Comparison of two wild rodent species as sentinels of environmental contamination by mine tailings

Background Contamination with heavy metals is among the most hazardous environmental concerns caused by mining activity. A valuable tool for monitoring these effects is the use of sentinel organisms. Particularly, small mammals living inside mine tailings are an excellent study system because their...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental science and pollution research international 2012-06, Vol.19 (5), p.1677-1686
Main Authors: Tovar-Sánchez, E., Cervantes, L. T., Martínez, C., Rojas, E., Valverde, M., Ortiz-Hernández, M. L., Mussali-Galante, P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Aquatic Pollution
Assaying
Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution
Atomic absorption spectrophotometry
Baiomys
Bioassays
Biomarkers
Bone and Bones - chemistry
Cell Survival
Comet assay
Contamination
Damage
Deoxyribonucleic acid
DNA
DNA Damage
Earth and Environmental Science
Ecotoxicology
Environment
Environmental Chemistry
Environmental Exposure
Environmental Health
Environmental impact
Environmental monitoring
Environmental Monitoring - methods
Environmental quality
Environmental quality assessment
Exposure
Female
Heavy metals
Liver - chemistry
Male
Manganese
Metal concentrations
Metals, Heavy - analysis
Mexico
Mine tailings
Mine wastes
Mines
Mining
Musculus
Nickel
Peromyscus
Peromyscus - physiology
Pollutants
Research Article
Rodentia - physiology
Species
Spectral analysis
Spectrophotometry
Statistical analysis
Tailings
Urbanization
Waste Water Technology
Water Management
Water Pollution Control
Zinc
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Background Contamination with heavy metals is among the most hazardous environmental concerns caused by mining activity. A valuable tool for monitoring these effects is the use of sentinel organisms. Particularly, small mammals living inside mine tailings are an excellent study system because their analysis represents a realistic approach of mixtures and concentrations of metal exposure. Purpose We analyzed metal tissue concentrations and DNA damage levels for comparison between genders of a sentinel ( Peromyscus melanophrys ) and a nonsentinel ( Baiomys musculus ) species. Also, the relationship between DNA damage and the distance from the contamination source was evaluated. Methods This study was conducted in an abandoned mine tailing at Morelos, Mexico. Thirty-six individuals from both species at the exposed and reference sites were sampled. Metal concentrations in bone and liver of both species were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and DNA damage levels were assayed using the alkaline comet assay. Results In general, concentrations of zinc, nickel, iron, and manganese were statistically higher in exposed individuals. A significant effect of the organ and the site on all metal tissue concentrations was detected. Significant DNA damage levels were registered in the exposed group, being higher in B. musculus . Females registered higher DNA damage levels than males. A negative relationship between distance from the mine tailing and DNA damage in B. musculus was observed. Conclusions We consider that B. musculus is a suitable species to assess environmental quality, especially for bioaccumulable pollutants—such as metals—and recommend that it may be considered as a sentinel species.
ISSN:0944-1344
1614-7499
DOI:10.1007/s11356-011-0680-4