Exposure to, and risks from chemicals in terrestrial and freshwater biota: Drivers and consequences of landscape-scale variation

Hulme, Holly 2026. Exposure to, and risks from chemicals in terrestrial and freshwater biota: Drivers and consequences of landscape-scale variation. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

Preview	PDF - Accepted Post-Print Version Download (3MB) | Preview
	PDF (Cardiff University Electronic Publication Form) - Supplemental Material Restricted to Repository staff only Download (413kB)

Abstract

Chemical pollution is one of the most significant yet largely invisible threats to freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. Unlike more visible forms of environmental degradation, such as habitat loss, chemical contamination often goes unnoticed until its impacts emerge through declines in wildlife populations or disruptions to ecosystem function. A wide range of pollutants, including heavy metals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs), can enter ecosystems through agricultural runoff, industrial discharge, and atmospheric deposition. Once introduced, many of these compounds are resistant to degradation and can persist for extended periods, posing long-term risks to biodiversity. In recent history, Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) and Common buzzards (Buteo buteo) have recovered from severe population declines associated with chemical exposure. As apex predators, the species are particularly useful as bioindicators due to their apex position in terrestrial and freshwater food webs, respectively. Through bioaccumulation and biomagnification, both species integrate contaminant signals across multiple trophic levels, reflecting the broader chemical status of their environments. Their population recovery offers a valuable opportunity to assess how contaminants move across both time and space within ecosystems. This thesis uses Eurasian otters and Common buzzards as sentinel species to investigate patterns of chemical contamination across aquatic and terrestrial environments. By combining contaminant datasets with species-specific ecological context, this work aims to improve understanding of chemical occurrence, exposure pathways, drivers of spatial and temporal variation, and potential biological consequences. The findings revealed widespread exposure to legacy and emerging contaminants, including clear differences in contaminant profiles between species, spatially driven variation in lead exposure, and subtle reproductive effects associated with contaminant burdens in otters. In doing so, it contributes to the evidence base supporting wildlife biomonitoring and informs approaches to environmental monitoring and management in an increasingly complex chemical landscape.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Schools > Biosciences
Subjects:	Q Science > Q Science (General)
Funders:	ECORISC Centre for Doctoral Training, NERC, Syngenta
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	11 November 2026
Last Modified:	11 Nov 2026 14:21
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/190854

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item