title: Mercury levels in avian feathers from different trophic levels of eight families collected from the northern region of Iran.
abstract: Mercury levels were determined in feathers from 83 birds belonging to 18 species (eight families), all collected from the northern region of Iran. Mercury levels were evaluated in relation to taxonomic affiliation and feeding strategies. Mercury levels in the feathers were between 0.05 ± 0.01 and 1.10 ± 0.15 μg g(-1) dry weight, and there was a significant effect of taxonomic groups (p < 0.05). The highest mercury levels were found in Accipitridae, and mercury was not detected in the family Upupidae. The pattern for mercury levels was Accipitridae > Pelecanidae > Sternidae > Ardeidae > Anatidae > Rallidae > Phasianidae (p < 0.05). Significant differences (p < 0.05) in the mean mercury levels were found among species as a function of feeding method and trophic level. Mercury levels were highest in the carnivorous species and lowest in the herbivorous species. Mercury levels in feathers of birds in this study were generally below the thresholds reported to affect reproduction.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Forensic Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Resource, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 64414-356, Noor, Mazandaran, Iran, a.r.mashrofe@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Abdulreza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mashroofeh
authors.forename: Alireza Riyahi
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bakhtiari
authors.forename: Ahmad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghobeishavi
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahmadpour
authors.forename: Asad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Asadi
authors.forename: Mousa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahmadpour
authors.forename: Sayyed Hamid
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.forename: Tahereh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eskandari
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Burger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005241:Feathers / Q000737:chemistry*; D020387:Food Chain; D007492:Iran; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D008628:Mercury