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Badry, Alexander

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  • Veröffentlichung
    Making use of apex predator sample collections: an integrated workflow for quality assured sample processing, analysis and digital sample freezing of archived samples
    (2022) Badry, Alexander; Rüdel, Heinz; Göckener, Bernd; Koschorreck, Jan; Treu, Gabriele
    Using monitoring data from apex predators for chemicals risk assessment can provide important information on bioaccumulating as well as biomagnifying chemicals in food webs. A survey among European institutions involved in chemical risk assessment on their experiences with apex predator data in chemical risk assessment revealed great interest in using such data. However, the respondents indicated that constraints were related to expected high costs, lack of standardisation and harmonised quality criteria for exposure assessment, data access, and regulatory acceptance/application. During the Life APEX project, we demonstrated that European sample collections (i.e. environmental specimen banks (ESBs), research collection (RCs), natural history museums (NHMs)) archive a large variety of biological samples that can be readily used for chemical analysis once appropriate quality assurance/control (QA/QC) measures have been developed and implemented. We therefore issued a second survey on sampling, processing and archiving procedures in European sample collections to derive key quality QA/QC criteria for chemical analysis. The survey revealed great differences in QA/QC measures between ESBs, NHMs and RCs. Whereas basic information such as sampling location, date and biometric data were mostly available across institutions, protocols to accompany the sampling strategy with respect to chemical analysis were only available for ESBs. For RCs, the applied QA/QC measures vary with the respective research question, whereas NHMs are generally less aware of e.g. chemical cross-contamination issues. Based on the survey we derived key indicators for assessing the quality of biota samples that can be easily implemented in online databases. Furthermore, we provide a QA/QC workflow not only for sampling and processing but also for the chemical analysis of biota samples. We focussed on comprehensive analytical techniques such as non-target screening and provided insights into subsequent storage of high-resolution chromatograms in online databases (i.e. digital sample freezing platform) to ultimately support chemicals risk assessment. © 2022 The Authors.
  • Veröffentlichung
    Linking landscape composition and biological factors with exposure levels of rodenticides and agrochemicals in avian apex predators from Germany
    (2021) Badry, Alexander; Schenke, Detlef; Treu, Gabriele
    Intensification of agricultural practices has resulted in a substantial decline of Europe's farmland bird populations. Together with increasing urbanisation, chemical pollution arising from these land uses is a recognised threat to wildlife. Raptors are known to be particularly sensitive to pollutants that biomagnify and are thus frequently used sentinels for pollution in food webs. The current study focussed on anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) but also considered selected medicinal products (MPs) and frequently used plant protection products (PPPs). We analysed livers of raptor species from agricultural and urban habitats in Germany, namely red kites (MIML; Milvus milvus), northern goshawks (ACGE; Accipiter gentilis) and Eurasian sparrowhawks (ACNI; Accipiter nisus) as well as white-tailed sea eagles (HAAL; Haliaeetus albicilla) and ospreys (PAHA; Pandion haliaetus) to account for potential aquatic exposures. Landscape composition was quantified using geographic information systems. The highest detection of ARs occurred in ACGE (81.3%; n = 48), closely followed by MIML (80.5%; n = 41), HAAL (38.3%; n = 60) and ACNI (13%; n = 23), whereas no ARs were found in PAHA (n = 13). Generalized linear models demonstrated (1) an increased probability for adults to be exposed to ARs with increasing urbanisation, and (2) that species-specific traits were responsible for the extent of exposure. For MPs, we found ibuprofen in 14.9% and fluoroquinolones in 2.3% in individuals that were found dead. Among 30 investigated PPPs, dimethoate (and its metabolite omethoate) and thiacloprid were detected in two MIML each. We assumed that the levels of dimethoate were a consequence of deliberate poisoning. AR and insecticide poisoning were considered to represent a threat to red kites and may ultimately contribute to reported decreased survival rates. Overall, our study suggests that urban raptors are at greatest risk for AR exposure and that exposures may not be limited to terrestrial food webs. © 2020 The Authors
  • Veröffentlichung
    Spatial variation of rodenticides and emerging contaminants in blood of raptor nestlings from Germany
    (2022) Badry, Alexander; Schenke, Detlef; Brücher, Helmut; Treu, Gabriele
    Wildlife exposures to pest controlling substances have resulted in population declines of many predatory species during the past decades. Many pesticides were subsequently classifed as persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) and banned on national or global scales. However, despite their risks for non-target vertebrate wildlife, PBT substances such as anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are still permitted for use in Europe and have shown to threaten raptors. Whereas risks of ARs are known, much less information is available on emerging agrochemicals such as currently used PPPs and medicinal products (MPs) in higher trophic level species. We expect that currently used PPPs are relatively mobile (vs. lipophilic) as a consequence of the PBT criteria and thus more likely to be present in aqueous matrices. We therefore analyzed blood of 204 raptor nestlings of three terrestrial (red kite, common buzzard, Montagu's harrier) and two