Characterization of plastic ingestion in urban gull chicks and its implications for their use as pollution sentinels in coastal cities
The increase of plastic pollution represents a significant ecological threat, particularly in human-impacted environments. However, the effects of plastic ingestion by urban wildlife are less understood. This study investigates the presence of microplastic (MPs; plastic <5 mm in size) and macroplast...
| Autores: | ; ; ; ; ; |
|---|---|
| Tipo de documento: | Artículo |
| Estado: | Published version |
| 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:p19066 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://iibsantpau.fundanetsuite.com/Publicaciones/ProdCientif/PublicacionFrw.aspx?id=19066 |
| Nivel de acceso: | Acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Microplastics Macroplastics Yellow-legged Gull Pollution Bioindicator Stable isotopes Diet analysis |
| _version_ | 1878740039454687232 |
|---|---|
| author | Max, A |
| author2 | Martín-Vélez, V Navarro, J Borrell, A Montalvo, T Garcia-Garin, O |
| author2_role | author author author author author |
| author_browse | Borrell, A Garcia-Garin, O Martín-Vélez, V Max, A Montalvo, T Navarro, J |
| author_facet | Max, A Martín-Vélez, V Navarro, J Borrell, A Montalvo, T Garcia-Garin, O |
| author_role | author |
| collection | r-IIB SANT PAU. Repositorio Institucional de Producción Científica del Instituto de Investigación Biomédica Sant Pau |
| description | The increase of plastic pollution represents a significant ecological threat, particularly in human-impacted environments. However, the effects of plastic ingestion by urban wildlife are less understood. This study investigates the presence of microplastic (MPs; plastic <5 mm in size) and macroplastics (MaPs, plastic >5 mm in size) in yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) chicks inhabiting the urban marine ecosystem of Barcelona (northeastern Spain). The stomach contents of 56 gull chicks were analysed, revealing the presence of MPs in 100 % of the individuals and MaPs in 19.64 % of individuals. Additionally, trophic analysis, through stomach content and stable isotope determination, identified links between diet and plastic ingestion, with diet diversity associated with higher MaP abundance. These results highlight the high presence of plastics in the early stages of an urban-dwelling wildlife species and open the potential role of the use of urban gull chicks as sentinels of marine and terrestrial pollution in urban coastal areas. The findings suggest that chicks can serve as bioindicators of plastic pollution, emphasizing the urgent need to address the high levels of plastic contamination in urban environments. |
| eu_rights_str_mv | openAccess |
| format | article |
| id | ES_cc815a69ad82c8e5c3183afb44409e7a |
| institution | Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau) |
| instname_str | Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau) |
| network_acronym_str | ES |
| network_name_str | España |
| oai_identifier_str | oai:iibsantpau.fundanetsuite.com:p19066 |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD |
| publisherStr | PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD |
| reponame_str | r-IIB SANT PAU. Repositorio Institucional de Producción Científica del Instituto de Investigación Biomédica Sant Pau |
| spelling | Characterization of plastic ingestion in urban gull chicks and its implications for their use as pollution sentinels in coastal cities Max, A Martín-Vélez, V Navarro, J Borrell, A Montalvo, T Garcia-Garin, O Microplastics Macroplastics Yellow-legged Gull Pollution Bioindicator Stable isotopes Diet analysis The increase of plastic pollution represents a significant ecological threat, particularly in human-impacted environments. However, the effects of plastic ingestion by urban wildlife are less understood. This study investigates the presence of microplastic (MPs; plastic <5 mm in size) and macroplastics (MaPs, plastic >5 mm in size) in yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) chicks inhabiting the urban marine ecosystem of Barcelona (northeastern Spain). The stomach contents of 56 gull chicks were analysed, revealing the presence of MPs in 100 % of the individuals and MaPs in 19.64 % of individuals. Additionally, trophic analysis, through stomach content and stable isotope determination, identified links between diet and plastic ingestion, with diet diversity associated with higher MaP abundance. These results highlight the high presence of plastics in the early stages of an urban-dwelling wildlife species and open the potential role of the use of urban gull chicks as sentinels of marine and terrestrial pollution in urban coastal areas. The findings suggest that chicks can serve as bioindicators of plastic pollution, emphasizing the urgent need to address the high levels of plastic contamination in urban environments. PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD https://iibsantpau.fundanetsuite.com/Publicaciones/ProdCientif/PublicacionFrw.aspx?id=19066 |
| spellingShingle | Characterization of plastic ingestion in urban gull chicks and its implications for their use as pollution sentinels in coastal cities Max, A Microplastics Macroplastics Yellow-legged Gull Pollution Bioindicator Stable isotopes Diet analysis |
| status_str | publishedVersion |
| title | Characterization of plastic ingestion in urban gull chicks and its implications for their use as pollution sentinels in coastal cities |
| title_full | Characterization of plastic ingestion in urban gull chicks and its implications for their use as pollution sentinels in coastal cities |
| title_fullStr | Characterization of plastic ingestion in urban gull chicks and its implications for their use as pollution sentinels in coastal cities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characterization of plastic ingestion in urban gull chicks and its implications for their use as pollution sentinels in coastal cities |
| title_short | Characterization of plastic ingestion in urban gull chicks and its implications for their use as pollution sentinels in coastal cities |
| title_sort | Characterization of plastic ingestion in urban gull chicks and its implications for their use as pollution sentinels in coastal cities |
| topic | Microplastics Macroplastics Yellow-legged Gull Pollution Bioindicator Stable isotopes Diet analysis |
| topic_facet | Microplastics Macroplastics Yellow-legged Gull Pollution Bioindicator Stable isotopes Diet analysis |
| url | https://iibsantpau.fundanetsuite.com/Publicaciones/ProdCientif/PublicacionFrw.aspx?id=19066 |