TY - JOUR

T1 - The metabolome of pink-footed goose

T2 - Heavy metals and lipid metabolism

AU - Jensen, Mette

AU - Poulsen, Rikke

AU - Langebæk, Rikke

AU - Jenssen, Bjørn Munro

AU - Moe, Johanna

AU - Ciesielski, Tomasz M.

AU - Dietz, Rune

AU - Sonne, Christian

AU - Madsen, Jesper

AU - Hansen, Martin

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Wildlife is exposed to mixtures of environmental contaminants that affect health and population dynamics. Exposure to toxic heavy metals originating from anthropogenic sources may exert metabolic effects at even low exposure concentrations. Here we investigated the relationships between heavy metal exposure and metabolic changes in the migratory bird pink-footed goose (Anser brachyrhynchus). We used blood pellet and blood plasma samples from 27 free-ranging pink-footed geese to study heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Hg, and Pb) exposure in relation to the metabolome. The results relate blood concentrations of Cd (range: 0.218–1.09 ng/g), Cr (range: 0.299–5.60 ng/g), and Hg (range: 2.63–6.00 ng/g) to signal areas of fatty acids and other lipids, while no correlations were identified for Pb level (range: 21.0–64.2 ng/g) exposure. Lipid signal areas were negatively associated with concentrations of Cr and positively associated with Hg exposure (both p < 0.05). α-Linolenic acid and 9-oxononanoic acid were negatively correlated to Cr exposure (both p < 0.05) and were related in the α-linolenic acid metabolism pathway. Compared to known thresholds for aviary species, the heavy metal concentrations are below levels of toxicity, which may explain the low number of metabolites that significantly change. Nevertheless, the heavy metal exposure is still correlated to changes in the lipid metabolism that may reduce migrating birds’ breeding success and increase mortality for an exposed part of the population.

AB - Wildlife is exposed to mixtures of environmental contaminants that affect health and population dynamics. Exposure to toxic heavy metals originating from anthropogenic sources may exert metabolic effects at even low exposure concentrations. Here we investigated the relationships between heavy metal exposure and metabolic changes in the migratory bird pink-footed goose (Anser brachyrhynchus). We used blood pellet and blood plasma samples from 27 free-ranging pink-footed geese to study heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Hg, and Pb) exposure in relation to the metabolome. The results relate blood concentrations of Cd (range: 0.218–1.09 ng/g), Cr (range: 0.299–5.60 ng/g), and Hg (range: 2.63–6.00 ng/g) to signal areas of fatty acids and other lipids, while no correlations were identified for Pb level (range: 21.0–64.2 ng/g) exposure. Lipid signal areas were negatively associated with concentrations of Cr and positively associated with Hg exposure (both p < 0.05). α-Linolenic acid and 9-oxononanoic acid were negatively correlated to Cr exposure (both p < 0.05) and were related in the α-linolenic acid metabolism pathway. Compared to known thresholds for aviary species, the heavy metal concentrations are below levels of toxicity, which may explain the low number of metabolites that significantly change. Nevertheless, the heavy metal exposure is still correlated to changes in the lipid metabolism that may reduce migrating birds’ breeding success and increase mortality for an exposed part of the population.

KW - Fatty acids

KW - Heavy metals

KW - Lipid metabolism

KW - Metabolome

KW - Migratory birds

KW - Pink-footed geese

U2 - 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116043

DO - 10.1016/j.envres.2023.116043

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 37156351

AN - SCOPUS:85159798254

VL - 231

JO - Environmental Research

JF - Environmental Research

SN - 0013-9351

M1 - 116043

ER -