Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Study on Metal Concentrations in Tissues of Mallard and Pochard from Two Major Wintering Sites in Southeastern Caspian Sea, Iran

  • Published:
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We examined concentrations of cadmium, chromium, iron, lead and zinc in the kidney, liver, and pectoral muscle of Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos; n = 30) and Pochards (Aythya ferina; n = 30) from two important wintering sites in the southeastern Caspian Sea in the winter of 2012. Mean lead concentrations (µg g−1 ww) in livers (2.36 ± 1.00) of Pochard and in kidneys (3.43 ± 0.91) of Mallard exceeded the exposure threshold levels in liver (1.5 µg g−1 ww) and kidney (3 µg g−1 ww) of waterfowl. Mean cadmium concentrations in livers (1.63 ± 0.66) of Pochards exceeded the background level of this metal in liver (1 µg g−1 ww) of waterfowl. Chromium, iron and zinc concentrations were within the normal range as reported in other duck studies. Gender-related and inter-specific variation of metal concentrations in analyzed tissues were observed (t test, p < 0.05). Our results indicated that waterfowl using the Miankalah and Gomishan International Wetlands are being exposed to elevated concentrations of cadmium and lead.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • AOAC International (2000) Official methods of analysis. Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Beyer WN, Blus LJ, Henny CJ, Audet D (1997) The role of sediment ingestion in exposing wood ducks to lead. Ecotoxicology 6:181–186

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burgat V (1990) Un micropollutant: le cadmium. Bulletin Mensuel de l’Office National de la Chasse 146:40–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Burger J (1995) Heavy metal and selenium levels in feathers of hering gulls (Larus argentatus): differences due to year, gender, and age at captree, long island. Environ Monit Assess 38:37–50

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burger J (2007) A framework and methods for incorporating gender related issues in wildlife risk assessment: gender-related differences in metal levels and other contaminants as a case study. Environ Res 104:153–162

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dauwe T, Janssens E, Kempenaers B, Eens M (2004) The effect of heavy metal exposure on egg size eggshell thickness and the number of spermatozoain blue tit Parus caerulens eggs. Environ Pollut 129:125–129

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eisler R (1986) Chromium hazards to fish, wildlife, and invertebrates: a synoptic review. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, DC. Biological Report No 85(1.6)

  • Elliott JE, Scheuhammer AM (1997) Heavy metal and metallothionein concentrations in seabirds from the pacific coast of Canada. Mar Pollut Bull 34:794–801

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fleming WJ (1981) Environmental metal residues in tissues of Canvasbacks. J Wildl Manag 45:508–511

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Florijančić T, Opačak A, Bošković I, Jelkić D, Ozimec S, Bogdanović T, Listeš I, Škrivanko M, Puškadija Z (2009) Heavy metal concentrations in the liver of two wild duck species: influence of species and gender. Ital J Anim Sci 8:222–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gochfeld M, Burger J (1987) Heavy metal concentrations in the liver of three duck species: influence of species and sex. Environ Pollut 45:1–15

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guitart R, To-Figueras J, Mateo R, Bertolero A, Cerradelo S, Martínez Vilalta A (1994) Lead poisoning in waterfowl from the Ebro Delta, Spain: calculations of lead exposure thresholds for Mallards. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 27:289–293

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heinz GH (1996) Selenium in birds. In: Bayer WN, Heinz GH, Redmon-Norwood AW (eds) Environmental contaminants in wildlife: interpreting tissue concentrations. CRC Press, Florida, pp 447–458

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoshyari E, Pourkhabbaz AR, Mansouri B (2012) Assessment of trace elements concentrations in Western reef heron (Egretta gularis) from southern Iran. Toxicol Ind Health. doi:10.1177/0748233712468022

    Google Scholar 

  • Hosseini Alhashemi AS, Karbassi AR, Hassanzadeh Kiabi B, Monavari SM, Bagher Nabavi SS, Sekhavatjou MS (2011) Bioaccumulation of trace elements in trophic levels of wetland plants and waterfowl birds. Biol Trace Elem Res 142:500–516

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hui CA, Takekawa JA, Warnock SE (2001) Contaminant profiles of two species shorebirds foraging together at two neighboring sites in South San Francisco Bay, California. Environ Monit Assess 71:107–121

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kalisińska E, Salicki W, Mysek P, Kavetska KM, Jackowski A (2004) Using the mallard to biomonitor heavy metal contamination of wetlands in north western Poland. Sci Total Environ 320:145–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim J, Koo TH (2007) Heavy metal concentrations in diet and livers of Black crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax and Grey Heron Ardea cinerea chicks from Pyeongtaek, Korea. Ecotoxicology 16:411–416

