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Zinc, cadmium, and lead in livers, kidneys, and feathers of 48 young and adult Atlantic puffins found dead or dying off the coast of Galicia (Northwest Spain) were determined. The most abundant bet...

Cd, Pb, and Zn were quantified in liver and kidney of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) which were hunted during the 2003–2011 hunting seasons in Galicia (NW Spain). The effects of age and gender were evaluated to determine whether these variables should be included in future biomonitoring studies. The concentrations of hepatic and renal Cd (average 0.6 and 1.3 µg/g) and Pb (0.8 and 0.06 µg/g, respectively) were similar to background levels, with no known toxicological relevance. Similarly, the average levels of Zn in liver and kidney (77 and 17 µg/g) were in the range of physiological levels for canids. Although no significant gender-dependent variations were observed, the effect of aging was evident: the levels of hepatic Pb and both hepatic and renal Cd were higher in adults than in juveniles. Age should be included as a parameter during future biomonitoring programs focusing on trace metal bioaccumulation in red foxes.

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of specific environmental contaminants on the activities of antioxidant enzymes in terrestrial, free-living birds. To investigate this, several biomarkers and the levels of lead, mercury, and arsenic were determined in blood of white stork (Ciconia ciconia) nestlings from two different colonies located in the west of Spain that were exposed to different environmental conditions and human activities. Different biomarker and contaminant patterns were observed between the two colonies, suggesting different levels of environmental contamination. In comparison to nestlings from a natural reference area, the levels of the three hazardous elements Pb, As, and Hg were significantly higher in the colony nearby a landfill. Analysis of antioxidant biomarkers revealed significantly higher levels of glutathione and glutathione S-transferase activity in birds from the colony close to the landfill site than were found in those from the “control” area. In contrast, the le...

The effect of a long-term exposure of tenchs to different concentrations (10 and 100 micro g/L) of the pesticide carbofuran has been evaluated. Microsomal hepatic cytochrome P450 subfamily 1A (CYP1A) and 3A (CYP3A) activities, as well as the phase II enzyme uridine diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase (UDPGT) activity were evaluated as adequate biomarkers of fish exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of the pesticide carbofuran in freshwater ecosystems. A clear time-dependent inhibition of both CYP1A and UDPGT activities was observed in fish exposed to the highest dose of carbofuran with respect to controls, whereas in the case of CYP3A activity, values of exposed animals did not show a clear pattern of alteration during the experiment. The results of the present study demonstrated that hepatic CYP1A and UDPGT activities from tench could be considered as sensitive biomarkers for carbamate pesticides in polluted water, thus allowing future and ecologically relevant biomonitoring studies with this species.

Los moluscos, debido a su capacidad filtrante, pueden acumular metales llegando a contaminar los alimentos y como consecuencia pueden tener una repercusion negativa sobre la salud de los consumidores. En este estudio se han determinado los contenidos de algunos metales (Cu, Zn, Cd y Pb) en muestras de almejas comercializadas en Galicia (Espana) tanto en conserva como en fresco. Para su analisis se ha empleado la voltamperometria de redisolucion anodica, obteniendose los niveles de dichos metales en musculo y en hepatopancreas. Los resultados han sido tratados estadisticamente para evaluar las posibles correlacciones en el contenido de metales en las distintas porciones anatomicas establecidas. Destacan las concentraciones mucho mas elevadas en hepatopancreas que en musculo para zinc, plomo y cobre en muestras en fresco. Asi, los maximos en hepatopancreas de almejas en fresco fueron para Zn: 1250 mg/kg; para Pb: 15,60 mg/kg y para Cu: 75,04 mg/kg, frente a los maximos de Zn (60,36 mg/kg), Pb (0,67 mg/kg) y Cu (9,48 mg/kg), en musculo. En cuanto al cadmio, en general las muestras en conserva presentaron concentraciones mas elevadas que las muestras en fresco, llegando a alcanzar el hepatopancreas de una de ellas hasta 8,11 mg/kg. Teniendo en cuenta la importancia de estos moluscos en la alimentacion y de acuerdo con la legislacion vigente, se ha podido establecer, desde el punto de vista toxicologico, que los niveles de estos metales no suponen riesgo para el consumidor. © 2005 Altaga. Todos los derechos reservados. Articulo en Espanol