Journal of Environmental and Agricultural Sciences (JEAS). Abubaker et al., 2024. 26(1&2):XX.
Open Access – Review Article
Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Pollution through Avian Sentinels: A Review of Blue Rock Pigeons
Muhammad Abubakar 1,*, Abdul Wahab 1, Muhammad Rafique Khan 1, Nabia Sarfraz 1, Zubda Maharavi 1
1 College of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
Abstract:
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread environmental contaminants, known for their toxic and bioaccumulative effects on wildlife, particularly birds. These toxic compounds originate from anthropogenic and natural sources, leading to significant contamination risks. Various research methodologies, such as egg cell injection, yolk injection, eggshell application, and field studies involving controlled and uncontrolled groups at contaminated and reference sites, have been utilized to evaluate PAH contamination in avian species. However, existing studies predominately focus on tracking short-term effects, often overlooking the long-term impacts and underlying mechanisms of PAH toxicity. Four to six-ring PAHs are particularly harmful, and associated with adverse outcomes, including reduced body weight and fertility, enhanced organ development and metabolism, compromised immunity and survival rates, along with lower egg production and clutch size in birds. High incidences of reproductive disorders associated with PAHs have been documented in avian populations in the vicinity of human settlements or affected by oil spills in coastal and marine environments. Continuous exposure to PAHs is prevalent among bird populations. This review emphasizes the urgent need for continuous monitoring programs targeting PAHs and their metabolites across various bird species inhabiting both unaffected and polluted environments. Continued focus and further research into PAHs are crucial for understanding their long-term ecological impacts on avian health and biodiversity.
Keywords: Avian health, Bioindicator species, Bioaccumulation, Biomagnification, Ecological risk assessments, Ecotoxicology, Environmental monitoring, Environmental stressors, Reproductive disorders, Species sensitivity, Toxicokinetics, Wildlife pollution.
*Corresponding author: Muhammad Abubakar, muhammadabubakar704@gmail.com
Cite this article as:
Abubaker, M., A.W. Hussain, M.R. Khan and N. Sarfraz. 2024. Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Pollution through Avian Sentinels: A Review of Blue Rock Pigeons. Journal of Environmental & Agricultural Sciences. 26 (1&2): [Abstract] [View Full–Text] [Citations].
Copyright © Abubaker et al., 2024 This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium provided the original author and source are appropriately cited and credited.
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Competing Interest Statement: The authors have declared that they have no competing interests and there is no conflict of interest exists.
1. Introduction:
1.1. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are organic compounds consisting of two or more interconnected aromatic (benzene) rings composed exclusively of carbon and hydrogen (Mallah et al., 2022; Tartaglione et al., 2023). These compounds can transform into hydroxyl, quinoid, and nitrated metabolites. PAHs are commonly found in petroleum, tar, and coal, as well as produced through incomplete combustion of organic matter. Coal combustions, automobile engines, incinerators, biomass burning in forests, slash-and-burn agriculture, and smoking and cooking activities are among the major sources of PAH emissions (Chen et al., 2022; Nowakowski et al., 2021; Wietzoreck et al., 2022; Wang et al., 2022).
PAHs are colorless or pale-yellow solids, that can be found in air, water, soil, plants, and animal tissues around the globe. Due to their diverse structures and bioaccumulative properties PAHs exhibit varying degrees of toxicity and are persistent in the environment (Dey et al., 2023; Patel et al., 2020; Sahoo et al., 2020; Vijayanand et al., 2023; Zainal et al., 2022).
2.Fundamental toxic nature
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