Exposure of a small Arctic seabird, the little auk (Alle alle) breeding in Svalbard, to selected elements throughout the course of a year

Pacyna-Kuchta, Aneta Dorota; Jakubas, Dariusz; Frankowski, Marcin; Polkowska, Żaneta; Wojczulanis‐Jakubas, Katarzyna

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139103

Cited by 10 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…In the same year, Øverjordet et al, (2015a, 2015b) published studies on Hg and Cd concentrations in Kittiwake and Little Auk while confirming heavy metal contamination of bird in Kongsfjorden and Liedefjorden. The latest research by Pacyna-Kuchta et al (2020) on little auks in Hornsund also confirmed heavy metal contamination of these organisms, especially in adult birds. Węgrzyn et al (2016) studied changes in heavy metal concentrations in lichens in the Kaffiøyra Plain (Oskar II Land, NW Spitsbergen) in a transect from the glacier front to the shoreline.…”

Section: Heavy Metalsmentioning

confidence: 78%

“…Moreover, migratory species can transfer contaminants from highly contaminated wintering areas to the Arctic. Pacyna-Kuchta et al (2020) and Albert et al (2021) found that migratory birds travelling over long distances can transport toxic substances and via excretion introduce them into the Arctic. They indicated that the Hg concentrations in the bodies of birds in the non-breeding period were several times higher than those found in seabirds breeding in the West Atlantic.…”

Section: Secondary Sources-remobilization Of Contaminationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sources, fate and distribution of inorganic contaminants in the Svalbard area, representative of a typical Arctic critical environment–a review

Rudnicka-Kępa

Zaborska

2021

Environ Monit Assess

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Global environmental changes not only contribute to the modification of global pollution transport pathways but can also alter contaminant fate within the Arctic. Recent reports underline the importance of secondary sources of pollution, e.g. melting glaciers, thawing permafrost or increased riverine run-off. This article reviews reports on the European Arctic–we concentrate on the Svalbard region–and environmental contamination by inorganic pollutants (heavy metals and artificial radionuclides), including their transport pathways, their fate in the Arctic environment and the concentrations of individual elements in the ecosystem. This review presents in detail the secondary contaminant sources and tries to identify knowledge gaps, as well as indicate needs for further research. Concentrations of heavy metals and radionuclides in Svalbard have been studied, in various environmental elements since the beginning of the twentieth century. In the last 5 years, the highest concentrations of Cd (13 mg kg−1) and As (28 mg kg−1) were recorded for organic-rich soils, while levels of Pb (99 mg kg−1), Hg (1 mg kg−1), Zn (496 mg kg−1) and Cu (688 mg kg−1) were recorded for marine sediments. Increased heavy metal concentrations were also recorded in some flora and fauna species. For radionuclides in the last 5 years, the highest concentrations of 137Cs (4500 Bq kg−1), 238Pu (2 Bq kg−1) and 239 + 240Pu (43 Bq kg−1) were recorded for cryoconites, and the highest concentration of 241Am (570 Bq kg−1) was recorded in surface sediments. However, no contamination of flora and fauna with radionuclides was observed.

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Section: Heavy Metalsmentioning

confidence: 78%

Section: Secondary Sources-remobilization Of Contaminationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sources, fate and distribution of inorganic contaminants in the Svalbard area, representative of a typical Arctic critical environment–a review

Rudnicka-Kępa

Zaborska

2021

Environ Monit Assess

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The Little Auk Alle alle: an ecological indicator of a changing Arctic and a model organism

2021

Self Cite

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The Little Auk Alle alle is a small planktivorous auk breeding colonially in the High Arctic. Owing to its large population size and bi-environmental lifestyle, resulting in the large-scale transport of matter from sea to land, the Little Auk is one of the most important components of the marine and terrestrial ecosystems in the Arctic. As a result of globalization, which facilitates access to remote areas of the Earth, a growing number of studies is being dedicated to this endemic Arctic seabird. Research has focussed primarily on the importance of the Little Auk as an ecological indicator reacting to the climatic and oceanological changes that are particularly evident in the Arctic as a result of Arctic amplification (warming is more rapid in the Arctic than in any other region on Earth). Importantly, the species is also used as a model to investigate matter and energy flow through the ecosystem, mate choice, parental care and biological rhythms. Here, we review the natural history of the Little Auk, highlighting studies with the potential to provide answers to universal questions regarding the response of seabirds to climate variability and avian reproductive behaviour, e.g. threshold of foraging flexibility in response to environmental variability, carry-over effects between the breeding and non-breeding periods, the reasons for the transition from bi- to uni-parental care, parental coordination mechanisms.

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Global mercury concentrations in biota: their use as a basis for a global biomonitoring framework

Evers,

Ackerman,

Åkerblom

et al. 2024

Ecotoxicology

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An important provision of the Minamata Convention on Mercury is to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the adopted measures and its implementation. Here, we describe for the first time currently available biotic mercury (Hg) data on a global scale to improve the understanding of global efforts to reduce the impact of Hg pollution on people and the environment. Data from the peer-reviewed literature were compiled in the Global Biotic Mercury Synthesis (GBMS) database (>550,000 data points). These data provide a foundation for establishing a biomonitoring framework needed to track Hg concentrations in biota globally. We describe Hg exposure in the taxa identified by the Minamata Convention: fish, sea turtles, birds, and marine mammals. Based on the GBMS database, Hg concentrations are presented at relevant geographic scales for continents and oceanic basins. We identify some effective regional templates for monitoring methylmercury (MeHg) availability in the environment, but overall illustrate that there is a general lack of regional biomonitoring initiatives around the world, especially in Africa, Australia, Indo-Pacific, Middle East, and South Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Temporal trend data for Hg in biota are generally limited. Ecologically sensitive sites (where biota have above average MeHg tissue concentrations) have been identified throughout the world. Efforts to model and quantify ecosystem sensitivity locally, regionally, and globally could help establish effective and efficient biomonitoring programs. We present a framework for a global Hg biomonitoring network that includes a three-step continental and oceanic approach to integrate existing biomonitoring efforts and prioritize filling regional data gaps linked with key Hg sources. We describe a standardized approach that builds on an evidence-based evaluation to assess the Minamata Convention’s progress to reduce the impact of global Hg pollution on people and the environment.

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Exposure of a small Arctic seabird, the little auk (Alle alle) breeding in Svalbard, to selected elements throughout the course of a year

Cited by 10 publications

References 57 publications

Sources, fate and distribution of inorganic contaminants in the Svalbard area, representative of a typical Arctic critical environment–a review

Sources, fate and distribution of inorganic contaminants in the Svalbard area, representative of a typical Arctic critical environment–a review

The Little Auk Alle alle: an ecological indicator of a changing Arctic and a model organism

Global mercury concentrations in biota: their use as a basis for a global biomonitoring framework

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