Land use, season, and parasitism predict metal concentrations in Australian flying fox fur

Sánchez, Cecilia A.; Penrose, Michael; Kessler, Maureen K.; Becker, Daniel; McKeown, Adam; Hannappel, Madeline P; Boyd, Victoria; Camus, Melinda S.; Padgett-Stewart, Ticha; Hunt, Brooklin E.; Graves, Amelia F.; Peel, Alison J.; Westcott, David A.; Rainwater, Thomas R.; Chumchal, Matthew M.; Cobb, George P.; Altizer, Sonia; Plowright, Raina K.; Boardman, Wayne

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156699

Cited by 9 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 92 publications

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“…Lead levels in devil hair, in both the validation study (mean 1.65 ± 4.61 SD) and the plantation landscape study (mean 1.05 ± 1.02 mg/kg), were comparable to other published research on lead exposure in mammals (both wild and domestic). The levels we found were lower than those found in the hair of domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) used for hunting in Argentina (mean 2.37 ± 6.21 mg/kg) (Fernández et al, 2021), similar to those in hair from fruit bats in eastern Australia (medians for three species: 1.26/1.64/2.26 mg/kg) (Sánchez et al, 2022) and roe deer in Italy (mean 1.39 ± 1.63 mg/kg) (Draghi et al, 2023), and higher than those found in hair from Malay civets sampled in Malaysian Borneo (mean 0.52 ± 1.08 mg/kg) (Evans et al, 2022). Similar to several of these studies (Draghi et al, 2023;Evans et al, 2022;Sánchez et al, 2022), there was no evidence of variations in lead levels in devil hair among sexes and age classes.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 50%

“…One non-invasive approach to investigating heavy metal exposure in mammals is through hair analysis, a technique used by some recent studies on non-scavenging mammal species such as fruit bats ( Pteropus spp.) (Sánchez et al, 2022), Malay civets ( Viverra tangalunga ) (Evans et al, 2022) and roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus ) (Draghi et al, 2023). Collecting hair samples from wild animals can be done remotely using hair snares (Azad et al, 2019) or through minimal handling of trapped wild animals.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Portable X-ray Fluorescence for Measuring Lead in the Hair of Wild Mammals

Jones¹,

Bengsen

Specht

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Lead (Pb) toxicity is a threat to scavenging wildlife across the globe. To allow inexpensive measurement of long-term lead exposure from archived wildlife tissues, portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) devices have been optimized to measure lead concentrations in bone samples from avian species. In this study, we assessed portable XRF for hair lead measurement in an Australian mammalian scavenger, the threatened Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii). We attempted to first validate the method by analysing relatively large (~1.0 g) hair samples from 39 deceased animals initially with XRF, and then with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) (validation study). We then measured lead concentrations via XRF only in a further 61 hair samples taken from live devils trapped in a plantation forestry landscape, where devils may scavenge on browsing marsupials that are regularly culled using lead ammunition (plantation study). Portable XRF hair lead measurement demonstrated a positive correlation with ICP-MS results (R2 = 0.95), although the relationship was weak at low lead concentrations. In the validation study, 95% of sampled Tasmanian devils had relatively low lead levels (≤ 3 mg/kg), but the remaining two animals showed considerably elevated lead levels (> 15 mg/kg), suggesting that harmful long-term lead exposure can occur in this species. In the plantation study, lead levels were comparable to those found in the hair of mammals in other studies, though a higher proportion (11%) of devils showed levels > 3 mg/kg than in the validation study, suggesting devils may have higher exposure to lead in a landscape subjected to regular culling of browsing mammals. Our results suggests that portable XRF is a promising emerging technology, and after some refinement, may allow non-invasive real-time measurement of lead concentrations in the hair of mammals.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 50%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Portable X-ray Fluorescence for Measuring Lead in the Hair of Wild Mammals

