Antonio J García-Fernández

• Professor, DVM, PhD (Universidad de Murcia)
• Group Leader at University of Murcia

The endangered Pyrenean Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus aquitanicus) inhabits perennial forests of the Pyrenees (Spain, France and Andorre). Feces of domestic animals (e.g., horses and cattle) are often found in this species’ habitat as evidence of land use overlapping, especially during spring and summer. As a result, pharmaceutical residues found...

Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are widely used for pest control, resulting in their pervasive presence in the environment and posing significant toxicological risks to a range of predatory and scavenging species. Our study mainly aimed to evaluate AR exposure and effects in nestlings of eagle owl (Bubo bubo) from the Region of Murcia (southeaster...

Second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) are commonly used for rodent control, affecting various non-target wildlife species. Here, blood samples from common kestrels (Falco tinnunculus, n = 70 chicks) and barn owls (Tyto alba, n = 54 chicks and 12 adults) from Southeastern Spain were analysed using HPLC-TQ. SGAR prevalence was 68.6% in...

18 Pharmaceutical contaminants have a recognized negative impact on wildlife health. 19 However, there are still many knowledge gaps on the factors influencing exposure and 20 metabolic processing of compound mixtures as a function of season and individual 21 characteristics such as age and sex. We evaluated age and sex differences in a set of 22 s...

The widespread use of anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) poses a worldwide threat to farmland wildlife. These compounds accumulate in tissues of both target and non-target species, potentially endangering both direct consumers and their predators. However, investigations on ARs in blood of free-ranging predatory birds are rare. Here, the long-eared o...

Mercury (Hg) and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were analysed in body feathers from nestlings of white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) (WTE; n = 13) and Northern goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) (NG; n = 8) and in red blood cells (RBC) from NG (n = 11) from Norway. According to linear mixed model, species factor was significant in expl...

Potential exposure of the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) to pharmaceuticals is of high conservation interest, as these compounds can produce catastrophic consequences for populations of avian scavengers. Due to the extensive livestock management in most of Patagonia, we expected Andean condors to be rarely exposed to veterinary pharmaceuticals thro...

Information on the exposure of wild birds to pharmaceuticals from wastewater and urban refuse is scarce despite the enormous amount of drugs consumed and discarded by human populations. We tested for the presence of a battery of antibiotics, NSAIDs, and analgesics in the blood of white stork (Ciconia ciconia) nestlings in the vicinity of urban wast...

Information on the exposure of wild birds to pharmaceuticals from wastewater and urban refuse is scarce despite the enormous amount of drugs consumed and discarded by human populations. We tested for the presence of a battery of antibiotics, NSAIDs, and analgesics in the blood of white stork (Ciconia ciconia) nestlings in the vicinity of urban wast...

The chemical industry is the leading sector in the EU in terms of added value. However, contaminants pose a major threat and significant costs to the environment and human health. While EU legislation and international conventions aim to reduce this threat, regulators struggle to assess and manage chemical risks, given the vast number of substances...

We evaluated feathers as a non-destructive biomonitoring tool documenting organochlorine pesticides (OCP) in liver and checked possible trends in pesticide use in two areas based on OCP concentrations in barn owls (Tyto alba). We measured the concentrations of 16 OCP in 15 primary feathers and 15 livers from barn owl carcasses collected on roadside...

Mercury (Hg) is a great concern for marine environments. Bird feathers have been widely used to assess Hg pollution. In this study, we determine mercury concentrations in body feathers of juvenile Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) from the southeastern sector of Buenos Aires province, Argentina, during a non-breeding season, considering...

Many cases of wildlife poisoning in Europe have been reported causing population declines, especially in raptors. Toxicovigilance and risk assessment studies are essential to reinforce the knowledge of the number of illegal poisoning cases and the substances involved in these crimes. Many researchers and projects in different institutions have sugg...

Water quality is an issue of global concern intrinsically associated to the health and well-being of the society, and it essentially depends on the level of aquatic pollution. The problem of pollution by emerging contaminants (ECs) has gained special relevance in the twenty-first century. Emerging contaminants represent a wide variety of products w...

Birds have historically suffered adverse effects by toxic elements, such as As, Pb, Hg, and Cd. However, reports on exposure to a wide range of elements, including rare earth elements and other minor elements of emerging concern, and the potential consequences for wildlife are still scarce. This study evaluates blood concentrations of 50 elements a...

The Atacama Desert represents the highest levels of mining exploitation in Chile, which inexorably results in high levels of pollution. Raptors, and particularly scavengers, have shown their usefulness to evaluate exposure to environmental contaminants in polluted scenarios. In this study, we used primary feathers from a local avian scavenger, turk...

Anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are commonly used to control rodent populations and frequently involved in wildlife and domestic animal poisoning. These poisoning cases (especially for ARs) are a challenge for forensic toxicologists, and adequate post-mortem examination and toxicological analyses become essential for a proper diagnosis. Publicatio...

The Eurasian Eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) meets the requirements of a suitable sentinel species for biomonitoring environmental contaminants in Southeastern Spain (Murcia Region and Alicante Province). In this area, it is an abundant species, showing the highest breeding density within its distribution range. Since 1992, different sample types from free-l...

The COST Action ‘European Raptor Biomonitoring Facility’ (ERBFacility) aims to develop pan-European raptor biomonitoring in support of better chemicals management in Europe, using raptors as sentinel species. This presents a significant challenge involving a range of constraints that must be identified and addressed. The aims of this study were to:...

This poster outlines the role that can be played by natural science collections for monitoring of environmental contaminants in biota. Citation: Movalli, P., Cicero, G., Ramello, G., Sbokos, G., Vlachopoulos, K., Dekker, R.W.R.J., Espín, S., García-Fernández, A.J., Gómez-Ramírez, P., Hosner, P.A., Islam, S., Koureas, D., Kristensen, J.B., van der M...

One of the most common wildlife crimes involving birds worldwide is malicious poisoning. Post-mortem examination and toxicological analysis are essential for a proper diagnosis of the cause of the poisoning. However, investigators often require an estimate of the time of death, which is best determined by identifying the stage of carcass decomposit...

Bromadiolone is a second generation anticoagulant rodenticide (SGAR) used to control pest rodents worldwide. SGARs are frequently involved in secondary poisoning in rodent predators due to their persistence and toxicity. This study aims to evaluate the persistence of bromadiolone in liver at different stages of carcass decomposition in experimental...

Mercury (Hg), particularly as methylmercury (MeHg), is a nonessential, persistent, and bioaccumulative toxic element with high biomagnification capacity and is considered a threat to marine environments. We evaluated total Hg concentrations in liver, kidney, and brain in 62 individuals of 9 bird species linked to marine ecosystems from western Medi...

Geothermal activities (e.g., volcanic eruptions) represent one of the most important natural sources of metal emissions (heavy metals and metalloids). They can be one of the main risks for the ecosystems in regions like North of Argentiniean Patagonia, a sparsely populated area, close to an extensive network of active volcanoes on the Andes Range....

Pharmaceuticals are still considered emerging pollutants affecting both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Scavenging bird species may be exposed to veterinary drugs when they feed on livestock carcasses provided at supplementary feeding stations, as these are often stocked with ailing and/or recently medicated animals. Because those animals may b...

Some metals and metalloids (e.g. Pb, Hg, Cd and As) are well-known for their bioaccumulation capacity and their toxic effects on birds, but concerns on other minor elements and rare earth elements (ME and REE) are growing due to their intensive use in modern technology and potential toxicity. Vitamins and carotenoids play essential roles in nestlin...

Lead intoxication is an important threat to human health and a large number of wildlife species. Animals are exposed to several sources of lead highlighting hunting ammunition and lead that is bioavailable in topsoil. Disentangling the role of each in lead exposure is an important conservation issue, particularly for species potentially affected by...

Birds of prey, owls and falcons are widely used as sentinel species in raptor biomonitoring programmes. A major current challenge is to facilitate large-scale biomonitoring by coordinating contaminant monitoring activities and by building capacity across countries. This requires sharing, dissemination and adoption of best practices addressed by the...

Nineteen loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) stranded along the southwestern Mediterranean coastline (Andalusia) were used in this study. A total of 68 samples of fat (n = 18), liver (n = 15), kidney (n = 13), pectoral muscle (n = 19), and brain (n = 3) were analysed for total mercury (Hg) and organochlorine pesticides [OC: ∑Dichlorodiphenyltr...

Biomonitoring in raptors can be used to study long-term and large-scale changes in environmental pollution. In Europe, such monitoring is needed to assess environmental risk and outcomes of chemicals regulation, which is harmonised across the European Union. To be effective, the most appropriate sentinels need to be monitored. Our aim was to identi...

Nightjars are considered human-tolerant species due to the population densities reached in strongly managed landscapes. However, no studies have been done evaluating metal-related effects on physiology, condition or fitness in any nightjar species. The main aim of this study was to evaluate how metal exposure affects physiology and condition in red...

Toxic metals have been widely reported in avian tissues due to their well-known accumulation capacity and adverse effects. However, rare earth elements (REE) and other minor elements (ME) are becoming a new threat due to their use in modern technology. Presently, exposure data are limited and no studies have been reported in wildlife. The order Cap...

In this study, we determined the presence of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in back feathers from three raptor species, Phalcoboenus chimango, Milvago chimachima and Caracara plancus. Samples were obtained from live animals and ten OCPs were detected: α-HCH, β-HCH and γ-HCH (lindane), heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, aldrin, endosulfan I, endosulf...

For an appropriate environmental risk assessment, it is necessary to perform a set of ecotoxicological tests in the different environmental compartments. The number and type of ecotoxicological assays that must be performed to introduce a substance, mixture, or product into the market will depend on the properties and characteristics of the chemica...

Can animals reflect human and environmental health risks? This is a frequently asked question in the research community. Sentinel species are organisms that can provide early warning signs of potential risks to humans, so that preventive measures can be taken in time to avoid serious adverse health consequences. In spite of the well-known cases of...

Arsenic (As) is broadly distributed due to natural and anthropogenic sources, and it may cause adverse effects in birds. However, research on other elements (Pb, Hg and Cd) has been prioritized, resulting in scarce data on As exposure and related effects in wild birds. One of the mechanisms responsible for As toxicity is oxidative stress. Therefore...

https://digitum.um.es/digitum/bitstream/10201/77061/1/PLOMO%20EN%20PRODUCTOS%20CARNICOS%20DE%20CAZA.pdf

The correct affiliation of Sabrina Lo Brutto is shown in this paper.

We determinated Hg and Se concentrations in liver, kidney, brain, lung and muscle of five bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), four common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) and four Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus) stranded along the Murcia coast, Southeast Spain, in order to evaluate the risk of Hg toxicity. Hg concentrations showed similar concen...

Citation: Movalli, P., Ramello, G., Sbokos, J., Dekker, R., Vrezec, A., Shore, R.F., García-Fernández, A.J., Wernham, C., Krone, O., Alygizakis, N., Aradis, A., Badry, A., Barbagli, F., Berry, P., Biesmeijer, K., Boano, G., Bond, A.L., Choresh, Y., Kristensen, J.B., Cincinelli, A., Danielsson, S., Dias, A., Dietz, R., Eens, M., Espín, S., Eulaers,...

BACKGROUND The conflict between predators and humans for resources such as game species or livestock is an ancient issue, and it is especially sharp in the case of medium‐large wild canids. In order to manage this conflict, lethal control methods are often used, which can sometimes be illegal, such as poisoning. As an alternative, conditioned food...

Background Intensification of agricultural practices has caused several negative effects to the environment. The use of fertilizers and pesticides may alter geochemical cycles or cause direct wildlife intoxication. Detrimental effects of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) have forced the authorities to ban or restrict its use. This study evaluates th...

Levels of lead (Pb) were analyzed in tissues of 25 Common shelduck (Tadorna tadorna) from La Albufera Natural Park (NP) in Valencia (Eastern Spain), which were found dead due to a botulism outbreak. The objective was to assess Pb exposure in waterfowl, fourteen years after the implementation of the Real Decreto 581/2001, which banned the use of Pb...

Emissions of metals and metalloids (Hg; Cd; Cr; Cu; Pb; Ni; Zn; Fe; Mn; As; Se) generated by natural (e.g.,geothermal activity) or anthropic causes (eg., industry or mining) represent a worldwide contamination problem, especially in developing countries. Exposure to high concentrations of these elements is harmful to living beings, including humans...

Worldwide, predators and humans are in conflict for resources such as game species or livestock, especially in the case of wild canids. One non-lethal method to reduce predation is conditioned food aversion (CFA), in which animals learn to avoid a food due to the illness after ingestion, caused by the addition of an undetected chemical compound. CF...

Calcium has been proposed to diminish metal toxicity by the modulation of the oxidative stress. This study explores the effects of Ca availability and metal exposure on oxidative stress biomarkers in great tit (Parus major) nestlings. Nests were supplemented with Ca (Ca-supplemented group) or not supplemented (Control group) in a metal-polluted and...

Mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), selenium (Se)and arsenic (As)concentrations in internal tissues of 72 striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba)from Murcia Region (Mediterranean coastline)have been investigated for the first time. Hg showed the highest concentration, followed by Se, Cd, As and Pb. In general, the levels of metal found in this...

