Repeated conservation threats across the Americas: High levels of blood and bone lead in the Andean Condor widen the problem to a continental scale.

WIEMEYER G M; SAMPIETRO L; ASTORE V; PÉREZ M A; BRAVO G F; LAMBERTUCCI S A; BIANCHINI L T; JÁCOME N L

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2017 p. 672 - 679

0269-7491

Wildlife lead exposure is an increasing conservation threat that is being widely investigated. However,for some areas of the world (e.g., South America) and certain species, research on this subject is stillscarce or only local information is available. We analyzed the extent and intensity of lead exposure for awidely distributed threatened species, the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus). We conducted the study attwo different scales: 1) sampling of birds received for rehabilitation or necropsy in Argentina, and 2)bibliographic review and extensive survey considering exposure event for the species´ distribution inSouth America. Wild condors from Argentina (n ¼ 76) presented high lead levels consistent with bothrecent and previous exposure (up to 104 mg/dL blood level, mean 15.47 ± 21.21 mg/dL and up to148.20 ppm bone level, mean 23.08 ± 31.39 ppm). In contrast, captive bred individuals -not exposed tolead contamination- had much lower lead levels (mean blood level 5.63 ± 3.08 mg/dL, and mean bonelevel 2.76 ± 3.06 ppm). Condors were exposed to lead throughout their entire range in continentalArgentina, which represents almost sixty percent (>4000 km) of their geographical distribution. We alsopresent evidence of lead exposure events in Chile, Ecuador, and Peru. Lead poisoning is a widespreadmajor conservation threat for the Andean Condor, and probably other sympatric carnivores from SouthAmerica. The high number and wide range of Andean Condors with lead values complement the resultsfor the California Condor and other scavengers in North America suggesting lead poisoning is a continental threat. Urgent actions are needed to reduce this poison in the wild.