Jones¹,

Bengsen

Specht

et al. 2023

Preprint

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“…Contrary to that indicated for spines, Hg concentrations in hair have been widely described for mammals. In small terrestrial mammals, Hg concentrations ranged from 20.1 ppb (P. Alecto) in unpolluted areas of eastern Australia [43] to 132 ppm (M. lucifugus) surrounding an industrial source with historical Hg contamination in North America [42]. Moreover, the last author reported the maximum value quantified in small mammals (274 ppm).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Non-Invasive Samples for Biomonitoring Heavy Metals in Terrestrial Ecosystems

García-Muñoz¹,

Pérez-López²,

Soler³

et al. 2023

Trace Metals in the Environment

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As highly relevant environmental contaminants, metals and metalloids have been extensively evaluated for decades in biomonitoring programs, due to their potential toxicity at low levels and highly persistent in many ecosystems. When considering chemical analysis, metal quantification has been carried out through conventional methods, based in the determination of their levels in internal organs, such as liver and kidney. Nevertheless, non-invasive methods constitute an alternative response regarding trace elements biomonitoring studies. Specifically, keratinized tissue from terrestrial mammals (such as hair, nails or spines) presents a high accumulation rate, giving relevant information about heavy metal dynamic at internal levels, and most particularly, a chronic exposure. This critical review focuses on the use of non-invasive tissues, mainly hair and spines, as adequate tools on heavy metals assessment, specifically mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb), in biomonitoring studies performed in terrestrial wild mammals.

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“…Second, shooting is widely used in wildlife management (culling, hunting, and commercial harvesting) in Australia, and relies almost exclusively on lead‐based ammunition, 18 with very few exceptions 29,30 . Third, very few studies have been conducted on lead exposure in Australian mammals 19,31,32 . For Tasmanian devils in particular, their low population size and heavy reliance on scavenging makes the potential impact of lead contamination especially concerning.…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

“…29,30 Third, very few studies have been conducted on lead exposure in Australian mammals. 19,31,32 For Tasmanian devils in particular, their low population size and heavy reliance on scavenging makes the potential impact of lead contamination especially concerning.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Further investigation of lead exposure as a potential threatening process for a scavenging marsupial species

Hutchinson,

Jones,

Pay

et al. 2023

Aust Veterinary J

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There is a growing recognition of the harmful effects of lead exposure on avian and mammalian scavengers. This can lead to both lethal and non‐lethal effects which may negatively impact wildlife populations. Our objective was to assess medium‐term lead exposure in wild Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii). Frozen liver samples (n = 41), opportunistically collected in 2017–2022, were analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) to determine liver lead concentrations. These results were then used to calculate the proportion of animals with elevated lead levels (>5 mg/kg dry weight) and examine the role of explanatory variables that may have influenced the results. The majority of samples analysed were from the south‐east corner of Tasmania, within 50 km of Hobart. No Tasmanian devil samples were found to have elevated lead levels. The median liver lead concentration was 0.17 mg/kg (range 0.05–1.32 mg/kg). Female devils were found to have significantly higher liver lead concentrations than males (P = 0.013), which was likely related to lactation, but other variables (age, location, body mass) were not significant. These results suggest that wild Tasmanian devil populations currently show minimal medium‐term evidence of exposure to lead pollution, although samples were concentrated in peri‐urban areas. The results provide a baseline level which can be used to assess the impact of any future changes in lead use in Tasmania. Furthermore, these data can be used as a comparison for lead exposure studies in other mammalian scavengers, including other carnivorous marsupial species.

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Land use, season, and parasitism predict metal concentrations in Australian flying fox fur

Cited by 9 publications

References 92 publications

Portable X-ray Fluorescence for Measuring Lead in the Hair of Wild Mammals

Portable X-ray Fluorescence for Measuring Lead in the Hair of Wild Mammals

Non-Invasive Samples for Biomonitoring Heavy Metals in Terrestrial Ecosystems

Further investigation of lead exposure as a potential threatening process for a scavenging marsupial species

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