Bio-concentration of hazardous metals in migrant shorebirds in a key conservation reserve and adjoining areas on the west coast of India
Heavy metal pollution is a growing environmental concern as it causes the degradation of wetlands by affecting the organisms at different trophic levels. Shorebirds typically feed on benthic invertebrates including polychaete worms, crustaceans and molluscs. Thus, the assessment of bioconcentration...
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325000260 |
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| author | K.M. Aarif K.A. Rubeena Aymen Nefla Zuzana Musilova Petr Musil Sabir Bin Muzaffar |
| author_facet | K.M. Aarif K.A. Rubeena Aymen Nefla Zuzana Musilova Petr Musil Sabir Bin Muzaffar |
| author_sort | K.M. Aarif |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Heavy metal pollution is a growing environmental concern as it causes the degradation of wetlands by affecting the organisms at different trophic levels. Shorebirds typically feed on benthic invertebrates including polychaete worms, crustaceans and molluscs. Thus, the assessment of bioconcentration of heavy metals in shorebirds provides an insight into the extent of bioaccumulation of these hazardous metals in the upper trophic levels. We studied the variation in the bioconcentration of hazardous heavy metals (chromium, lead and cadmium) in the faeces of 12 species of shorebirds (belonging to different foraging guilds including Endangered Great Knot, Vulnerable Grey Plover, Broad billed Sandpiper and Curlew Sandpiper and Near Threatened Eurasian Oystercatcher, Ruddy Turnstone and Dunlin) in relation to trends in their abundance over a period of five years (2019–2023). The study spanned over three different habitats (mudflats, mangroves and sand beaches) of Kadalundi Vallikkunnu Community Reserve (KVCR) and adjoining sand beaches, which are important wintering/ stop-over sites for the migrant shorebirds that provide abundant nutritional resources for the foraging shorebirds. We demonstrate that there has been a drastic increase in the heavy metal concentration in shorebird faeces from 2019 to 2023. Further, the findings indicate that predating and biofilm-grazing shorebirds in mangrove habitats, as well as small-bodied shorebirds in general are exposed to high levels of heavy metals. This study highlights that heavy metals in the coastal habitats are increasing and that there are potential risks from exposure to foraging shorebirds. Heavy metals have known adverse effects on shorebirds. Our study shows that reducing pollution and protecting community reserves alongside their surrounding habitats are crucial to combat biodiversity loss and maintain diversity in these areas. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5df00049064b43aa8de5044b9c72cf50 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0147-6513 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
| spelling | doaj-art-5df00049064b43aa8de5044b9c72cf502025-01-23T05:26:07ZengElsevierEcotoxicology and Environmental Safety0147-65132025-01-01289117690Bio-concentration of hazardous metals in migrant shorebirds in a key conservation reserve and adjoining areas on the west coast of IndiaK.M. Aarif0K.A. Rubeena1Aymen Nefla2Zuzana Musilova3Petr Musil4Sabir Bin Muzaffar5Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcka 129, Praha Suchdol, Prague CZ-165 21, Czech Republic; Corresponding author.Centre for Environment and Marine Studies, Research & Innovation, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran 31251, Saudi ArabiaDepartment of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar II, Tunis 2092, TunisiaDepartment of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcka 129, Praha Suchdol, Prague CZ-165 21, Czech RepublicDepartment of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcka 129, Praha Suchdol, Prague CZ-165 21, Czech RepublicDepartment of Biology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 15551, United Arab Emirates; Department of Science, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London SW7 5BD, UK; Corresponding author at: Department of Biology, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 15551, United Arab Emirates.Heavy metal pollution is a growing environmental concern as it causes the degradation of wetlands by affecting the organisms at different trophic levels. Shorebirds typically feed on benthic invertebrates including polychaete worms, crustaceans and molluscs. Thus, the assessment of bioconcentration of heavy metals in shorebirds provides an insight into the extent of bioaccumulation of these hazardous metals in the upper trophic levels. We studied the variation in the bioconcentration of hazardous heavy metals (chromium, lead and cadmium) in the faeces of 12 species of shorebirds (belonging to different foraging guilds including Endangered Great Knot, Vulnerable Grey Plover, Broad billed Sandpiper and Curlew Sandpiper and Near Threatened Eurasian Oystercatcher, Ruddy Turnstone and Dunlin) in relation to trends in their abundance over a period of five years (2019–2023). The study spanned over three different habitats (mudflats, mangroves and sand beaches) of Kadalundi Vallikkunnu Community Reserve (KVCR) and adjoining sand beaches, which are important wintering/ stop-over sites for the migrant shorebirds that provide abundant nutritional resources for the foraging shorebirds. We demonstrate that there has been a drastic increase in the heavy metal concentration in shorebird faeces from 2019 to 2023. Further, the findings indicate that predating and biofilm-grazing shorebirds in mangrove habitats, as well as small-bodied shorebirds in general are exposed to high levels of heavy metals. This study highlights that heavy metals in the coastal habitats are increasing and that there are potential risks from exposure to foraging shorebirds. Heavy metals have known adverse effects on shorebirds. Our study shows that reducing pollution and protecting community reserves alongside their surrounding habitats are crucial to combat biodiversity loss and maintain diversity in these areas.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325000260Heavy metal contaminationShorebirds abundancePopulation declineConservationAnthropogenic stress |
| spellingShingle | K.M. Aarif K.A. Rubeena Aymen Nefla Zuzana Musilova Petr Musil Sabir Bin Muzaffar Bio-concentration of hazardous metals in migrant shorebirds in a key conservation reserve and adjoining areas on the west coast of India Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Heavy metal contamination Shorebirds abundance Population decline Conservation Anthropogenic stress |
| title | Bio-concentration of hazardous metals in migrant shorebirds in a key conservation reserve and adjoining areas on the west coast of India |
| title_full | Bio-concentration of hazardous metals in migrant shorebirds in a key conservation reserve and adjoining areas on the west coast of India |
| title_fullStr | Bio-concentration of hazardous metals in migrant shorebirds in a key conservation reserve and adjoining areas on the west coast of India |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bio-concentration of hazardous metals in migrant shorebirds in a key conservation reserve and adjoining areas on the west coast of India |
| title_short | Bio-concentration of hazardous metals in migrant shorebirds in a key conservation reserve and adjoining areas on the west coast of India |
| title_sort | bio concentration of hazardous metals in migrant shorebirds in a key conservation reserve and adjoining areas on the west coast of india |
| topic | Heavy metal contamination Shorebirds abundance Population decline Conservation Anthropogenic stress |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651325000260 |
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