title: Atmospheric deposition exposes Qinling pandas to toxic pollutants.
abstract: The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is one of the most endangered animals in the world, and it is recognized worldwide as a symbol for conservation. A previous study showed that wild and captive pandas, especially those of the Qinling subspecies, were exposed to toxicants in their diet of bamboo; the ultimate origin of these toxicants is unknown. Here we show that atmospheric deposition is the most likely origin of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the diets of captive and wild Qinling pandas. Average atmospheric deposition was 199, 115, and 49 g·m-2·yr-1in the center of Xi'an City, at China's Shaanxi Wild Animal Research Center (SWARC), and at Foping National Nature Reserve (FNNR), respectively. Atmospheric deposition of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Hg, Co, Cu, Zn, Mn, and Ni) and POPs was highest at Xi'an City, intermediate at SWARC, and lowest at FNNR. Soil concentrations of the aforementioned heavy metals other than As and Zn also were significantly higher at SWARC than at FNNR. Efforts to conserve Qinling pandas may be compromised by air pollution attendant to China's economic development. Improvement of air quality and reductions of toxic emissions are urgently required to protect China's iconic species.
authors.affiliation: SKLLQG, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710075, China.
authors.forename: Yi-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: SKLLQG, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710075, China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors.forename: Ying-Juan
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: SKLLQG, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710075, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: SKLLQG, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710075, China.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: SKLLQG, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710075, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Sheng
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: An
authors.affiliation: Shaanxi Wild Animal Research Center, Zhouzhi, Xi'an, 710402, China.
authors.forename: Qing-Yi
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Harvard Forest, Harvard University, 324 North Main Street, Petersham, Massachusetts, 01366, USA.
authors.forename: Aaron M
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4151-6081
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ellison
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D001503:Ursidae / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D019216:Metals, Heavy
keywords: Conservation biology; POPs pollution; Qingling panda; air pollution; atmospheric deposition; heavy metals