ICIVET-LITORAL   24728
INSTITUTO DE CIENCIAS VETERINARIAS DEL LITORAL
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
EVIDENCE FOR NEGATIVE IMPACT OF LEAD EXPOSURE ON GENERIC INDICES OF HEALTH IN FREE-RANGING DUCKS
Autor/es:
UHART M; FERREYRA H; ROMANO, M; CASELLI, A; CORREA, AI; BELDOMENICO PM
Lugar:
Knoxville, Tennessee
Reunión:
Conferencia; The 62nd International Conference of the Wildlife Disease Association; 2013
Institución organizadora:
Wildlife Disease Association
Resumen:
Numerous experiments under controlled conditions and extensive investigation of waterfowl mortality have demonstrated that exposure to lead from spent gunshot is detrimental to the health of waterfowl. However, few studies have focused on examining the sub-lethal effects of lead toxicity on free-ranging ducks under field conditions. Our studies in North-Eastern Argentina's wetlands, where hunting with lead gunshot is substantial, have shown that exposure to lead, as measured by lead pellet ingestion and lead concentrations in liver, bone and blood of ducks, is very high. To assess the health status of ducks exposed to varying amounts of lead under natural conditions, we measured body weight, sex, age class, and body condition (keel angle) from 415 hunter-killed ducks, and 70 live-trapped ducks. In addition, spleen weight was recorded in hunted ducks and basic hematology and aminolevulinate dehydratase were determined in live duck blood. Pellet ingestion and lead concentration in liver and bone (killed ducks), and blood (live ducks) were also measured. Using multivariable linear models, we found that, when controlling for the potential confounding effect of site, year, species and age, lead levels in the liver were negatively associated with body condition and spleen mass. Spleen mass was also lower in ducks with higher lead levels in their bones. In live ducks, blood lead levels were negatively associated with hematocrit values. These findings suggest a relationship between lead exposure and impoverished health that could have serious implications for duck conservation. This evidence further supports the need for urgently banning lead shot.