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim J, Park SK, Koo TH (2007) Trace elements and pollutants concentrations in shorebirds from Yeongjong Island, Korea in the East Asian Australian migration flyways. Ecotoxicology 16:403–410

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee DP (2004) Heavy metal accumulation in some Korean rare bird species. J Ecol Field Biol 27:141–146 (in Korean)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee DP, Honda K, Tatsukawa R (1987) Comparison of tissue distribution of heavy metals in birds in Japan and Korea. J Yamashina Inst Ornithol 19:103–116 (in Japanese)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lucia M, André JM, Gontier K, Diot N, Veiga J, Davail S (2010) Trace element concentrations (mercury, cadmium, copper, zinc, lead, aluminum, nickel, arsenic, and selenium) in Ssome aquatic birds of the southwest Atlantic coast of France. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 58:844–853

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Malik RN, Zeb N (2009) Assessment of environmental contamination using feathers of Bubulcus ibis L., as a biomonitor of heavy metal pollution, Pakistan. Ecotoxicology 18:522–536

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mansouri j (2008) A guide to the birds of Iran. Farzaneh Prees, Tehran

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin MB, Reiter R, Pham T, Avellanet YR, Camara J, Lahm M, Pentecost E, Pratap K, Gilmore BA, Divekar S, Dagata RS, Bull JL, Stoica A (2003) Estrogen-like activity of metals in Mcf-7 breast cancer cells. Endocrinology 144:2425–2436

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Massouri B, Majnoni F (2014) Comparison of the metal concentrations in organs of two bird species from western of Iran. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 92:433–439

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mateo R, Guitart R (2003) Heavy metals in livers of waterbirds from Spain. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 44:398–404

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mateo R, Guitart R, Green AJ (2000) Determinants of lead shot, rice, and grit ingestion in ducks and coots. J Wildl Manage 64:939–947

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Millán J, Mateo R, Taggart MA, López Baoa JV, Viota M, Monsalve L, Camarero PR, Blázquez E, Jiménez B (2008) Levels of heavy metals and metalloids in critically endangered Iberian lynx and other wild carnivores from Southern Spain. Sci Total Environ 399:193–201

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mudge GP (1983) The incidence and significance of ingested lead pellet poisoning in British wildfowl. Biol Conserv 27:333–372

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pain DJ (1996) Lead in waterfowl. In: Beyer WN, Heinz GH, Redmon Norwood AW (eds) Environmental contaminants in wildlife: interpreting tissue concentrations. CRC Press, Florida, pp 251–264

    Google Scholar 

  • Peterson SR, Ellarson RS (1976) Total mercury residues in liver and eggs of Oldsquaws. J Wildl Manage 40:704–709

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Scanlon PF (1982) Wet and dry weight relationships of Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) tissues. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 29:615–617

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Scheuhammer AM (1987) The chronic toxicity aluminum, cadmium, mercury and lead in birds: a review. Environ Pollut 46:263–295

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Scheuhammer AM, Norris SL (1996) The ecotoxicology of lead shot and lead fishing weights. Ecotoxicology 5:279–295

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sinka Karimi MH, Pourkhabbaz AR, Hassanpour M (2013) The study of waterfowl organs as a bioindicator of metals pollution in southeast of Caspian Sea. MSc thesis, Birjand University

  • Taggart MA, Figuerola J, Green AJ, Mateo R, Deacon C, Osborn D, Meharg AA (2006) After the Aznalco llar mine spill: arsenic, zinc, selenium, lead and copper levels in the livers and bones of five waterfowl species. Environ Pollut 100:349–361

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Faculty of Natural Resource and Environment, University of Birjand, Iran. The authors wish to express their gratitude to Iran Department of Environment, Golestan Provincial Directorate of Environment Protection, and Dr. Seyed Mahmoud Ghasempouri and Ms. Somayeh Ghelichi who have devoted their time and expertise to this project.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Science, Natural Resource and Environment Faculty, Birjand University, Birjand, Southern Khorasan, Iran

    Mohammad Hosein Sinka-Karimi & Ali Reza Pourkhabbaz

  2. Department of Environment, Provincial Directorate of Environment Protection, Golestan, Iran

    Mehdi Hassanpour

  3. Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA

    Jeffrey M. Levengood

Authors
  1. Mohammad Hosein Sinka-Karimi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ali Reza Pourkhabbaz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mehdi Hassanpour
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jeffrey M. Levengood
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohammad Hosein Sinka-Karimi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sinka-Karimi, M.H., Pourkhabbaz, A.R., Hassanpour, M. et al. Study on Metal Concentrations in Tissues of Mallard and Pochard from Two Major Wintering Sites in Southeastern Caspian Sea, Iran. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 95, 292–297 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-015-1591-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-015-1591-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation