Interactions Between Heavy Metal Exposure and Blood Biochemistry in an Urban Population of the Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) in Australia

Damien Nzabanita; Raoul Mulder; Damian Lettoof; Stephen Grist; Jordan Hampton; Jasmin Hufschmid; Dayanthi Nugegoda

doi:10.1007/s00244-024-01055-z

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Interactions Between Heavy Metal Exposure and Blood Biochemistry in an Urban Population of the Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) in Australia

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Interactions Between Heavy Metal Exposure and Blood Biochemistry in an Urban Population of the Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) in Australia

Damien Nzabanita, Raoul Mulder, Damian Lettoof, Stephen Grist, Jordan Hampton, Jasmin Hufschmid and Dayanthi Nugegoda

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology , Vol.86, pp.178-186

2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-024-01055-z

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Abstract

There is growing recognition of the threat posed to wildlife by pollutants. Waterbirds are robust bioindicators of ecosystem health, and metal toxicity is a threat to these species in waterways worldwide. Urban waterbirds are likely to be at the highest risk of heavy metal exposure, but this issue has not been widely explored in Australia. Our aim was to estimate contemporary heavy metal exposure in a sedentary urban waterbird population: black swans (Cygnus atratus) inhabiting an inner-city wetland in one of Australia’s largest cities, Melbourne. To investigate the physiological implications of legacy heavy metal exposure in these birds, we quantified blood biochemistry profiles and examined their relationships with metal concentrations in feathers. We caught 15 swans in 2021 and took feather samples to measure the concentration of eight heavy metals (chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg)), and blood samples to measure the concentration of 13 plasma analytes. Multivariate regression analysis revealed few associations between heavy metals and biochemistry markers, and no differences between sexes or age classes. This study presents a baseline dataset of these contaminants and blood biochemical profiles of swans at this wetland that can be used for future monitoring and is an important step toward a better understanding of the threat posed by heavy metals to Australian urban waterbirds.

Details

Title: Interactions Between Heavy Metal Exposure and Blood Biochemistry in an Urban Population of the Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) in Australia
Authors/Creators: Damien Nzabanita - RMIT University
Raoul Mulder
Damian Lettoof
Stephen Grist
Jordan Hampton - Murdoch University, Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability
Jasmin Hufschmid - The University of Melbourne
Dayanthi Nugegoda
Publication Details: Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology , Vol.86, pp.178-186
Publisher: Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature
Identifiers: 991005638868507891
Copyright: © The Author(s) 2024
Murdoch Affiliation: Harry Butler Institute; Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability; School of Veterinary Medicine
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.91 Contamination & Phytoremediation; 3.91.644 Mercury Dynamics
Web Of Science research areas: Environmental Sciences; Toxicology
ESI research areas: Environment/Ecology