Naslov
Apex predatory mammals as bioindicator species in environmental monitoring of elements in Dinaric Alps (Croatia)

Autori
Lazarus, Maja ; Sekovanić, Ankica ; Orct, Tatjana ; Reljić, Slaven ; Kusak, Josip ; Jurasović, Jasna ; Huber, Đuro

Izvornik
Environmental science and pollution research (0944-1344) 24 (2017), 30; 23977-23991

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
bear ; wolf ; lynx ; jackal ; trace elements ; Croatia

Sažetak
Tissue element investigations of apex terrestrial mammals are very scarce in Europe. We quantified 16 essential and non-essential elements in the kidney cortex, liver and muscle tissue of 467 brown bears (Ursus arctos), 125 grey wolves (Canis lupus), one Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) and three golden jackals (Canis aureus) from Croatia by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Renal cadmium (0.6% of animals) and lead (1%), and hepatic lead (5%) were found in toxicologically relevant levels for mammals only in bears, while the other elements were within normal range. The association of age, sex, season and region with measured tissue elements in bear and wolf were estimated by multiple regression analyses. Age-related accumulation of cadmium was observed in bears and wolves. Lead tissue content increased with the age of bears, but declined in wolves. Female bears and wolves had higher arsenic, iron and thallium than males in some tissues. Also, cadmium, mercury, copper, zinc, selenium, molybdenum and uranium were more abundant only in female bears. Male bears had higher potassium, zinc and magnesium, while male wolves had higher calcium in some tissues compared to female wolves. Seasonal differences were mainly observed for bears' tissues, region-specific differences only in wolves. The bear kidneys had the highest levels of cobalt, copper, molybdenum, cadmium and lead among the four studied species. The element levels reported for bears and wolves represent baseline values for the Dinaric population.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Biologija, Temeljne medicinske znanosti, Veterinarska medicina

POVEZANOST RADA