Dataset Information

Metal and metalloid concentrations in wild mammals from SW Europe: European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) and badger (Meles meles).

ABSTRACT: In recent years, there have been increasing ecological and global concerns associated to Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs). Thus, the relevance of wild mammals as biomonitors has been globally recognised. In the present study, Cd, Pb, Hg, Zn and As concentrations were quantified in European hedgehog and badger inhabiting SW Europe, and cumulative trends in relation to age and sex were evaluated. Liver and kidney samples were collected, mineralised and PTE content was determined by ICP-MS. Zn was the most abundant element quantified in both organs (239 and 89.8 mg kg^-1 for hedgehogs and 179 and 164 mg kg^-1 dw for badgers). In hedgehogs, very high Hg concentration were quantified (4.35 and 15.5 mg kg^-1 dw in liver and kidney), and Cd was the most abundant for badgers (4.70 and 7.61 mg kg^-1 dw in liver and kidney). Positive correlations were observed for the concentrations of PTE in the organs of both species. Age-dependence increased only Cd concentration, with levels in adult kidneys being significantly higher. In this study, European hedgehog and badger were used as biomonitors for the determination of PTEs to provide current reference values in relatively non-polluted areas of SW Europe, and to enhance the use of these species for future ecotoxicological studies.

SUBMITTER: Garcia-Munoz J

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10697895 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Metal and metalloid concentrations in wild mammals from SW Europe: European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) and badger (Meles meles).

García-Muñoz Javier J Cacciola Nunzio Antonio NA Plazzi Federico F Prado Míguez-Santiyán María M Rodríguez Francisco Soler FS López-Beceiro Ana A Fidalgo Luis Eusebio LE Martínez-Morcillo Salomé S Pérez-López Marcos M

Environmental science and pollution research international 20231103 56

In recent years, there have been increasing ecological and global concerns associated to Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs). Thus, the relevance of wild mammals as biomonitors has been globally recognised. In the present study, Cd, Pb, Hg, Zn and As concentrations were quantified in European hedgehog and badger inhabiting SW Europe, and cumulative trends in relation to age and sex were evaluated. Liver and kidney samples were collected, mineralised and PTE content was determined by ICP-MS. Zn was ...[more]

PMID: 37922086

Similar Datasets

Project description:OBJECTIVES:Low genetic diversity can lead to reduced average fitness in a population or even extinction. Preserving genetic connectivity across fragmented landscapes is therefore vital to counteract the negative consequences of genetic drift and inbreeding. This study aimed to assess the genetic composition and consequently the conservation status of a nationwide sample of European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) in Denmark. METHODS:We applied an adaptation of the genotyping by sequencing (GBS) technique to 178 individuals from six geographically distinct populations. We used a Bayesian clustering method to subdivide individuals into genetically distinct populations. We estimated individual observed (iHO), observed (HO), and unbiased expected (uHE) heterozygosity, inbreeding coefficient (FIS), percentage of polymorphic loci (P%) and tested for deviations from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). We used linear models to test for potential anthropogenic effects on the genetic variability of hedgehogs with iHO, uHE, P% and FIS as response variables, and assessed the demographic history of the population. RESULTS:The Danish hedgehog population is composed of three genetic clusters. We found a mean P% of 54.44-94.71, a mean uHE of 0.126-0.318 and a mean HO of 0.124-0.293 in the six populations. The FIS was found to be significantly positive for three of the six populations. We detected a large heterogeneity of iHO values within populations, which can be due to inbreeding and/or fragmentation. FIS values decreased with increasing farmland density, but there was no significant association with human population or road density. CONCLUSIONS:We found a low level of genetic variability and evidence for genetic substructure and low effective population size, which are all consequences of habitat fragmentation. We failed to detect signs of a recent population bottleneck or population increase or decline. However, because the test only identifies recent changes in population size, we cannot reject the possibility of a longer-term decline in the Danish hedgehog population.

Dataset Information

Metal and metalloid concentrations in wild mammals from SW Europe: European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) and badger (Meles meles).

Publications

Metal and metalloid concentrations in wild mammals from SW Europe: European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) and badger (Meles meles).

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets