Although the benefits of chemicals (analgesics, flame retardants, pesticides, etc.) in the daily lives of modern human societies are undeniable, many of these chemicals end up in natural environments and can harm wildlife. The birds most at risks are long-lived top predators. This is why, in this project, we aim to use large-scale targeted analyses of existing and emerging chemicals to provide a comprehensive description of exposure to chemical pollution in the largest avian predator in the Swiss Alps, the golden eagle.
©
© Marcel Burkhardt
Golden Eagle
Exposure of golden eagles to legacy and emerging pollutants in Switzerland
To what extent is Switzerland's largest predator exposed to pollutants?
Domain
Research
Unit
Human Impact
Topics
Birds and Human Beings, Ecology
Habitat
alpine habitats, rocky terrain
Project start
2024
Project status
planned
Project management
Pierre Bize
Project region
Bern, Fribourg, Grisons, Lucerne, Nidwalden, Obwalden, Schwyz, Ticino, Uri, Valais
Details
Project objectives
Today, no ecosystem is safe from chemical pollution, and the animals most at risks are long-lived apex predators, due to the bioaccumulation of these chemicals over their lifetime and their biomagnification along the food web. In this project, we aim to use a wide-scope target analysis of over 2,200 legacy and emerging chemicals to provide the first comprehensive description of exposure to chemical pollution in golden eagles in the Swiss Alps.
Significance
This project will help (i) to provide baseline knowledge of exposure to chemical pollutants in the golden eagle, so that action plans can be implemented where necessary; (ii) to raise awareness in the general public to the consequences of the use in our everyday life of chemicals on natural bird populations in one of the most emblematic species of the Swiss Alps; (iii) to inform the development of regulations and policies aimed at controlling the release of chemicals, thereby protecting public health and the environment.
Further information
This project is a follow-up of research carried out at the Swiss Ornithological Institute on exposure to lead by golden eagles. See project “lead poisoning in golden eagles“.
Project partner(s)
- David Jenny
Employees
Species concerned
Unit
Human Impact
We want to understand how human influences affect the well-being, behaviour and individual fitness of birds.
