Abstract
Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) represents a significant source of anthropogenic mercury emissions to the environment, with potentially severe implications for avian biodiversity. In the Madre de Dios department of the southern Peruvian Amazon, ASGM activities have created landscapes marred by deforestation and post-mining water bodies (mining ponds) with notable methylation potential. While data on Hg contamination in terrestrial wildlife remains limited, this study measures Hg exposure in several terrestrial bird species as bioindicators. Total Hg (THg) levels in feathers from birds near water bodies, including mining ponds associated with ASGM areas and oxbow lakes, were analyzed. Our results showed significantly higher Hg concentrations in birds from ASGM sites with mean ± SD of 3.14 ± 7.97 µg/g (range: 0.27 to 72.75 µg/g, n = 312) compared to control sites with a mean of 0.47 ± 0.42 µg/g (range: 0.04 to 1.89 µg/g, n = 52). Factors such as trophic guilds, ASGM presence, and water body area significantly influenced feather Hg concentrations. Notably, piscivorous birds exhibited the highest Hg concentration (31.03 ± 25.25 µg/g, n = 12) exceeding known concentrations that affect reproductive success, where one measurement of Chloroceryle americana (Green kingfisher; 72.7 µg/g) is among the highest ever reported in South America. This research quantifies Hg exposure in avian communities in Amazonian regions affected by ASGM, highlighting potential risks to regional bird populations.
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Acknowledgements
We extend our sincere thanks to Servicio Nacional de Areas Protegidas por el Estado (SERNANP) for their logistical support and Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonia Peruana (IIAP) for their partnership in co-managing the Laboratorio de Mercurio y Química ambiental (LAMQA), enabling our research in Madre de Dios. Our appreciation also goes to our field assistants whose dedication and efforts in challenging conditions were indispensable. Special thanks to Julio Salvador for his technical assistance. This work was made possible through the Jonathan Franzen Fellowship at Los Amigos Bird Observatory, support from Amazon Conservation; the Tambopata Reserve Society (TReeS) Scholarship, and the generous funding provided by USAID/WFU Cooperative Agreement No. AID-527-A-16-00001 and No. 72052721CA005. We note that the contents of this paper do not necessarily represent the views of USAID or the United States Government. Further acknowledgment goes to the MercuRed Network with funding provided by CYTED (Programa Iberoamericano de Ciencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo) Grant No. 420RT0007. The study was conducted under permits including RESOLUCION DIRECTORAL REGIONAL No. 232-2019-GOREMAD-GRRNYGMA-DRFFS, RESOLUCION DE DIRECCION GENERAL No. 514-2019-MINAGRI-SERFORDGGSPFFS, and RESOLUCION JEFATURAL from the Reserva Nacional Tambopata Nos. 20-2019-SERNANP-JEF and 10-2019-SERNANP-JEF.
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Categories: Conceptualization, Data curation, Funding acquisition, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Writing -original draft, Writing – review & editing]. JNP: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing; CMV: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Writing – review & editing; CJS II: Formal analysis, Writing – review & editing; CSS-R: Formal analysis, Writing – review & editing; MP: Investigation, Methodology; EQ: Methodology; VT: Conceptualization, Data curation CA; Resources, Funding acquisition, Project administration; MRS: Resources, Funding acquisition, Project administration; LEF: Conceptualization, Resources, Funding acquisition, Methodology, Project administration, Writing – review & editing.
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Pisconte, J.N., Vega, C.M., Sayers, C.J. et al. Elevated mercury exposure in bird communities inhabiting Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining landscapes of the southeastern Peruvian Amazon. Ecotoxicology (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-024-02740-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-024-02740-4