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Temporal trends and spatial differences of trace elements in osprey eggs in Finland
Matti Viluksela1,2, Pertti Saurola3, Juhani Koivusaari4
1School of Pharmacy (Toxicology) and Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland. matti.viluksela@uef.fi.
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
|May 23, 2026
Summary
Heavy metal levels in Finnish osprey eggs declined from 1972-2005, with lead and chromium showing the most significant decreases. While most levels were below toxic thresholds, some posed risks to reproductive success.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Ecotoxicology
- Wildlife Biology
Background:
- Osprey eggs serve as valuable bioindicators for aquatic environment contamination.
- Long-term monitoring of heavy metals in apex predators is crucial for assessing ecosystem health.
- Finland's aquatic environments face pressures from industrial emissions and atmospheric deposition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze time trends and regional variations of 11 metals in osprey eggs.
- To assess the toxicological significance of detected metal concentrations.
- To understand the sources of metal exposure in ospreys.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of total mercury (THg), methylmercury (MeHg), and 8 other metals in 1972-2005 osprey egg samples.
- Comparison of metal levels between the Gulf of Bothnia and Lake Vanajanselkä study areas.
- Assessment of metal concentrations against established toxicological thresholds.
Main Results:
- Significant declining trends observed for lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), methylmercury (MeHg), and total mercury (THg).
- No significant regional differences in metal concentrations were found, suggesting atmospheric deposition as a primary source.
- A small percentage of eggs exceeded toxicological thresholds for THg and Pb, potentially impacting reproductive success.
Conclusions:
- Long-term monitoring in osprey eggs reveals decreasing heavy metal contamination in Finnish aquatic environments.
- Declining metal levels correlate with the recovery of the osprey population.
- Environmental specimen collections and long-term data are essential for effective environmental monitoring.
