Lead, cadmium and mercury in the blood of the blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii) from the coast of Sinaloa, Gulf of California, Mexico.
We used blood samples of the Blue-footed Booby, considering sex (female and male) and age-class (adult and chick) of individuals at different breeding stages during two breeding seasons (2010-2011 and 2011-2012) in Isla El Rancho, Sinaloa, to determine lead, cadmium, and mercury concentrations. Lead and cadmium concentrations were below our detection limit (0.05 and 0.36ppm, respectively). A higher concentration of mercury was found in early stages of breeding, likely related to changes in mercury environmental availability. Mercury concentrations in adults did not relate with their breeding output. Males and adults had higher mercury concentration than females and chicks. We provide information of temporal, sex and age-related variations in the concentrations of mercury in blood of the Blue-footed Booby.
Unidad Académica Mazatlán, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, PO 811, Mazatlán, Sinaloa 82040, Mexico; Posgrado de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Mexico D.F. 04510 México, Mexico. Electronic address: miriamjlerma@gmail.com.
Miriam
M
Lerma
CONACYT Research Fellow - Centro Universitario de la Costa Sur, Universidad de Guadalajara, Gomez Farias 82, San Patricio-Melaque, Cihuatlán, Jalisco 48980, Mexico. Electronic address: alfredocas@gmail.com.
José Alfredo
JA
Castillo-Guerrero
Environmental Section, Technological Institute of Mazatlán, Calle Corsario 1, No 203, Col. Urías, 82070 Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico. Electronic address: jrruelasi@itmazatlan.edu.mx.
Jorge
J
Ruelas-Inzunza
Unidad Académica Mazatlán, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico, PO 811, Mazatlán, Sinaloa 82040, Mexico. Electronic address: gfernandez@ola.icmyl.unam.mx.
Guillermo
G
Fernández
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D002104:Cadmium / Q000097:blood*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005260:Female; D007854:Lead / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008628:Mercury / Q000097:blood*; D008800:Mexico; D012098:Reproduction; D012621:Seasons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000097:blood
D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D008628:Mercury
Age-related differences; Breeding stage; Heavy metals; Seabird; Sex-related differences