This opinion paper focuses on the role of eco-toxicological tools in the assessment of possible impacts of emerging contaminants on the aquatic ecosystem, hence, on human health. Indeed, organic trace pollutants present in raw and treated wastewater are the pivot targets: a multidisciplinary approach allows defining the basic principles for managin...

Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant that bioaccumulates and biomagnifies in food chains and is associated with adverse effects in both humans and wildlife. We used feather samples from bird scavengers to evaluate Hg concentrations in two different areas of Northern Patagonia. Hg concentrations were analyzed in feathers obtained from turkey vultures...

Antibiotics have been beneficial for human and animal health. However, an excessive use in livestock and a deficient management of the carcasses can lead to adverse effects in the scavengers that ingest them, especially in "supplementary feeding sites" (SFS). The aim of this study was to assess the potential risk of exposure to antibiotics for an e...

A simple, fast, reproducible and low-cost assay for thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) has been adapted for use with a microplate spectrofluorometer. The technique allows rapid analysis of multiple samples and requires a very small sample volume (50 µl of red cell homogenates from passerine birds at protein concentrations of 3.4-8.9 mg...

Arsenic (As) is a ubiquitous metalloid classified as one of the most hazardous substances, but information about its exposure and effects in free-living passerines is lacking. The aim of this study is to elucidate the effect of an As manipulation experiment on survival, growth and physiology of great tits (Parus major). Wild P. major nestlings inha...

Metal pollution can interfere with internal nutrient homeostasis and/or change dietary quality of insectivorous birds. We compared fat soluble vitamin (A, D3, E) levels in egg yolk and nestling plasma of the great tit (Parus major) and the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) between a polluted area near a Finnish copper-nickel smelter (emitting e....

Mycotoxins, including zearalenone (ZEA), can occur worldwide in cereals. They can enter the food chain and cause several health disorders. ZEA and its derivatives (α-zearalenol, α-ZOL and β-zearalenol, β-ZOL) have structural analogy to estrogen, thus they can bind to estrogen receptors (ERs). In order to characterize the estrogenic activity of ZEA,...

Plasma samples from nestlings of two top predators, White-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) and Northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) from northern Norway were analysed for a wide range of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). Body feathers from the White-tailed eagles were also analysed and significant associations between specific PFASs i...

Information on trace element pollution in the terrestrial environment and its biota is limited compared to the marine environment. In the present study, we collected body feathers and blood of 37 Northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) nestlings from Tromsø (northern Norway), Trondheim (central Norway), and Murcia (south-eastern Spain) to study regio...

Lead is highly toxic for wildlife, with pernicious consequences especially in long-lived predators. The causes of lead ammunition ingestion in Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata) and its effects on breeding success were studied in one of the most important populations of this endangered species in Europe. Regurgitated pellets belonging to different p...

This is a document with a proposal to take decisions about monitoring or intervention actions in populations of raptors, as consequences of the lead exposure.

Arsenic (As) is a common pollutant from metal industry, especially by copper-nickel smelters. We explored the potential effects of environmentally relevant As levels on oxidative stress biomarkers (antioxidant molecules [GPx, GST, SOD, CAT, tGSH, GSH:GSSG, vitamins A and E], lipid peroxidation, protein carbonylation, DNA lesions, telomere length) a...

The objective of this study was to assess metal exposure in the Mediterranean Pond Turtle (Mauremys leprosa) inhabiting a watercourse in an ancient mining district polluted by different metals ("Rambla de Las Moreras", southeastern Spain) and included in the Ramsar Convention. For this purpose, mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and ca...

Predator control has traditionally been used to solve the conflict between wild carnivores and humans for resources, leading many carnivore species to the brink of extinction. We are assessing the use of conditioned taste aversion (CTA) as a tool to reduce predation by wild canids. Firstly, we performed an experiment with penned dogs to identify su...

Mycotoxin contamination of foods and feeds represent a serious problem worldwide. Zearalenone (ZEA) is a secondary metabolite produced by Fusarium species. This study explores oxidative cellular damage and intracellular defense mechanisms (enzymatic and non-enzymatic) in the hepatoma cell line HepG2 after exposure to ZEA and its metabolites (α-zear...

Since prehistoric times, wild carnivores have suffered from the conflict with humans for resources. Predator control has been used to solve this conflict, leading many carnivore species to the brink of extinction. A change of paradigm is necessary, from predator control to predation control. In this sense, we are exploring the use of conditioned ta...

Neonicotinoid pesticides have gained great interest in the last years both for agricultural and domestic use. Since the information on their environmental distribution or the effects derived from exposure to ecosystems and biota is scarce, new analytical techniques are being developed for monitoring studies. In this sense, two extraction techniques...