1,720,964 research outputs found
The ubiquity of neonicotinoid contamination: Residues in seabirds with different trophic habits
No full textNeonicotinoids are one of the most diffusely used classes of pesticides whose level of danger toward non-target invertebrate and vertebrate species has raised increasing concern in the last decades. Among vertebrates, birds are particularly susceptible to unintentional neonicotinoid poisoning since they can be exposed through different pathways, including ingestion of dressed seeds, sucking of contaminated pollen, ingestion of sprayed insects, predation on contaminated aquatic and terrestrial preys. In the present study, we investigated the possible exposure of seabirds by measuring the residues of five neonicotinoids (acetamiprid, clothianidin, imidacloprid, thiacloprid and thiamethoxam) in samples of pooled feathers collected from fledglings of the strictly piscivorous Sandwich tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) and the mixotrophic species Mediterranean gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus). At least one neonicotinoid was quantified in all the Mediterranean gull samples (n = 11) and 89% of the analysed Sandwich tern samples (n = 36). The active principles with the highest quantification rates were imidacloprid (100% in Mediterranean gulls and 58% in Sandwich terns) and clothianidin (100% in Mediterranean gulls and 61% in Sandwich terns), while thiacloprid was the less frequently detected pesticide (<20% of samples in both species). Mean concentrations ± standard error for imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam were 8.8 ± 1.4, 4.5 ± 0.19 and 0.16 ± 0.02 ng g−1 for the Mediterranean gull, and 5.8 ± 0.55, 0.60 ± 0.08 and 0.36 ± 0.03 ng g−1for the Sandwich tern, respectively. Our data evidenced the exposure of seabirds to neonicotinoids and the further need to investigate the extent of neonicotinoid contamination in non-agricultural ecosystems
Assessing the exposure to human and veterinary pharmaceuticals in waterbirds: The use of feathers for monitoring antidepressants and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
No full textExposure to active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from both human and veterinary sources is an increasing threat
to wildlife welfare and conservation. Notwithstanding, tracking the exposure to pharmaceuticals in non-target and sensitive
vertebrates, including birds, is seldom performed and relies almost exclusively on analysing internal organs retrieved
from carcasses or from experimentally exposed and sacrificed birds. Clearly, this excludes the possibility of
performing large-scale monitoring. Analysing feathers collected from healthy birds may permit this, by detecting
APIs in wild birds, including protected and declining species of waterbirds, without affecting their welfare. To this
end, we set up a non-destructive method for analysing the presence of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) in the feathers
of fledglings of both the Mediterranean gull (Ichtyaetus melanocephalus) and the Sandwich tern (Thalasseus
sandvicensis). The presence of several NSAIDs and SSRIs above the method quantification limits have confirmed that
feathers might be a suitable means of evaluating the exposure of birds to APIs. Moreover, the concentrations indicated
that waterbirds are exposed to NSAIDs, such as diclofenac, ibuprofen and naproxen, and SSRIs, such as citalopram,
desmethylcitalopram, fluvoxamine and sertraline, possibly due to their widespread use and incomplete removal in
wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The active ingredient diclofenac raises the primary concern for the ecosystem and the welfare of the waterbirds, due to its high prevalence (100% and 83.3% in Mediterranean gull and Sandwich
tern, respectively), its concentrations detected in feathers (11.9 ng g−1 and 6.7 ng g−1 in Mediterranean gull and
Sandwich tern, respectively), and its documented toxicity toward certain birds
The use of feathers of Sandwich tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) for the non-destructive monitoring of emerging pollutants in coastal habitats
No full textSeabirds were extensively used as indicators for trace element contamination and bioavailability due to their high position in the aquatic food web, well-known ecology, abundance, and widespread distribution. Nevertheless, seabirds are still disregarded for monitoring emerging pollutants in coastal areas. Consequently, monitoring contamination and bioavailability still rely on analysing abiotic matrices and measures of body burdens in invertebrates or fishes. In the present paper, we summarise how monitoring neonicotinoid
pesticides and human and veterinary pharmaceuticals using
seabird’s fledgelings could provide valuable information on
such contaminants in the environment. Using seabird feathers is
an ethically acceptable method for monitoring emerging pollutants, may provide relevant insight into the extent of
environmental contamination, and provide a better picture of
the potential hazards to men
Effects of emerging pollutants on the larval development of the bivalve Mytilus galloprovincialis
No full textThe toxicity of 19 emerging pollutants, including neonicotinoid insecticides, fragrance materials, pharmaceuticals, and other pesticides, was assessed using the
larval development test with the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. The data evidenced that most of the tested compounds (neonicotinoid pesticides, oranger crystals, erythromycin, amoxicillin, and methiocarb) have low toxicity toward the early-life stages of M. galloprovincialis, with estimated EC50s > 10 mg L-1. The herbicide triallate was the more toxic compound, with an estimated EC50 of 505 μg L-1. The data provided evidence that early-life stages of mussels tend to be more resistant to emerging pollutants than other planktonic bioindicators, such as larval stages of copepods. Further studies are needed to improve the knowledge concerning the effects of these compounds on whole organisms and larval stages
Long-term effects of neonicotinoids on reproduction and offspring development in the copepod Acartia tonsa
