Bird Feces as Indicators of Metal Pollution: Pitfalls and Solutions

Eeva, Tapio; Raivikko, Nelli; Espín, Silvia; Sánchez‐Virosta, Pablo; Ruuskanen, Suvi; Sorvari, Jouni; Rainio, Miia J.

doi:10.3390/toxics8040124

Cited by 18 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…Accumulation of environmental pollutants in the tissues of bushmeat is not uncommon. Given that the gut may store polluted food and water ingested by wild animals, 16 , 17 we inquired from the merchant and consumer if they had any health concerns regarding the intake of grasscutter digesta. The merchant stated: Nothing from the grasscutter goes to waste; from the meat to the intestines and its digesta.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Regarding health risks from exposure to heavy metals, grasscutter meat in Ghana has been described as safe for consumption. 8 However, evidence of heavy metal accrual in animal feces 16 , 17 raises concerns about the safety of ingesting grasscutter digesta. Currently, there is a paucity of data on the risk of heavy metal poisoning from consuming grasscutter digesta.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Risk of Heavy Metal Poisoning From Consuming Grasscutter Digesta in Ghana

Quarshie,

Cofie,

Dewornu

et al. 2023

Environ�Health�Insights

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Grasscutter (cane rat/ Thryonomys swinderianus) digesta is used as a spice in Ghana. Research shows that heavy metals from the environment may accumulate in the internal organs of grasscutters, which raises concerns about the possible contamination of grasscutter digesta, too, with heavy metals. Although grasscutter meat in Ghana has been described as safe for consumption, information is lacking on the health risks associated with ingesting the digesta. This study, therefore, aimed to assess the knowledge and perceptions of a merchant and a consumer about the safety of ingesting grasscutter digesta and to evaluate potential health risks from exposure to heavy metals from the spice. A total of 12 digesta samples were analyzed to evaluate potential health risks from exposure to Cd, Fe, Hg, and Mn using a Varian AA240FS Atomic Absorption Spectrometer. The levels of Cd, Hg, and Mn were below the detection limit of 0.01 mg/kg digesta. Also, the estimated daily intake of Fe (0.02 mg/kg) was less than the maximum allowable dose recommended by the US EPA (0.7 mg/kg). The hazard indices of Fe for daily and weekly consumption were <1, suggesting that the consumers may be safe from iron poisoning. Because grasscutter digesta is a relatively expensive spice, it is unlikely to be consumed daily by the average Ghanaian. Moreover, if 10 g of digesta is consumed daily, it can be safely ingested about 971 times in a month. Domestication of grasscutters may be a useful approach to monitor their diet and consequently the quality of their digesta.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk of Heavy Metal Poisoning From Consuming Grasscutter Digesta in Ghana

Quarshie,

Cofie,

Dewornu

et al. 2023

Environ�Health�Insights

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Trace metals in the tissues of birds are commonly excreted in feathers and eggshells, by uropygial and salt glands, and importantly, in faeces [77]. Metal concentrations in bird faeces are an effective measure for exposure in wild populations [78]. Elevated lead concentrations in faeces mainly occur via indirect poisoning because condors are shot with lead bullets and they consume the carcasses of animals that have been shot using lead bullets [14,79].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A 2200-year record of Andean Condor diet and nest site usage reflects natural and anthropogenic stressors

et al. 2023

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Understanding how animals respond to large-scale environmental changes is difficult to achieve because monitoring data are rarely available for more than the past few decades, if at all. Here, we demonstrate how a variety of palaeoecological proxies (e.g. isotopes, geochemistry and DNA) from an Andean Condor ( Vultur gryphus ) guano deposit from Argentina can be used to explore breeding site fidelity and the impacts of environmental changes on avian behaviour. We found that condors used the nesting site since at least approximately 2200 years ago, with an approximately 1000-year nesting frequency slowdown from ca 1650 to 650 years before the present (yr BP). We provide evidence that the nesting slowdown coincided with a period of increased volcanic activity in the nearby Southern Volcanic Zone, which resulted in decreased availability of carrion and deterred scavenging birds. After returning to the nest site ca 650 yr BP, condor diet shifted from the carrion of native species and beached marine animals to the carrion of livestock (e.g. sheep and cattle) and exotic herbivores (e.g. red deer and European hare) introduced by European settlers. Currently, Andean Condors have elevated lead concentrations in their guano compared to the past, which is associated with human persecution linked to the shift in diet.

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“…Birds are good indicators of environmental quality (Eeva et al 2020, Liang et al 2020. The degree to which their environment is disturbed by plastic waste can be measured by their presence, both in nesting and foraging areas (Blettler et al 2020, Ibañez et al 2020.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

From social networks to bird enthusiasts: reporting interactions between plastic waste and birds in Peru

et al. 2023

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Summary Peru has the second-highest diversity of birds in the world, but little is known about the interactions between birds and plastic waste. To fill this knowledge gap, we searched the scientific literature, collected information from social networks such as Facebook and databases such as Macaulay Library and iNaturalist and solicited records through messaging with researchers and bird enthusiasts. We found 119 bird interactions with plastic debris involving 39 species from 20 families, with the red-legged cormorant Phalacrocorax gaimardi and the neotropical cormorant Phalacrocorax brasilianus being the most affected species. By type of interaction category, plastic waste in nests was the most abundant, followed by entanglement, capture and handling and ingestion. Ropes, nets and soft plastics such as bags were the most frequently reported types of waste. As our methodology has limitations, it is probable that other species that also interact with plastic waste have not been reported, so we recommend further study.

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Bird Feces as Indicators of Metal Pollution: Pitfalls and Solutions

Cited by 18 publications

References 60 publications

Risk of Heavy Metal Poisoning From Consuming Grasscutter Digesta in Ghana

Risk of Heavy Metal Poisoning From Consuming Grasscutter Digesta in Ghana

A 2200-year record of Andean Condor diet and nest site usage reflects natural and anthropogenic stressors

From social networks to bird enthusiasts: reporting interactions between plastic waste and birds in Peru

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