title: Further investigation of risk elements content in the bones of wild rodents from a polluted area in Slovakia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Wild rodents are suitable for monitoring environmental pollution and exposure risk assessment for people living in contaminated areas. The content of selected risk elements in the femora of bank vole (Myodes glareolus), yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis) and wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) was estimated from the Kolíňany area of Slovakia, which is characterized by a high degree of environmental pollution. The rodents were trapped in February 2011 using standard theriological methods. All animals (n = 32) were adult males in good physical condition. The concentrations of Fe, Cu, Zn and Ni in their bones were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The highest concentrations of Fe and Cu were detected in the bones of yellow-necked mouse. Significant differences were observed for the content of Fe between A. flavicollis and M. glareolus (P < 0.05). The highest levels of Zn and Ni were found in the femora of wood mouse; however, significant differences were not detected between the rodents. Moreover, the concentrations of Cu, Zn and Ni were significantly higher in the bones of all three species (P < 0.05) in comparison with the values obtained in the same animal species at the same site in February 2007.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results demonstrate an increased accumulation of Cu, Zn and Ni in the femora of M. glareolus, A. flavicollis and A. sylvaticus from the Kolíňany area and thus indicate towards ongoing contamination of this locality.
authors: Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Constantine the Philosopher University, 949 74, Nitra, Slovakia. mmartiniakova@ukf.sk.
authors: Monika
authors: M
authors: Martiniakova
authors: Department of Botany and Genetics, Constantine the Philosopher University, 949 74, Nitra, Slovakia. romelka@ukf.sk.
authors: Radoslav
authors: R
authors: Omelka
authors: Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August University, 37 073, Göttingen, Germany. birgit.grosskopf@biologie.uni-goettingen.de.
authors: Birgit
authors: B
authors: Grosskopf
authors: Department of Zoology and Anthropology, Constantine the Philosopher University, 949 74, Nitra, Slovakia. hduranova@ukf.sk.
authors: Hana
authors: H
authors: Duranova
authors: Institute of Biology, Krakow Pedagogical University, 31 054, Kraków, Poland. robert.stawarz@gmail.com.
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Stawarz
authors: Department of Ecology and Environmentalistics, Constantine the Philosopher University, 949 01, Nitra, Slovakia. ibalaz@ukf.sk.
authors: Ivan
authors: I
authors: Balaz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000378:metabolism*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D005269:Femur / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D051189:Murinae / Q000378:metabolism*; D018154:Slovakia; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D019216:Metals, Heavy