Abstract:
Emerging contaminants are produced globally at high rates and often ultimately find their way into the aquatic environment. These include substances contained in anti-seizure medication (ASM), which are currently appearing in surface waters at increasing concentrations in Germany. Unintentional and sublethal, chronic exposure to pharmaceuticals such as ASMs has unknown consequences for aquatic wildlife. Adverse effects of ASMs on the brain development are documented in mammals. Top predators such as Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) are susceptible to the bioaccumulation of environmental pollutants. Still little is known about the health status of the otter population in Germany, while the detection of various pollutants in otter tissue samples has highlighted their role as an indicator species. To investigate potential contamination with pharmaceuticals, Eurasian otter brain samples were screened for selected ASMs via high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Via histology, brain sections were analyzed for the presence of potential associated neuropathological changes. In addition to 20 wild otters that were found dead, a control group of 5 deceased otters in human care was studied. Even though none of the targeted ASMs were detected in the otters, unidentified substances in many otter brains were measured. No obvious pathology was observed histologically, although the sample quality limited the investigations.
摘要:
新兴污染物在全球范围内以很高的速率产生,并通常最终进入水生环境。这些包括抗癫痫药物(ASM)中含有的物质,目前在德国的地表水中浓度越来越高。无意和亚致命性,长期接触药物如ASM对水生野生动物有未知的后果。在哺乳动物中记录了ASM对大脑发育的不利影响。诸如欧亚水獭(Lutralutra)之类的顶级捕食者容易受到环境污染物的生物积累的影响。对德国水獭种群的健康状况知之甚少,而水獭组织样本中各种污染物的检测突出了它们作为指示物种的作用。为了调查潜在的药品污染,通过高效液相色谱和质谱法筛选欧亚水獭脑样品中的选定ASM。通过组织学,分析大脑切片是否存在潜在的相关神经病理学变化.除了被发现死亡的20只野生水獭,对5名死亡水獭在人类护理中的对照组进行了研究。即使在水獭中没有检测到目标ASM,测量了许多水獭大脑中身份不明的物质。组织学未见明显病理,尽管样本质量限制了调查。