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Relationship between heavy metal accumulation and histological alterations in voles from alpine and forest habitats of the West Carpathians

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Abstract

The interaction between toxic heavy metals and bio-elements in internal organs and femoral bones and their potential impacts on bone structural properties and renal histopathological changes in bank voles and snow voles were investigated. Our results reveal that heavy metals Hg and Pb accumulate more in femoral bones of alpine habitats than forests. In snow voles, the parameters of the primary osteons’ vascular canals (length, average perimeter and area) simultaneously decreased with an increase of Pb and Sr. Wider primary osteons’ vascular canals of snow voles contained decreased levels of K, but increased Ba. In bank voles, the number of primary osteons increased in alpine habitats along with K, Hg, and Pb accumulation. In the kidneys of bank voles, rising levels of Rb, Hg, and Zn were detected in alpine habitats. Hg increases the most in kidney tissue from alpine habitats in both vole species, and Hg levels (mean value 0.25 μg/g, max. value 0.55 μg/g) in the renal tissues of bank voles from alpine localities are similar to Hg levels from Hg-polluted industrial areas in other studies. This reflects that alpine areas of the Tatra Mountains are highly contaminated with Hg. The intensity of renal hemosiderosis relates significantly to Zn, Fe, and Cu levels in snow voles, with Fe and Zn levels in bank voles from forest habitats, and with Rb in bank voles from alpine habitats. The intensity of tubule necrosis in renal tissues of bank voles from alpine habitats was negatively related to Se content. In bank voles from forest habitats, significant positive correlations were found between the intensity of glomerular hyperplasia and amounts of Zn. The interactions of the detected element’s association with bone tissue and internal organs are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to prof. Marián Janiga for valuable suggestions, consultation, and comments on the scientific and methodological aspects of the study. We would like to thank our colleagues and students for their assistance in the field, especially Zuzana Hrehová, Michal Némethy, Daniela Dúhová, and Bibiána Martinková. For English proofreading and improving, we are indebted to native English-speaking editor Amanda Clarahan.

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This research was funded by European Structural Funds (ITMS: 26210120016).

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  1. Institute of High Mountain Biology, University of Žilina, Tatranská Javorina 7, SK-05956, Tatranská Javorina, Slovakia

    Zuzana Kompišová Ballová, Filip Korec & Katarína Pinterová

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Ballová, Z.K., Korec, F. & Pinterová, K. Relationship between heavy metal accumulation and histological alterations in voles from alpine and forest habitats of the West Carpathians. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 36411–36426 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09654-8

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