Feather mercury levels in beached Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) in northern Argentina during the non-breeding season.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int
; 29(17): 24793-24801, 2022 Apr.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34826079
Mercury (Hg) is a great concern for marine environments. Bird feathers have been widely used to assess Hg pollution. In this study, we determine mercury concentrations in body feathers of juvenile Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) from the southeastern sector of Buenos Aires province, Argentina, during a non-breeding season, considering both sexes. Hg levels, considering both females and males together, ranged between 265.5 and 1515.52 ng/g. These levels are well below the concentrations in feathers suggested for taking actions focused on the protection of seabirds. Non-significant differences between sexes regarding Hg levels were found, probably because juveniles were sexually immature and females did not excrete Hg by egg laying yet. Hg concentrations found in this study were an order of magnitude higher than those reported 10 years ago for the species in breeding areas on the Argentine coast. Thus, the present study provides relevant information indicating a possible increase of Hg pollution in the southwestern region of the Atlantic Ocean and thus trigger for the development of monitoring programs and regional strategies to improve the conservation status of this species.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Spheniscidae
/
Mercúrio
Limite:
Animals
País/Região como assunto:
America do sul
/
Argentina
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int
Assunto da revista:
SAUDE AMBIENTAL
/
TOXICOLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Argentina
País de publicação:
Alemanha