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A method for heavy metal exposure risk assessment to migratory herbivorous birds and identification of priority pollutants/areas in wetlands

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Abstract

Wetlands are important habitats for migratory birds but have been degraded by many anthropogenic factors including heavy metal contamination. Birds inhabiting wetlands are exposed to pollutants. In this study, a method for exposure risk assessment of migratory herbivorous birds and identification of priority pollutants/areas was developed and employed in East Dongting Lake wetland (EDT). Four heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Pb, and Cd) in sedge and soil samples from ten lesser white-fronted goose (Anser erythropus) habitats in EDT were investigated. Results showed that negative effect of Cr and Pb on lesser white-fronted goose may occur while the concentrations of Cu and Cd are considered to be relatively safe. Prioritize threats were decreased in the following sequence: Cr > Pb > Cu > Cd. Cr and Pb were considered to be the priority pollutants. Spatial interpolation based on geostatistical methods showed that Spring Breeze Lake should draw much attention. Furthermore, regions with high hazard index were identified to be priority areas of EDT for risk management.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the World Wildlife Fund and the East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve Administration Bureau for support during bird survey. The authors also thank Yi Yao for the photo provided. This research was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51479072, 51009063, 51039001) and the New Century Excellent Researcher Award Program (NCET-08-0181) from the Ministry of Education of China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, People’s Republic of China

    Jie Liang, Jiayu Liu, Xingzhong Yuan, Guangming Zeng, Yujie Yuan, Haipeng Wu & Fei Li

  2. Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, People’s Republic of China

    Jie Liang, Jiayu Liu, Xingzhong Yuan, Guangming Zeng, Yujie Yuan, Haipeng Wu & Fei Li

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  1. Jie Liang
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  2. Jiayu Liu
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  4. Guangming Zeng
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Correspondence to Jie Liang or Xingzhong Yuan.

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Liang, J., Liu, J., Yuan, X. et al. A method for heavy metal exposure risk assessment to migratory herbivorous birds and identification of priority pollutants/areas in wetlands. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 11806–11813 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6372-3

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