title: Use of homing pigeons as biomonitors of atmospheric metal concentrations in Beijing and Guangzhou, China.
abstract: Biomonitoring provides direct evidence of the bioavailability and accumulation of toxic elements in the environment and in the current study, homing pigeons were used as a biomonitor of atmospheric pollution in Beijing and Guangzhou, China. Cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) concentrations were measured in lung, kidney, and liver tissues of 25 homing pigeons collected from Beijing (n = 15) and Guangzhou (n = 10). Cadmium concentrations in all tissue and lung Pb concentrations were significantly greater in pigeons collected from Guangzhou compared to those collected from Beijing. Lung Cd and Pb concentrations corresponded to differences in ambient air concentrations between the two cities, suggesting that homing pigeons are valuable biomonitors of atmospheric metal contamination. Liver and kidney Hg concentrations were significantly greater in pigeons collected from Beijing compared to those collected from Guangzhou, while Hg concentrations in lung tissue were not significantly different. Results of the current study support a conclusion that homing pigeons provide valuable data for evaluating exposure and potential effects to environmental metal concentrations.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Monitoring of Geographic Environment, Harbin Normal University, Harbin, 150025, Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, Southern Illinois University (Emeritus), Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA.
authors.forename: Richard S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Halbrook
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Monitoring of Geographic Environment, Harbin Normal University, Harbin, 150025, Heilongjiang, People's Republic of China. zsy6311@163.com.
authors.forename: Shuying
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: You
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D000068476:Beijing; D002947:Cities; D010856:Columbidae / Q000378:metabolism*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008670:Metals / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D008670:Metals
keywords: Air pollution; Biomonitor; Heavy metals; Homing pigeons; Tissues