by Matteo Cavallito<\/p>\n
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Urban green spaces<\/strong> have a surprising variety of contaminants. This is highlighted by some unusual as well as overlooked victims: hedgehogs<\/strong>. That’s according to researchers at Lund University<\/strong> in Sweden, who, in a study, examined the remains of these animals and found traces of hazardous substances such as lead, pesticides, brominated fire retardants, plastic additives, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and heavy metals<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cUrban environments are exposed to a substantial range of anthropic pressures<\/strong>, including chemical exposure,\u201d explains the research<\/a> published in the journal Environmental Pollution. \u201cWhile trace metals<\/a> and legacy pollutants<\/a> have been well documented, the extent of wildlife exposure to emerging contaminants<\/a> has received little attention, in terrestrial mammals.\u201d<\/p>\n