title: [Wild animals, sentinels of the pollution of the natural environment?].
abstract: By following the cycles of contaminants in the environment, it is possible to demonstrate the existence of species particularly sensitive to certain substances through their diet, behaviour or location. Analysis of such situations can lead to the use of the species to provide evidence of the burden of pollution of an ecosystem. The existence of threshold concentrations, above which certain phenomena may occur, strengthens the role of sentinels. Examples are drawn mainly from mammals, birds and fish, and concern radionuclides, plant protection chemicals, petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals. The list is by no means exhaustive.
authors.affiliation: CNEVA-LCRV, Maisons-Alfort, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moutou
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Joseph-Enriquez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000502:physiology*; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004787:Environmental Pollution; D005399:Fishes / Q000502:physiology; D008322:Mammals / Q000502:physiology
vernacular_title: Les animaux sauvages, sentinelles de la pollution du milieu naturel?