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Trace elements (Cu, Zn, and Hg) and δ13C/δ15N in seabird subfossils from three islands of the South China Sea and its implications

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Abstract

Seabird subfossils were collected on three islands of the Xisha Archipelago, South China Sea. Via elemental analysis, we identified that bird guano was a significant source for heavy metals Cu, Zn, and Hg. Cu and Zn levels in these guano samples are comparable to their levels in wildbird feces, but guano Hg was lower than previously reported. Trophic positions significantly impacted transfer efficiency of heavy metals by seabirds. Despite of a common source, trace elements, as well as stable isotopes (i.e., guano δ13C and collagen δ15N), showed island-specific characteristics. Bird subfossils on larger island had relatively greater metal concentrations and revealed higher trophic positions. Partition of element and isotope levels among the islands suggested that transfer efficacy of seabirds on different islands was different, and bird species were probably unevenly distributed among the islets. Island area is possibly a driving factor for distributions of seabird species.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 41402148 and 41376124), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 2014M550338), and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. 2013bh2x0026). All members of the field study team, including Yan Hong, Liu Yi, Luo Yuhan, Huang Jing, and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, are acknowledged for their help in sample collection.

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  1. School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui, 230009, China

    Liqiang Xu

  2. Institute of Polar Environment, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China

    Liqiang Xu, Xiaodong Liu & Yaguang Nie

  3. Key Laboratory of Ion Beam Bioengineering, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Control Technology Of Anhui Province, Hefei, Anhui, 230031, China

    Yaguang Nie

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Xu, L., Liu, X. & Nie, Y. Trace elements (Cu, Zn, and Hg) and δ13C/δ15N in seabird subfossils from three islands of the South China Sea and its implications. Environ Monit Assess 188, 274 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-016-5274-7

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