Retrospective biomonitoring of mercury and other elements in museum feathers of common kestrel Falco tinnunculus using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA)

Abstract

This study examines the potential to use instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) to explore temporal and geographical variation in exposure to heavy metals and other selected elements in common kestrel Falco tinnunculus using feathers from a natural history collection. The study gathered samples of two breast feathers from each of 16 adult male kestrel specimens from Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, collected in The Netherlands between 1901 and 2001. Feather samples were analysed for more than 50 elements, using INAA at the Reactor Institute Delft. Results (in mg/kg dw) were transformed into ratios of milligram of element per millimetre of feather length. The distribution of the mass fractions and ratios was plotted for each element against time and by geographical area. Observed mass fractions and/or ratios are discussed for selected elements (Hg, Cd, Zn, Pt, Pd, Se, Al, Rb, As, Sb, Cr, V, Cl, Br) known to have, at certain concentrations, adverse effects on raptors. Some samples show mass fractions of certain elements (Cr, Cd, Se, As) above levels known to have adverse effects. We conclude that the analysis of museum feathers using INAA provides reference values for concentrations of selected elements, including those of high societal concern such as Hg and Cd, against which to assess concentrations of these elements in feathers of present-day living raptor populations.

Museum specimens of terrestrial vertebrates are sensitive indicators of environmental change in the Anthropocene

“…gene sequences, CT scans, photographs, sound recordings, etc.) provides a powerful nexus for integrating diverse investigations [74,[136][137][138]. The responsibility for reporting the detailed provenance of and metadata associated with specimens used in scientific research falls equally on researchers, museum curators, authors, reviewers and most critically on the editors of journals that publish the research.…”

“…Vertebrates accumulate contaminants in their integument, feathers and organs, through physical contact with the environment and also through bioaccumulation of pollutants in their diet [73]. Many of these contaminants remain as traces in host tissues, sometimes for decades or centuries [74]. Accordingly, the amount of contamination on museum specimens or in associated tissue samples provides a sensitive index of ongoing contamination and a timeline of historical trends in the presence and concentration of particular contaminants in the environment.…”

Terns (Sterninae) in the collection of the Slovenian Museum of Natural History

“…Muzejske zbirke ptic so bile sprva namenjene predvsem taksonomskim raziskavam, danes pa se pomen in vloga muzejskih ornitoloških zbirk spreminjata (Mearns & Mearns 1998, Mlikovsky 2010, Töpfer 2010. Muzejski primerki so namreč zanesljiv vir podatkov o avifavni preteklosti z različnih vidikov (Winker 2004), od avifavnističnih, naravovarstvenih, do povsem okoljevarstvenih, saj je v ohran-jenih primerkih iz preteklosti ohranjen tudi odtis okolja, v katerem so te ptice živele (Movalli et al 2017). Zaradi tega je nadaljevanje sistematičnega zbiranja ptic še vedno smiselno in potrebno (Fjeldså & Kristensen 2010), da ohranimo tudi biološko okoljski dokument današnje dobe.…”

Monitoring contaminants, emerging infectious diseases and environmental change with raptors, and links to human health

“…Like humans, raptors can experience acute and chronic health impacts following exposure to pollution in air (Olsgard et al 2008, Sanderfoot 2017, water or food (Movalli et al 2017a (Backer & Miller 2016). Some raptors can also deliver key ecosystem services, such as the consumption of carrion by vultures, the loss of which can have a negative impact on human health (Markandya et al 2008).…”