No full textNeonicotinoids (NEOs) are neurotoxic pesticides acting as nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists. NEOs' efficacy against pest insects has favoured their spreading use in agriculture, but their proven effectiveness against non-target insects in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems also raised concern over their environmental impact. Crustaceans were often studied for the impacts of NEOs due to their economic values and nervous' system similarity with insects. However, most studies on crustaceans focused on acute effects or exposure of early-life stages, while long-term effects were seldom explored. The present study aimed to assess the potential long-term effects of four commercially available NEOs on the reproduction and offspring of the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa, a key species in the food webs of several coastal and estuarine environments. NEOs were confirmed as potent interferents of copepod reproduction. The first-generation compound acetamiprid significantly inhibited egg production and hatching ratio at 10 ng L−1, while larval survival and development were affected at 81 ng L−1. Similarly, the first-generation compound thiacloprid significantly inhibited the hatching ratio and larval development at 9 ng L−1, while it did not affect egg production and larval survival. Second-generation compounds were less toxic than acetamiprid and thiacloprid: clothianidin affected significantly only larval development of the offspring at 62 ng L−1, while thiamethoxam was not toxic at both the tested concentrations (8 ng L−1 and 84 ng L−1). These data evidenced that effects on copepods may occur at concentrations below the chronic aquatic life benchmarks reported by USEPA for acetamiprid (2100 ng L−1) and thiacloprid (970 ng L−1), suggesting that long-term effects of NEOs have been underestimated. A comparison with environmental concentrations evidenced that NEO-mediated effects on copepods are more liable in coastal areas receiving discharge from wastewater treatment plants or diffuse inputs from agricultural land during pesticide application periods
Seabirds as Biomonitors of Mercury Bioavailability in the Venice Lagoon
No full textSeabirds accumulate mercury (Hg) due to their long-life span together with their high trophic position. A Hg monitoring in Venice’s Lagoon using three seabird species occupying different trophic habitat (Thalasseus sandvicensis, Ichthyaetus melanocephalus, and Chroicocephalus ridibundus) confirmed that fledgelings might effectively be used as sentinels of Hg bioavailability. The significant differences in Hg residues in feathers observed among the species highlighted a possible differential exposure due to different diets, with C. ridibundus accumulating more Hg than the other species. Average residues in feathers were not above the threshold associated with adverse effects on birds (5 mg kg− 1). Nevertheless, a large part of the C. ridibundus individuals (58%) exceeded the adverse effect level, underlining the need for strengthening Hg monitoring. Seabirds indeed may provide relevant insight on Hg transfer in food webs and a better picture of the hazards to men when bird species forage on species exploited for human consumption
Neonicotinoids and pharmaceuticals in hair of the Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) from the Cavallino-Treporti peninsula, Italy
No full textNeonicotinoids (NEOs) and active pharmaceuticals ingredients (API) are contaminants widely diffused worldwide, causing increasing concern for potential adverse effects on wildlife. However, research on these contaminants have focused on target and non-target invertebrates, while information on potential effects in terrestrial mammals is lacking. We performed preliminary non-invasive monitoring of NEOs and API in a suburban and agricultural area using hair of the Red fox. The Red fox is a widely diffused mesopredator in Europe, and its plasticity in feeding habits makes it an excellent indicator for assessing exposure to environmental contamination. We observed the presence of NEOs in many Red fox hair samples (n = 11), including imidacloprid (IMI), acetamiprid (ACE), and clothianidin (CLO). The highest quantified concentrations were 6.4 ng g−1 dry weight (dw), 6.7 ng g−1 dw, and 0.9 ng g−1 dw for IMI, ACE, and CLO, respectively. The targeted APIs included non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and antidepressants. APIs were less frequently detected than NEOs, and the compounds with the highest prevalence were the NSAID ketoprofen (36%), the antidepressant sertraline (36%), and its active metabolite norsertraline (27%). The presence of human pharmaceuticals such as the NSAID ibuprofen and the antidepressants sertraline, fluoxetine, and their active metabolites norsertraline and norfluoxetine suggest environmental contamination due to untreated and partially treated wastewater discharged in surface waters and soils of the study area. The detection and quantification of ketoprofen and flunixin also suggest the possible use of contaminated manure on farmland. Findings indicate that hair may be used for monitoring environmental exposure to NEOs and provide evidence that hair is a good marker of exposure for antidepressants and certain NSAIDs, including ibuprofen, ketoprofen, and flunixin
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
An Integrated Testing Strategy (ITS) to assess the environmental compatibility of wood protection techniques
No full textTo quantify the possible impact of different wood protection techniques on the aquatic environment, we applied a tiered Integrated Testing Strategy (ITS) on leachates obtained from untreated (UTW) Norway spruce (Picea abies), specimens treated with a copper-ethanolamine-based preservative solution, complying with the Use Class 3 (UC3), and specimens thermally modified (TM). Different maturation times in water were tested to verify whether toxicant leaching is time-dependent. Tier I tests, addressing acute effects on Aliivibrio fischeri, Raphidocelis subcapitata, and Daphnia magna, evidenced that TM toxicity was comparable or even lower than in UTW. Conversely, UC3 significantly affected all species compared to UTW, also after 30 days of maturation in water, and was not considered an environmentally acceptable wood preservation solution. Tier II (effects on early-life stages of Lymnea auricularia) and III (chronic effects on D. magna and L. auricularia) performed on UTW and TM confirmed the latter as an environmentally acceptable treatment, with increasing maturation times resulting in decreased adverse effects. The ITS allowed for rapid and reliable identification of potentially harmful effects due to preservation treatments, addressed the choice for a less impacting solution, and can be effective for manufacturers in identifying more environmentally friendly solutions while developing their products
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