Heavy metal and organochlorine pollutants in Antarctic vertebrates

As top predators seabirds have the potential to accumulate marine pollutants. This study quantified heavy metal loads in 3 species of albatross.From the abstract of the referenced paper:Cadmium and mercury concentrations were measured in the tissues of 64 individual albatrosses (23 wandering albatrosses - (Diomedea exulans), 9 royal albatrosses (Diomedea epomophora) and 32 shy albatrosses (Thalassarche cauta)) which were killed as by-catch in longline fishing activities between 1991 and 1994. Mercury concentrations were also determined for 33 shy albatross eggs (excluding shells). The birds were all sexed and assigned to one of two age classes (immature and adult). The three species exhibited differences both in overall concentrations of cadmium and mercury, and also in the pattern of accumulation of metals with age and sex. Wandering albatrosses exhibited the highest mercury concentrations with a mean concentration in adult liver samples of 920.0 plus or minus 794.1 micrograms per gram dry weight. Shy albatrosses had the lowest mercury concentrations with mean concentrations in adult livers of 36.3 plus or minus 21.4 micrograms per gram dry weight. The highest mercury concentration was 1800 micrograms per gram for an adult female wandering albatross. Cadmium concentrations were less variable, with adult royal albatrosses having the highest average concentrations (180.0 plus or minus 165.0 in adult kidneys) and adult shy albatrosses the lowest (40.1 plus or minus 20.0 in adult kidney). The highest individual cadmium concentration was 287 micrograms per gram for a juvenile wandering albatross. There was no evidence of increased accumulation of cadmium with age in any of the species, but wandering albatrosses showed higher mercury concentrations in adults than juveniles. Female wandering albatrosses also had significantly higher mercury concentrations than males. The mercury contents of the shy albatross eggs were very low, with a maximum concentration of 5.4 micrograms per gram. The results of this study are consistent with the findings of previous work on albatrosses and support the notion that the life-history strategy of these species (i.e. long-lived with low reproductive output) may be an important determinant in the concentrations of some metals found in their tissues.It should be noted that there is a significant typographical error in the abstract of the published paper, where shy albatross mercury concentrations are expressed in milligrams instead of micrograms.

作为顶级捕食者，海鸟具备富集海洋污染物的潜力。本研究对3种信天翁体内的重金属负荷进行了定量分析。

引自相关论文的摘要内容如下：1991至1994年间，在延绳钓渔业中兼捕致死的64只信天翁个体（23只漂泊信天翁（Diomedea exulans）、9只皇信天翁（Diomedea epomophora）及32只灰头信天翁（Thalassarche cauta））的组织中镉与汞浓度被测定。此外，研究还对33枚灰头信天翁卵（不含蛋壳）的汞浓度进行了检测。所有受试个体均完成了性别鉴定，并被划分为未成年与成年两个年龄组。

三种信天翁在镉、汞的总浓度，以及重金属随年龄、性别的富集模式上均存在显著差异。漂泊信天翁的汞浓度最高，成年个体肝脏样本的平均浓度为920.0±794.1微克/克干重；灰头信天翁的汞浓度最低，成年个体肝脏的平均浓度为36.3±21.4微克/克干重。单例最高汞浓度出现在1只成年雌性漂泊信天翁体内，达1800微克/克。

镉浓度的波动幅度相对较小：成年皇信天翁的平均镉浓度最高（成年肾脏组织中为180.0±165.0微克/克干重），成年灰头信天翁的平均镉浓度最低（成年肾脏组织中为40.1±20.0微克/克干重）。单例最高镉浓度出现在1只幼年漂泊信天翁体内，达287微克/克干重。

所有物种均未表现出镉浓度随年龄增长而升高的现象，但漂泊信天翁成年个体的汞浓度显著高于幼年个体。雌性漂泊信天翁的汞浓度也显著高于雄性。灰头信天翁卵的汞含量极低，最高浓度仅为5.4微克/克干重。

本研究结果与此前针对信天翁的相关研究结论一致，支持了“这类物种的生活史策略（即长寿且繁殖产出低）可能是影响其体内部分金属浓度的重要决定因素”这一观点。

需注意，已发表论文的摘要存在一处明显排版错误：灰头信天翁的汞浓度单位被误写为毫克，实际应为微克。