title: Concentration of lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic in leg skeletal muscles of three species of wild birds.
abstract: The aim of this study was to monitor accumulation of lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic in leg skeletal muscle of some wild birds from selected areas of Slovakia and the correlations among the heavy metals. A total of 160 wild birds representing 3 species-Eurasian coot (Fulica atra) (n = 24), mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) (n = 68) and pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) (n = 68) were involved for analyses. Concentrations of heavy metals from samples were measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). Metal concentrations are expressed as mg/kg wet weight. The order of lead and arsenic concentrations in muscles of wild birds were as follows: mallard > pheasant > Eurasian coot; in the case of arsenic the differences were significant (P < 0.05). Muscle of Eurasian coot accumulated the highest concentration of cadmium and mercury followed by pheasant and the lowest in mallard, but differences were not significant (P > 0.05). Moderately negative correlations were noted in pheasant between cadmium and mercury (r = -0.39), and between mercury and arsenic (r = -0.45). Moderately negative correlation between cadmium and arsenic (r = -0.31) was found for Eurasian coot.
authors.affiliation: Department of Poultry Science and Farm Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Jozef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gasparik
authors.forename: Denisa
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vladarova
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Capcarova
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Smehyl
authors.forename: Jaroslav
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Slamecka
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Garaj
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stawarz
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Massanyi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001151:Arsenic / Q000378:metabolism*; D001717:Birds / Q000378:metabolism*; D002104:Cadmium / Q000378:metabolism*; D007854:Lead / Q000378:metabolism*; D008628:Mercury / Q000378:metabolism*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D008628:Mercury; D001151:Arsenic