1 research outputs found
Antioxidant Responses in Relation to Persistent Organic Pollutants and Metals in a Low- and a High-Exposure Population of Seabirds
Oxidative
stress occurs when there is an imbalance between the
production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defense.
Exposure to pollutants may increase ROS and affect antioxidant levels,
and the resulting oxidative stress may negatively affect both reproduction
and survival. We measured concentrations of 18 persistent organic
pollutants (POPs) and 9 toxic elements in blood, as well as total
antioxidant capacity (TAC), total glutathione (tGSH), and carotenoids
in plasma of Baltic and Arctic female common eiders (Somateria mollissima) (<i>N</i> = 54) at
the end of their incubation-related fasting. The more polluted Baltic
population had higher TAC and tGSH concentrations compared to the
Arctic population. Carotenoid levels did not differ between populations.
The effect of mixtures of pollutants on the antioxidants was assessed,
and the summed molar blood concentrations of 14 POPs were positively
related to TAC. There was no significant relationship between the
analyzed pollutants and tGSH concentrations. The adaptive improvement
of the antioxidant defense system in the Baltic population may be
a consequence of increased oxidative stress. However, both increased
oxidative stress and energy allocation toward antioxidant defense
may have adverse consequences for Baltic eiders at the incubation
stage, when energy resources reach an annual minimum due to incubation-related
fasting