aquatic species (white-tailed sea eagle, osprey) from Germany. In total, we detected ARs in 22.6% of the red kites and 8.6% of the buzzards, whereas no Montagu's harriers or aquatic species were exposed prior to sampling. Sigma AR concentration tended to be higher in North Rhine-Westphalia (vs. North-Eastern Germany) where population density is higher and intense livestock farming more frequent. Among the 90 targeted and currently used PPPs, we detected six substances from which bromoxynil (14.2%) was most frequent. Especially Montagu's harrier (31%) and red kites (22.6%) were exposed and concentrations were higher in North Rhine-Westphalia as well. Among seven MPs, we detected ciprofoxacin (3.4%), which indicates that risk mitigation measures may be needed as resistance genes were already detected in wildlife from Germany. Taken together, our study demonstrates that raptors are exposed to various chemicals during an early life stage depending on their sampling location and underpins that red kites are at particular risk for multiple pesticide exposures in Germany. © The Author(s) 2022
  • Veröffentlichung
    Ecological and spatial variations of legacy and emerging contaminants in white-tailed sea eagles from Germany: implications for prioritisation and future risk management
    (2022) Badry, Alexander; Gkotsis, Georgios; Treu, Gabriele
    The increasing use of chemicals in the European Union (EU) has resulted in environmental emissions and wildlifeexposures. For approving a chemical within the EU, producers need to conduct an environmental risk assessment,which typically relies on data generated under laboratory conditions without considering the ecological andlandscape context. To address this gap and add information on emerging contaminants and chemical mixtures,we analysed 30 livers of white-tailed sea eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) from northern Germany with highresolution-mass spectrometry coupled to liquid and gas chromatography for the identification of >2400 con-taminants. We then modelled the influence of trophic position (δ15N), habitat (δ13C) and landscape on chemicalresidues and screened for persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) properties using an in silico model tounravel mismatches between predicted PBT properties and observed exposures. Despite having generally lowPBT scores, most detected contaminants were medicinal products with oxfendazole and salicylamide being mostfrequent. Chemicals of the Stockholm Convention such as 4,4â€2-DDE and PCBs were present in all samples belowtoxicity thresholds. Among PFAS, especially PFOS showed elevated concentrations compared to other studies. Incontrast, PFCA levels were low and increased with δ15N, which indicated an increase with preying on piscivorousspecies. Among plant protection products, spiroxamine and simazine were frequently detected with increasingconcentrations in agricultural landscapes. The in silico model has proven to be reliable for predicting PBTproperties for most chemicals. However, chemical exposures in apex predators are complex and do not solely relyon intrinsic chemical properties but also on other factors such as ecology and landscape. We therefore recom-mend that ecological contexts, mixture toxicities, and chemical monitoring data should be more frequentlyconsidered in regulatory risk assessments, e.g. in a weight of evidence approach, to trigger risk managementmeasures before adverse effects in individuals or populations start to manifest. © 2021 The Authors
  • Veröffentlichung
    Assessment of contaminants of emerging concern in European apex predators and their prey by LC-QToF MS wide-scope target analysis
    (2022) Gkotsis, Georgios; Badry, Alexander; Nika, Maria-Christina; Claßen, Daniela; Nikolopoulou, Varvara; Drost, Wiebke; Koschorreck, Jan; Treu, Gabriele
    Apex predators are good indicators of environmental pollution since they are relatively long-lived and their high trophic position and spatiotemporal exposure to chemicals provides insights into the persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) properties of chemicals. Although monitoring data from apex predators can considerably support chemicalsâ€Ì management, there is a lack of pan-European studies, and longer-term monitoring of chemicals in organisms from higher trophic levels. The present study investigated the occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in 67 freshwater, marine and terrestrial apex predators and in freshwater and marine prey, gathered from four European countries. Generic sample preparation protocols for the extraction of CECs with a broad range of physicochemical properties and the purification of the extracts were used. The analysis was performed utilizing liquid (LC) chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), while the acquired chromatograms were screened for the presence of more than 2,200 CECs through wide-scope target analysis. In total, 145 CECs were determined in the apex predator and their prey samples belonging in different categories, such as pharmaceuticals, plant protection products, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, their metabolites and transformation products. Higher concentration levels were measured in predators compared to prey, suggesting that biomagnification of chemicals through the food chain occurs. The compounds were prioritized for further regulatory risk assessment based on their frequency of detection and their concentration levels. The majority of the prioritized CECs were lipophilic, although the presence of more polar contaminants should not be neglected. This indicates that holistic analytical approaches are required to fully characterize the chemical universe of biota samples. Therefore, the present survey is an attempt to systematically investigate the presence of thousands of chemicals at a European level, aiming to use these data for better chemicals management and contribute to EU Zero Pollution Ambition. © 2022 The Authors.
