{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,17]],"date-time":"2026-02-17T18:39:07Z","timestamp":1771353547836,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"30","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,15]],"date-time":"2025-07-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1752537600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,15]],"date-time":"2025-07-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1752537600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"funder":[{"name":"\u017dilina University in \u017dilina"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Environ Sci Pollut Res"],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract\n<\/jats:title>\n          <jats:p>The aim of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of elements and heavy metals (Hg, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Rb, Sr, Zr, Mo, Sb, Ba, and Pb) in fecal samples of the river otter (<jats:italic>Lutra lutra<\/jats:italic>)\u00a0which inhabits the Javorinka mountain stream in the High Tatras, part of the Western Carpathians in Slovakia. Javorinka serves as a model stream with minimal human impact. As a predator, the otter is a suitable bioindicator of the environment it inhabits. Elements and heavy metals were analyzed using the energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) technique due to its simple sample preparation requirements. Mercury was analyzed using a DMA-80 evo mercury analyzer to ensure the\u00a0accurate detection of low mercury\u00a0concentrations. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify environmental differences in elemental and heavy metal accumulation, revealing distinct patterns influenced by water flow velocity, elevation, and prey availability. Notably, mercury showed significant seasonal variation in spring, decline, likely related to changes in the otter\u2019s food sources. Other elements, such as sulfur, zinc, and iron, exhibited complex interactions and seasonal dependencies. <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1007\/s11356-025-36730-8","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,15]],"date-time":"2025-07-15T05:26:17Z","timestamp":1752557177000},"page":"18278-18286","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Traces elements in feces of Eurasian otters from the mountain stream Javorinka (Slovakia)"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"32","author":[{"given":"Alica","family":"Furendov\u00e1","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9275-3338","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tatiana","family":"Pito\u0148\u00e1kov\u00e1","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"36730_CR1","unstructured":"Abbasi SA, Abbasi N, Soni R (1998) Heavy metal in the environment, 1st. Mital Publ New Delhi India"},{"key":"36730_CR2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"399","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1469-7998.1987.tb02911.x","volume":"212","author":"MI Adrian","year":"1987","unstructured":"Adrian MI, Delibes M (1987) Food habits of the otter (Lutra lutra) in two habitats of the Do\u00f1ana National Park, SW Spain. J Zool 212:399\u2013406","journal-title":"J Zool"},{"key":"36730_CR3","first-page":"188","volume":"16","author":"M Anke","year":"2005","unstructured":"Anke M, M\u00fcller R, Sch\u00e4fer U (2005) Recent progress in exploring the essentiality of the non-metallic ultratrace element arsenic to the nutrition of animals and man. Biomed Res Trace Elem 16:188\u2013197","journal-title":"Biomed Res Trace Elem"},{"key":"36730_CR4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"42","DOI":"10.1016\/j.apgeochem.2016.04.002","volume":"69","author":"CA Arendt","year":"2016","unstructured":"Arendt CA, Stevenson EI, Aciego SM (2016) Hydrologic controls on radiogenic Sr in meltwater from an alpine glacier system: Athabasca Glacier, Canada. Appl Geochem 69:42\u201349","journal-title":"Appl Geochem"},{"key":"36730_CR5","unstructured":"Bartholomew DJ (2007) Three faces of factor analysis. In: Cudec RR, MacCallum R (eds) Factor analysis at 100: historical developments and future directions. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp 9\u201322"},{"key":"36730_CR6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"115280","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envpol.2020.115280","volume":"266","author":"AF Brand","year":"2020","unstructured":"Brand AF, Hynes J, Walker LA, Pereira MG, Lawlor AJ, Williams RJ, Shore RJ, Chadwick ES (2020) Biological and anthropogenic predictors of metal concentration in the Eurasian otter, a sentinel of freshwater ecosystems. Environ Pollut 266:115280. