Heavy metal concentrations in kidneys of urban gray squirrels.
Concentrations of lead and zinc in the kidneys of 180 urban gray squirrels were determined by spectrophotometry and found similar for all age groups; however, concentrations of cadmium increased up to two years of age. Values for 12 rural squirrels were significantly lower than those of the urban animals. There were no differences in mean concentrations of the metals when urban squirrels were grouped by the land usage pattern of the sites in which they were captured. Grouping squirrels by human socioeconomic strata for the city revealed that squirrels in low socioeconomic areas have significantly higher levels of lead than animals residing in middle or high socioeconomic areas.
McKinnon
J G
JG
Bureau of Preventable Diseases, Division of Health, Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, P.O. Box 210, Jacksonville, Florida 32201, USA.
Hoff
G L
GL
Bigler
W J
WJ
Prather
E C
EC
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D000075322:Heavy Metal Poisoning; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population; D012589:Sciuridae; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population
D019216:Metals, Heavy