Physiological impact of air quality in urban gulls and its implications for their use as pollution sentinels in coastal cities

Urban air pollutants pose significant threats to both wildlife and humans due to their persistence and potential for bioaccumulation. Sentinel species such as the yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) are valuable to assess environmental contamination. Due to their stationary nesting behaviour and...

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Autores: Oliveira, CF, Solé, M, Martín-Vélez, V, Rico, M, Montalvo, T, Navarro, J
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau)
Repositorio:r-IIB SANT PAU. Repositorio Institucional de Producción Científica del Instituto de Investigación Biomédica Sant Pau
OAI Identifier:oai:iibsantpau.fundanetsuite.com:p20556
Acceso en línea:https://iibsantpau.fundanetsuite.com/Publicaciones/ProdCientif/PublicacionFrw.aspx?id=20556
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:B-esterases
GSTs
Pollution biomarkers
Air pollutants
Sentinel species
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spelling Physiological impact of air quality in urban gulls and its implications for their use as pollution sentinels in coastal citiesOliveira, CFSolé, MMartín-Vélez, VRico, MMontalvo, TNavarro, JB-esterasesGSTsPollution biomarkersAir pollutantsSentinel speciesUrban air pollutants pose significant threats to both wildlife and humans due to their persistence and potential for bioaccumulation. Sentinel species such as the yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) are valuable to assess environmental contamination. Due to their stationary nesting behaviour and continuous exposure to local air conditions, gull chicks are particularly valuable as early warning sentinels for urban air quality. In this study, we assessed the impact of airborne pollutants (PM2.5, PM10 and NO2) on detoxification and oxidative stress biomarkers in 56 yellow-legged gull chicks in the overpopulated city of Barcelona, Spain. We analysed five biomarkers - cholinesterases (AChE, BChE), carboxylesterases (pNPA-CE, pNPB-CE), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) - in relation to the cumulative PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 levels during the entire life of each gull chick. After accounting for individual variation in size, developmental stage, and trophic ecology (via stable isotope analysis), we found significant associations between air pollution and enzyme activity. Specifically, BChE and pNPBCE activities were positively associated with PM10 levels, while GST activity showed a positive correlation with NO2 concentrations and a negative one with chick body weight. Our findings suggest that incorporating enzymatic biomarkers such as BChE, CE, and GST into physiological biomonitoring programs offers a practical and sensitive approach for evaluating the impact of urban air pollution, supporting integrated environmental and public health efforts within the One Health framework.ELSEVIER2025info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttps://iibsantpau.fundanetsuite.com/Publicaciones/ProdCientif/PublicacionFrw.aspx?id=20556JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALSISSN: 03043894ISSNe: 18733336reponame:r-IIB SANT PAU. Repositorio Institucional de Producción Científica del Instituto de Investigación Biomédica Sant Pauinstname:Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau)Inglésinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:iibsantpau.fundanetsuite.com:p205562026-06-14T12:41:47Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Physiological impact of air quality in urban gulls and its implications for their use as pollution sentinels in coastal cities
title Physiological impact of air quality in urban gulls and its implications for their use as pollution sentinels in coastal cities
spellingShingle Physiological impact of air quality in urban gulls and its implications for their use as pollution sentinels in coastal cities
Oliveira, CF
B-esterases
GSTs
Pollution biomarkers
Air pollutants
Sentinel species
title_short Physiological impact of air quality in urban gulls and its implications for their use as pollution sentinels in coastal cities
title_full Physiological impact of air quality in urban gulls and its implications for their use as pollution sentinels in coastal cities
title_fullStr Physiological impact of air quality in urban gulls and its implications for their use as pollution sentinels in coastal cities
title_full_unstemmed Physiological impact of air quality in urban gulls and its implications for their use as pollution sentinels in coastal cities
title_sort Physiological impact of air quality in urban gulls and its implications for their use as pollution sentinels in coastal cities
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Oliveira, CF
Solé, M
Martín-Vélez, V
Rico, M
Montalvo, T
Navarro, J
author Oliveira, CF
author_facet Oliveira, CF
Solé, M
Martín-Vélez, V
Rico, M
Montalvo, T
Navarro, J
author_role author
author2 Solé, M
Martín-Vélez, V
Rico, M
Montalvo, T
Navarro, J
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv B-esterases
GSTs
Pollution biomarkers
Air pollutants
Sentinel species
topic B-esterases
GSTs
Pollution biomarkers
Air pollutants
Sentinel species
description Urban air pollutants pose significant threats to both wildlife and humans due to their persistence and potential for bioaccumulation. Sentinel species such as the yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) are valuable to assess environmental contamination. Due to their stationary nesting behaviour and continuous exposure to local air conditions, gull chicks are particularly valuable as early warning sentinels for urban air quality. In this study, we assessed the impact of airborne pollutants (PM2.5, PM10 and NO2) on detoxification and oxidative stress biomarkers in 56 yellow-legged gull chicks in the overpopulated city of Barcelona, Spain. We analysed five biomarkers - cholinesterases (AChE, BChE), carboxylesterases (pNPA-CE, pNPB-CE), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) - in relation to the cumulative PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 levels during the entire life of each gull chick. After accounting for individual variation in size, developmental stage, and trophic ecology (via stable isotope analysis), we found significant associations between air pollution and enzyme activity. Specifically, BChE and pNPBCE activities were positively associated with PM10 levels, while GST activity showed a positive correlation with NO2 concentrations and a negative one with chick body weight. Our findings suggest that incorporating enzymatic biomarkers such as BChE, CE, and GST into physiological biomonitoring programs offers a practical and sensitive approach for evaluating the impact of urban air pollution, supporting integrated environmental and public health efforts within the One Health framework.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025
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dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://iibsantpau.fundanetsuite.com/Publicaciones/ProdCientif/PublicacionFrw.aspx?id=20556
url https://iibsantpau.fundanetsuite.com/Publicaciones/ProdCientif/PublicacionFrw.aspx?id=20556
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv ELSEVIER
publisher.none.fl_str_mv ELSEVIER
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
ISSN: 03043894
ISSNe: 18733336
reponame:r-IIB SANT PAU. Repositorio Institucional de Producción Científica del Instituto de Investigación Biomédica Sant Pau
instname:Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau)
instname_str Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau)
reponame_str r-IIB SANT PAU. Repositorio Institucional de Producción Científica del Instituto de Investigación Biomédica Sant Pau
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