title: Use of raptors for biomonitoring of heavy metals: gender, age and tissue selection.
abstract: The concentrations of cadmium, mercury and lead were determined in liver, kidney and feathers of Accipiter gentilis, Buteo buteo and Strix aluco. No significant differences in the concentrations of metals were observed in relation to either age or gender. Cadmium levels in feathers and in kidney were significantly correlated (p < 0.01 or p < 0.05) in all species. In B. buteo, cadmium concentrations in feathers and in liver were also correlated (p < 0.01), as were the concentrations of lead in feathers and in liver (p < 0.05). The low correlation coefficients let to reject the possibility of predicting metals concentrations in viscera from the concentrations in feathers.
authors.affiliation: Ecología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Aboal
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carballeira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D005241:Feathers / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000378:metabolism*; D020304:Raptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D019216:Metals, Heavy