Romanian Journal of Biology - Zoology

ROMANIAN ACADEMY
Institute of Biology -Bucharest



REPORT ON THE ACCUMULATION OF HEAVY METALS IN THE FEATHERS OF SOME WETLAND BIRDS IN THE DANUBE DELTA (ROMANIA)

MIHAI MARINOV*, ADRIAN BURADA, ALEXANDRU DOROŞENCU, VASILE ALEXE, LILIANA TEODOROF, MIHAELA ȚIGĂNUȘ, LUCIAN-EUGEN BOLBOACĂ, KATARINA TOSIC, JANOS BOTOND KISS, MARIAN TUDOR





 Abstract:


   An assessment was carried out in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (Romania, 2015) regarding heavy metal residues in the feathers of native wild bird species that depend on wetlands for all or part of their life cycle. The concentrations of trace elements (As, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) were determined in the feathers of Ferruginous Duck, White Stork, Common Little Bittern, Little Egret, Great White Pelican, Pygmy Cormorant, Common Tern and Western Marsh-harrier. Arsenic concentrations varied between 1.610 mg/kg (Ferruginous Duck) and 3.437 mg/kg (Great White Pelican). The highest chromium concentrations were found in Pygmy Cormorant (11.063 mg/kg) and Great White Pelican (12.368 mg/kg); the highest zinc concentration was found in Ferruginous Duck (163.237 mg/kg). The highest concentrations of manganese and nickel were found in the White Stork (66.541 mg/kg - Mn; 6.276 mg/kg - Ni), Western Marsh-harrier (59.037 mg/kg; 4.075 mg/kg) and Little Egret (64.347 mg/kg; 5.900 mg/kg). The concentration of lead showed values between 3.474 mg/kg (Western Marsh-harrier) and 0.426 mg/kg (Ferruginous Duck), while the other studied species had concentrations up to 0.9 mg/kg. Laboratory analyses revealed important interspecific differences and a high capacity of waterbirds for storing heavy metals in plumage.




 Citation:


   MIHAI MARINOV*, ADRIAN BURADA, ALEXANDRU DOROŞENCU, VASILE ALEXE, LILIANA TEODOROF, MIHAELA ȚIGĂNUȘ, LUCIAN-EUGEN BOLBOACĂ, KATARINA TOSIC, JANOS BOTOND KISS, MARIAN TUDOR, 2019. REPORT ON THE ACCUMULATION OF HEAVY METALS IN THE FEATHERS OF SOME WETLAND BIRDS IN THE DANUBE DELTA (ROMANIA), Romanian Journal of Biology - Zoology, 64(1-2): 73–84.




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