RT Journal Article
T1 Metal and metalloid concentrations in wild mammals from SW Europe: European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) and badger (Meles meles)
A1 García Muñoz, Javier
A1 Cacciola, Nunzio Antonio
A1 Plazzi, Federico
A1 Míguez Santiyán, María del Prado
A1 Soler Rodríguez, Francisco
A1 López Beceiro, Ana María
A1 Fidalgo Álvarez, Luis Eusebio
A1 Martínez Morcillo, Salomé
A1 Pérez López, Marcos
K1 Biomonitoring
K1 Potentially toxic elements
K1 European hedgehog
K1 European badger
K1 Liver
K1 Kidney
AB In recent years, there have been increasing ecological and global concerns associated to Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs). Thus, the relevance of wild mammals as biomonitors has been globally recognised. In the present study, Cd, Pb, Hg, Zn and As concentrations were quantified in European hedgehog and badger inhabiting SW Europe, and cumulative trends in relation to age and sex were evaluated. Liver and kidney samples were collected, mineralised and PTE content was determined by ICP-MS. Zn was the most abundant element quantified in both organs (239 and 89.8 mg kg-1 for hedgehogs and 179 and 164 mg kg-1 dw for badgers). In hedgehogs, very high Hg concentration were quantified (4.35 and 15.5 mg kg-1 dw in liver and kidney), and Cd was the most abundant for badgers (4.70 and 7.61 mg kg-1 dw in liver and kidney). Positive correlations were observed for the concentrations of PTE in the organs of both species. Age-dependence increased only Cd concentration, with levels in adult kidneys being significantly higher. In this study, European hedgehog and badger were used as biomonitors for the determination of PTEs to provide current reference values in relatively non-polluted areas of SW Europe, and to enhance the use of these species for future ecotoxicological studies.
PB Springer Nature
YR 2023
FD 2023-11-03
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10347/47336
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10347/47336
LA eng
NO García-Muñoz, J., Cacciola, N.A., Plazzi, F., Míguez-Santiyán, M.P., Soler Rodríguez, F., López-Beceiro, A., Fidalgo, L.E., Martínez-Morcillo, S., & Pérez-López, M. (2023). Metal and metalloid concentrations in wild mammals from SW Europe: European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) and badger (Meles meles). Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30, 118855–118870. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023-30615-4
NO This work was cofinanced by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Junta de Extremadura (GR21118). The authors wish to thank the wildlife recovery centers from Galicia, and to Dirección Xeral de Patrimonio Natural (Consellería de Medio Ambiente e Ordenación do Territorio, Xunta de Galicia), for authorizing the use and transfer of corpses/specimens of wild fauna.
NO Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. This work was cofinanced by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Junta de Extremadura (GR 18080).
DS Minerva
RD 23 may 2026