary Bijagós Archipelago Saltpans |
description |
Mercury pollution is a global issue due to atmospheric transport and its bioaccumulation by organisms, resulting in several adverse effects on wildlife. Migratory shorebirds use several wetlands at different latitudes where mercury pollution is likely to differ. Little is currently known about mercury levels in shorebirds in tropical regions. In this study, we assessed mercury levels in freshly grown feathers of several shorebirds species wintering in two important wetlands of East Atlantic Flyway: Bijagós Archipelago (tropical; Calidris alba, Calidris canutus, Charadrius hiaticula, Tringa totanus, Actitis hypoleucos, Arenaria interpres, Calidris ferruginea and Pluvialis squatarola) and Tagus Estuary (temperate; Calidris alba, Calidris canutus, Charadrius hiaticula, Tringa totanus, Calidris alpina and Limosa limosa). We also assess mercury levels of breeding species, by analysing eggshells of Charadrius alexandrinus and Himantopus himantopus, collected in saltpans of the Ria de Aveiro and of the Tagus Estuary, and in the faeces of the last species collected mostly throughout the non-breeding season. Mercury levels in feathers and eggshells varied significantly among species and wetlands. The results showed that, in general, shorebirds wintering in Tagus Estuary had higher mercury concentrations (2.106±0.681 – 9.918±3.499 ppm) than those from Bijagós Archipelago (0.932±0.369 – 2.773±0.784 ppm), suggesting that mercury exposure is higher in this temperate wetland. Charadrius alexandrinus eggshells had higher concentrations in both portuguese wetlands (0.034±0.006 e 0.037±0.006 ppm) than Himantopus himantopus ones (0.018±0.004 e 0.009±0.002 ppm). The Himantopus himantopus faeces contained detectable mercury but the mean concentrations (0.040±0.003 – 0.085±0.025 ppm) did not vary over the season. The differences observed in this study were likely caused by spatial differences in mercury pollution between wetlands and by interspecific differences on trophic habits of species. Overall, mean mercury levels in feather ... |
author2 |
Alves, José Augusto Belchior Loureiro, Susana Patrícia Mendes |
format |
Master Thesis |
author |
Correia, Telmo Alexandre Ferreira |
author_facet |
Correia, Telmo Alexandre Ferreira |
author_sort |
Correia, Telmo Alexandre Ferreira |
title |
Mercury elimination by shorebirds using temperate and tropical wetlands |
title_short |
Mercury elimination by shorebirds using temperate and tropical wetlands |
title_full |
Mercury elimination by shorebirds using temperate and tropical wetlands |
title_fullStr |
Mercury elimination by shorebirds using temperate and tropical wetlands |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mercury elimination by shorebirds using temperate and tropical wetlands |
title_sort |
mercury elimination by shorebirds using temperate and tropical wetlands |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10773/31921 |
genre |
Actitis hypoleucos Arenaria interpres Calidris alba Calidris alpina Calidris canutus Charadrius hiaticula Limosa limosa |
genre_facet |
Actitis hypoleucos Arenaria interpres Calidris alba Calidris alpina Calidris canutus Charadrius hiaticula Limosa limosa |
op_relation |
http://hdl.handle.net/10773/31921 |
op_rights |
openAccess https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
_version_ |
1766309144147525632 |