title: Hair as a noninvasive tool for risk assessment: do the concentrations of cadmium and lead in the hair of wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) reflect internal concentrations?
abstract: There is an increasing need for developing noninvasive markers of accumulation when studying the transfer of pollutants in wildlife, in response to problems caused by sacrifice of animals (disturbed population dynamics, respect of ethical protocols). Thus, the aim of this work was to determine whether trace metal (TM) concentrations in hair could be used as an accurate noninvasive estimator of internal and environmental concentrations. For that purpose, on a 40km² site surrounding an ancient smelter, 321 wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) were sampled on seven squares (500×500m) and 4 squares in fall 2010 and spring 2011, respectively. The relationships between the cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) concentrations in hair and those in the liver, kidneys, and soils were described. The results indicated that hair concentration was a relatively good predictor of Pb concentrations in organs (p<0.001, 0.46<R²<0.53). In contrast, Cd concentrations in organs were only weakly predicted by hair concentrations in session 2010 (p<0.001, R²=0.10 for both organs), and no significant relationship was found in session 2011 (p=0.252 for liver and p=0.971 for kidneys). The Cd and Pb concentrations in the soil and in hair were not linearly related, but concentrations in hair increased with soil concentrations (Spearman's rank correlations). Linear relationships between internal and hair concentrations differed significantly between the sampling sessions, especially for Cd. When they were included in models analyzing the relationships between TM concentrations in organs and in hair, individual characteristics (gender and body mass as a non-lethal estimation of relative age) increased the explained variability of Cd in organs but not of Pb. In conclusion, hair should be used cautiously to predict internal Cd concentrations but can be considered as an accurate noninvasive estimator of internal Pb concentrations. Further studies should be performed to develop, generalize, and apply this useful possible tool for risk assessment in ecotoxicology.
authors.affiliation: Chrono-Environnement, UMR 6249, University of Franche-Comté/CNRS Usc INRA, 16 route de Gray, 25030 Besançon Cedex, France. Electronic address: nicolas.tete@univ-fcomte.fr.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tête
authors.affiliation: Chrono-Environnement, UMR 6249, University of Franche-Comté/CNRS Usc INRA, 16 route de Gray, 25030 Besançon Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Eve
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Afonso
authors.affiliation: Chrono-Environnement, UMR 6249, University of Franche-Comté/CNRS Usc INRA, 16 route de Gray, 25030 Besançon Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Crini
authors.affiliation: Chrono-Environnement, UMR 6249, University of Franche-Comté/CNRS Usc INRA, 16 route de Gray, 25030 Besançon Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Séverine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Drouhot
authors.affiliation: Chrono-Environnement, UMR 6249, University of Franche-Comté/CNRS Usc INRA, 16 route de Gray, 25030 Besançon Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Anne-Sophie
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Prudent
authors.affiliation: Chrono-Environnement, UMR 6249, University of Franche-Comté/CNRS Usc INRA, 16 route de Gray, 25030 Besançon Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Renaud
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scheifler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D007668:Kidney / Q000737:chemistry; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis*; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D051189:Murinae; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012621:Seasons; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead
keywords: Bioaccumulation; Individual characteristics; Non-lethal approach; Trace metals; Wildlife