  • Veröffentlichung
    The importance of in-year seasonal fluctuations for biomonitoring of apex predators: A case study of 14 essential and non-essential elements in the liver of the common buzzard (Buteo buteo) in the United Kingdom
    (2023) Ozaki, Shinji; Badry, Alexander; Movalli, Paola; Cincinelli, Alessandra; Claßen, Daniela; Koschorreck, Jan; Treu, Gabriele
    Trace elements are chemical contaminants spread in the environment by anthropogenic activities and threaten wildlife and human health. Many studies have investigated this contamination in apex raptors as sentinel birds. However, there is limited data for long-term biomonitoring of multiple trace elements in raptors. In the present study, we measured the concentrations of 14 essential and non-essential trace elements in the livers of the common buzzard (Buteo buteo) collected in the United Kingdom from 2001 to 2019 and investigated whether concentrations have changed during this period. In addition, we estimated the importance of selected variables for modelling element accumulations in tissues. Except for cadmium, hepatic concentrations of harmful elements in most buzzards were lower than the biological significance level of each element. Hepatic concentrations of certain elements, including lead, cadmium, and arsenic, varied markedly seasonally within years. Their peak was in late winter and trough in late summer, except copper which showed an opposite seasonal pattern. In addition, lead in the liver consistently increased over time, whereas strontium showed a decreasing trend. Hepatic concentrations of cadmium, mercury, and chromium increased with age, whereas selenium and chromium were influenced by sex. Hepatic concentrations of arsenic and chromium also differed between different regions. Overall, our samples showed a low risk of harmful effects of most elements compared to the thresholds reported in the literature. Seasonal fluctuation was an important descriptor of exposure, which might be related to the diet of the buzzard, the ecology of their prey, and human activities such as the use of lead shot for hunting. However, elucidating reasons for these observed trends needs further examination, and biomonitoring studies exploring the effects of variables such as age, sex, and seasonality are required. © 2023 The Authors.
  • Veröffentlichung
    Using environmental monitoring data from apex predators for chemicals management: towards better use of monitoring data from apex predators in support of prioritisation and risk assessment of chemicals in Europe
    (2022) Slobodnik, Jaroslav; Badry, Alexander; Alygizakis, Nikiforos A.; Claßen, Daniela; Koschorreck, Jan; Treu, Gabriele
    A large number of apex predator samples are available in European research collections, environmental specimen banks and natural history museums that could be used in chemical monitoring and regulation. Apex predators bioaccumulate pollutants and integrate contaminant exposure over large spatial and temporal scales, thus providing key information for risk assessments. Still, present assessment practices under the different European chemical legislations hardly use existing chemical monitoring data from top predators. Reasons include the lack of user-specific guidance and the fragmentation of data across time and space. The European LIFE APEX project used existing sample collections and applied state-of-the-art target and non-target screening methods, resulting in the detection of>4,560 pollutants including legacy compounds. We recommend establishing infrastructures that include apex predators as an early warning system in Europe. Chemical data of apex species from freshwater, marine and terrestrial compartments should become an essential component in future chemical assessment and management across regulations, with the purpose to (1) validate registration data with ââą Ìreal worldââą Ì measurements and evaluate the predictability of current models; (2) identify and prioritise hazardous chemicals for further assessment; (3) use data on food web magnification as one line of evidence to assess biomagnification; (4) determine the presence of (bio)transformations products and typical chemical mixtures, and (5) evaluate the effectiveness of risk management measures by trend analysis. We highlight the achievements of LIFE APEX with regard to novel trend and mixture analysis tools and prioritisation schemes. The proposed advancements complement current premarketing regulatory assessments and will allow the detection of contaminants of emerging concern at an early stage, trigger risk management measures and evaluations of their effects with the ultimate goal to protect humans and the environment. This is the second policy brief of the LIFE APEX project. © The Author(s) 2022
  • Veröffentlichung
    Using environmental monitoring data from apex predators for chemicals management: towards harmonised sampling and processing of archived wildlife samples to increase the regulatory uptake of monitoring data in chemicals management
    (2022) Slobodnik, Jaroslav; Badry, Alexander; Alygizakis, Nikiforos A.; Claßen, Daniela; Koschorreck, Jan; Treu, Gabriele
    Monitoring data from apex predators were key drivers in the development of early chemicals legislations due to the population declines of many species during the twentieth century, which was linked to certain persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Besides triggering the development of global treaties (e.g. the Stockholm Convention), chemical monitoring data from apex predators have been particularly important for identifying compounds with bioaccumulative properties under field conditions. Many apex predators are protected species and only a few environmental specimen banks (ESBs) regularly collect samples as many ESBs were established during the 1980-1990s when apex predators were scarce. Today, many POPs have been banned, which contributed to the recovery of many apex predator populations. As a consequence, apex predator samples are now available in research collections (RCs) and natural history museums (NHMs). These samples can be used for routine analysis as well as for screening studies using novel analytical techniques and advanced data treatment workflows, such as suspect and non-target screening. The LIFE APEX project has demonstrated how these samples can be used in a cost-efficient way to generate data on legacy compounds and contaminants of emerging concern. Furthermore, it has described quality assurance/control measures to ensure high quality and comparable data, with a view to uses in chemicals risk assessment and management. To increase the visibility of available sample collections and monitoring data from apex predators we developed accessible online database systems. Additionally, the acquired high-resolution mass spectrometric data were stored in a digital sample freezing platform that allows retrospective suspect screening in previously analysed samples for substances that may be of concern/under assessment in the future. These databases provide open access to a wide range of chemical data, for use by regulators, researchers, industry and the general public, and contribute to a stronger link between science and policy. © The Author(s) 2022