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.envpol.2020.115280","journal-title":"Environ Pollut"},{"key":"36730_CR7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"198","DOI":"10.1006\/eesa.1999.1860","volume":"45","author":"MR Bruins","year":"2000","unstructured":"Bruins MR, Kapil S, Oehme FW (2000) Microbial resistance to metals in the environment. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 45:198\u2013207","journal-title":"Ecotoxicol Environ Saf"},{"key":"36730_CR8","first-page":"337","volume":"55","author":"M Brzezi\u0144ski","year":"2006","unstructured":"Brzezi\u0144ski M, Romanowski J, Kopczy\u0144ski \u0141, Kurowicka E (2006) Habitat and seasonal variations in diet of otters, Lutra lutra in eastern Poland. Folia Zool 55:337\u2013348","journal-title":"Folia Zool"},{"key":"36730_CR9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.4098\/AT.arch.81-5","volume":"26","author":"P Chanin","year":"1981","unstructured":"Chanin P (1981) The diet of the otter and its relations with the feral mink in two areas of southwest England. Acta Theriol (Warsz) 26:83\u201395","journal-title":"Acta Theriol (Warsz)"},{"key":"36730_CR10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"400","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1469-1795.2009.00263.x","volume":"12","author":"M Delibes","year":"2009","unstructured":"Delibes M, Cabezas S, Jim\u00e9nez B, Gonz\u00e1lez MJ (2009) Animal decisions and conservation: the recolonization of a severely polluted river by the Eurasian otter. Anim Conserv 12:400\u2013407","journal-title":"Anim Conserv"},{"key":"36730_CR11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"11145","DOI":"10.1021\/acs.est.7b03683","volume":"51","author":"TA Douglas","year":"2017","unstructured":"Douglas TA, Sturm M, Blum JD, Polashenski CH, Stuefer S, Hiemstra CH, Steffen A, Filhol S, Precost R (2017) A pulse of mercury and major ions in snowmelt runoff from a small arctic Alaska watershed. Environ Sci Technol 51:11145\u201311155","journal-title":"Environ Sci Technol"},{"key":"36730_CR12","unstructured":"Dykov\u00e1 VDS (1964) PSTRUZI TATRANSK\u00ddCH BYST\u0158IN. Online: https:\/\/www.tatranske-plesa.sk\/files\/Pstruhy.pdf[in Slovak]"},{"key":"36730_CR13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Eccles KM, Thomas PJ, Chan HM (2017) Predictive meta-regressions relating mercury tissue concentrations of freshwater piscivorous mammals. Environ Toxicol","DOI":"10.1002\/etc.3775"},{"key":"36730_CR14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Eccles KM, Thomas PJ, Chan HM (2020) Relationships between mercury concentrations in fur and stomach contents of river otter (Lontra canadensis) and mink (Neovison vison) in Northern Alberta Canada and their applications as proxies for environmental factors determining mercury bioavailability. Environ Res 181:108961","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envres.2019.108961"},{"key":"36730_CR15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"141452","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2020.141452","volume":"749","author":"M Esposito","year":"2020","unstructured":"Esposito M, De Roma A, D\u2019Alessio N, Danese A, Gallo P, Galiero G, Santoro M (2020) First study on PCBs, organochlorine pesticides, and trace elements in the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) from southern Italy. Sci Total Environ 749:141452. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2020.141452","journal-title":"Sci Total Environ"},{"key":"36730_CR16","first-page":"35","volume":"33","author":"A Furendov\u00e1","year":"2024","unstructured":"Furendov\u00e1 A, Pito\u0148\u00e1kov\u00e1 T (2024) Heavy metals in droppings of Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) from mountain stream Javorinka, the Tatra Mountains. Oecologia Mont 33:35\u201344","journal-title":"Oecologia Mont"},{"key":"36730_CR17","unstructured":"H\u00e1jkov\u00e1 P (2001) Potravn\u00e1 ekol\u00f3gia vydry rie\u010dnej (Lutra lutra) v hornej \u010dasti povodia Horn\u00e1du. MsDipl Pr"},{"key":"36730_CR18","unstructured":"Jackson JE (1991) A user\u00b4s quide to principal components analysis \u2013 John Wiley and Son, New York, pp 569"},{"key":"36730_CR19","first-page":"21","volume":"27","author":"M Janiga","year":"2018","unstructured":"Janiga M (2018) Cottus poecilopus Heckel, 1836, in the river Javorinka, the Tatra mountains, Slovakia. Oecologia Mont 27:21\u201326","journal-title":"Oecologia Mont"},{"key":"36730_CR20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"17387","DOI":"10.1007\/s11356-024-32288-z","volume":"31","author":"M Janiga","year":"2024","unstructured":"Janiga M, Janiga M, Pito\u0148\u00e1kov\u00e1 T (2024) Differential accumulation of metals in the lacustrine and fluvial Alpine bullheads (Cottus poecilopus) and recovery of fish from metal contamination after a flash flood. Environ Sci Pollut Res 31:17387\u201317400. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s11356-024-32288-z","journal-title":"Environ Sci Pollut Res"},{"key":"36730_CR21","unstructured":"Jedrzejewska B, Jedrzejewski W (1998) Predation in vertebrate communities: the Bialowieza Primeval Forest as a case study. Springer Science and Business Media"},{"key":"36730_CR22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"713","DOI":"10.2307\/4223","volume":"49","author":"D Jenkins","year":"1980","unstructured":"Jenkins D (1980) Ecology of otters in northern Scotland: I. Otter (Lutra lutra) breeding and dispersion in Mid-Deeside, Aberdeenshire in 1974\u201379. J Anim Ecol 49:713\u2013735","journal-title":"J Anim Ecol"},{"key":"36730_CR23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Jenkins D, Harper RJ (1980) Ecology of Otters in Northern Scotland: II. Analyses of Otter (Lutra lutra.) and Mink (Mustela vision) Faeces from Deeside, NE Scotland in 1977\u201378. J Anim Ecol 49:737\u2013754. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2307\/4224","DOI":"10.2307\/4224"},{"key":"36730_CR24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"123","DOI":"10.1016\/S1383-5742(97)00032-X","volume":"410","author":"FM Johnson","year":"1998","unstructured":"Johnson FM (1998) The genetic effects of environmental lead. Mutat Res Mutat Res 410:123\u2013140","journal-title":"Mutat Res Mutat Res"},{"key":"36730_CR25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"685","DOI":"10.2307\/2530911","volume":"40","author":"P Jolicoeur","year":"1984","unstructured":"Jolicoeur P (1984) Principal components, factor analysis, and multivariate allometry. A small sample direction test. Biometrics 40:685\u2013690","journal-title":"Biometrics"},{"key":"36730_CR26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"182","DOI":"10.1577\/1548-8659(1985)114<182:LHPOFR>2.0.CO;2","volume":"114","author":"B Jonsson","year":"1985","unstructured":"Jonsson B (1985) Life history patterns of freshwater resident and sea-run migrant brown trout in Norway. Trans Am Fish Soc 114:182\u2013194","journal-title":"Trans Am Fish Soc"},{"key":"36730_CR27","first-page":"298","volume":"86","author":"J Kapitola","year":"1984","unstructured":"Kapitola J, Vilimovsk\u00e1 D (1984) Age dependence of bone tissue uptake of radioactive rubidium 86 Rb in rats. Sb Lek 86:298\u2013302","journal-title":"Sb Lek"},{"key":"36730_CR28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"119","DOI":"10.1007\/BF03326004","volume":"5","author":"D Kar","year":"2008","unstructured":"Kar D, Sur P, Mandai SK, Saha T, Kole RK (2008) Assessment of heavy metal pollution in surface water. Int J Environ Sci Technol 5:119\u2013124","journal-title":"Int J Environ Sci Technol"},{"key":"36730_CR29","unstructured":"Kri\u0161tof\u00edk J, Danko \u0160 (2012) Mammals of Slovakia: distribution, bionomy and protection. VEDA, vydavate\u013estvo Slovenskej akad\u00e9mie vied, Bratislava. (in Slovak)"},{"key":"36730_CR30","unstructured":"Marschner H (1995) Mineral nutrition of higher plants. Academic Pres. Inc San Diago"},{"key":"36730_CR31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"167","DOI":"10.1016\/0006-3207(87)90100-5","volume":"41","author":"CF Mason","year":"1987","unstructured":"Mason CF, Macdonald SM (1987) The use of spraints for surveying otter Lutra lutra populations: an evaluation. Biol Conserv 41:167\u2013177","journal-title":"Biol Conserv"},{"key":"36730_CR32","unstructured":"Mason CF, Macdonald SM (2009) Otters: ecology and conservation. Cambridge University Press"},{"key":"36730_CR33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","unstructured":"Mason CF, Ratford JR (1994) PCB congeners in tissues of European otter (Lutra lutra). Bull Environ Contam Toxicol States 53. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/BF00199025","DOI":"10.1007\/BF00199025"},{"key":"36730_CR34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Pito\u0148\u00e1kov\u00e1 T (2022) Mercury concentration in the tissues of the Eurasian otter: a seasonal dependance in Slovakia. Environ Sci Pollut Res 1\u20139","DOI":"10.1007\/s11356-022-22459-1"},{"key":"36730_CR35","first-page":"27","volume":"53","author":"L Poledn\u00edk","year":"2004","unstructured":"Poledn\u00edk L, Mitrenga R, Poledn\u00edkov\u00e1 K, Lojk\u00e1sek B (2004) The impact of methods of fishery management on the diet of otters (Lutra lutra). Folia Zool 53:27","journal-title":"Folia Zool"},{"key":"36730_CR36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Pujari M, Kapoor D (2021) Heavy metals in the ecosystem: sources and their effects. In: Heavy metals in the environment. Elsevier, pp 1\u20137","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-0-12-821656-9.00001-8"},{"key":"36730_CR37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1567","DOI":"10.1126\/science.7545311","volume":"269","author":"S Roche","year":"1995","unstructured":"Roche S, Fumagalli S, Courtneidge SA (1995) Requirement for Src family protein tyrosine kinases in G2 for fibroblast cell division. Science 269:1567\u20131569","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"36730_CR38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"108907","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envres.2019.108907","volume":"181","author":"J Rodr\u00edguez-Estival","year":"2020","unstructured":"Rodr\u00edguez-Estival J, Ortiz-Santaliestra ME, Mateo R (2020) Assessment of ecotoxicological risks to river otters from ingestion of invasive red swamp crayfish in metal contaminated areas: use of feces to estimate dietary exposure. Environ Res 181:108907. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.envres.2019.108907","journal-title":"Environ Res"},{"key":"36730_CR39","first-page":"9","volume":"7","author":"U Skar\u00e9n","year":"1992","unstructured":"Skar\u00e9n U (1992) Analysis of one hundred otters killed by accidents in Central Finland IUCN Otter Spec. Group Bull 7:9\u201312","journal-title":"Group Bull"},{"key":"36730_CR40","unstructured":"Urban P, Kadle\u010d\u00edk J (2001) Program z\u00e1chrany chr\u00e1nen\u00e9ho ohrozen\u00e9ho druhu vydra rie\u010dna Lutra lutra (Linnaeus, 1758). \u0160t\u00e1tna ochrana pr\u00edrody Slovenskej republiky Bansk\u00e1 Bystrica. (in Slovak) [Programme for the conservation of the protected endangered river otter Lutra lutra (Linnaeus, 1758)]"},{"key":"36730_CR41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"641","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1469-7998.1990.tb04740.x","volume":"220","author":"J-M Weber","year":"1990","unstructured":"Weber J-M (1990) Seasonal exploitation of amphibians by otters (Lutra lutra) in north-east Scotland. J Zool 220:641\u2013651","journal-title":"J Zool"}],"container-title":["Environmental Science and Pollution Research"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s11356-025-36730-8.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s11356-025-36730-8\/fulltext.html","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/content\/pdf\/10.1007\/s11356-025-36730-8.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,7]],"date-time":"2025-09-07T10:03:00Z","timestamp":1757239380000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/10.1007\/s11356-025-36730-8"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,15]]},"references-count":41,"journal-issue":{"issue":"30","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6]]}},"alternative-id":["36730"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s11356-025-36730-8","relation":{},"ISSN":["1614-7499"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1614-7499","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,15]]},"assertion":[{"value":"24 October 2024","order":1,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"2 July 2025","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"value":"15 July 2025","order":3,"name":"first_online","label":"First Online","group":{"name":"ArticleHistory","label":"Article History"}},{"order":1,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Declarations"}},{"value":"Sampling of feces was carried out according to ethical principles and with permission no. 1412\/2023\u20136.3, from the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic, Department of State Nature and Landscape Protection, effective 10.05.2023.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethics approval and consent to participate"}},{"value":"Not applicable.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Consent for publication"}},{"value":"The authors declare no competing interests.","order":4,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Competing interests"}}]}}