Relationships between pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, blood parameters and oxidative stress of white stork Ciconia ciconia chicks in Poland

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2024-07, Vol.31 (31), p.43996-44004
• Main Authors: Siekiera, Joachim, Jankowiak, Łukasz, Siekiera, Artur, Ostaszewska, Monika, Jerzak, Leszek, Kasprzak, Mariusz, Ciepliński, Mateusz, Kamiński, Piotr, Frątczak, Martyna, Tryjanowski, Piotr
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aldrin; Animals; Aquatic birds; Aquatic ecosystems; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Birds - blood; Blood; Blood levels; Catalase; Chickens; Chicks; Ciconia ciconia; DDD; DDE; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Endrin; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollutants - blood; Enzymatic activity; Enzyme activity; Grasslands; Heptachlor; Hexachlorocyclohexane; Insecticides; Juveniles; Nitrous oxide; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Parameters; Pattern analysis; PCB; Pesticide residues; Pesticides; Poland; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - blood; Research Article; Stress concentration; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 1614-7499; 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-34072-5

The white stork Ciconia ciconia is a bird species located at the top of the trophic pyramid in grassland and wetland ecosystems. This charismatic species is susceptible to pesticides and their environmental residues. In 2016, we collected blood samples from 114 white stork chicks across Western and Southern Poland. Chicks were sexed by molecular analysis and aged by development pattern. We studied the relationship between the concentration of pesticides (beta-HCH, heptachlor, aldrin, endrin, 4.4′-DDD, 4.4′-DDE and 4.4′-DDT) and of PCB in the chicks’ blood with blood morphology and biochemistry parameters in the blood. The mean (±  SD ) values of concentrations of above detection level pesticides were: for (1) beta-HCH 4.139 ± 19.205; (2) 4.4′-DDE 9.254 ± 91.491 and additionally (3) PCB 16.135 ± 44.777 ppb. We found negative relationships between beta-HCH and oxidative stress enzyme activity in the blood, between beta-HCH and leukocyte concentration and between 4.4′-DDE and catalase activity. We also found a positive relationship between the concentration of pesticides in blood and the age of chicks. Interestingly, we found a higher concentration of PCB in the blood of male stork chicks than in female stork chicks. We provide more evidence that the presence of pesticides in the environment can be a strong stress factor, shaping the health status of birds.