Concentration of 12 Metals and Metalloids in the Blood of White Stork (Ciconia ciconia): Basal Values and Influence of Age and Gender

Abstract

The white stork (Ciconia ciconia) is being increasingly used in biomonitoring programmes of environmental contaminants due to its growing population in Europe; however, studies on inorganic elements are scarce. The blood of 70 white storks was collected and analysed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) to determine the presence of the following elements: lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), selenium (Se), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), and cadmium (Cd). Our main goals were to determine the mean concentrations of these elements in the blood and to study its association with age and gender. Mean concentrations were highest for Fe, followed by Zn, and lowest for Co and Cd. The metal levels were similar to the values referred in the literature for the same species from different locations. No statistically significant differences were found between males and females. Regarding age, statistically significant differences were observed for Ni, Cu, Se, Hg, and Pb between young and adult animals (except for Pb, values in adults were higher than in fledglings). Many element concentrations were correlated, with the strongest correlations between the pairs Hg-Se, Hg-As, and Fe-Zn, mainly in adults. This study provides the baseline data for a monitoring program based on white stork blood as a nondestructive sample.

Tissue distribution and correlations of heavy metals in wild birds from Southern Turkey: an ecologically important region on the west Palearctic migration route

“…In contrast to essentials, non-essential metals like As, Cd, Hg, and Pb have no biological roles as well as cause toxic effects at lower levels in birds (Burger and Gochfeld, 2000;Sánchez-Virosta et al 2015;Maia et al 2017;Yamac et al 2019;Çelik et al, 2021). Despite being a metalloid, As is frequently referred to as a metal or heavy metal.…”

“…Clearly, hunting bullets are a major source of Pb exposure in wild birds (wetland birds and raptors) (Komosa et al 2012). Pb, one of the most toxic metals, can cause growth, immune, reproductive, behavioral problems, hemolytic anemia, and low cell volume in birds (Maia et al 2017;Celik et al 2021). Lead tends to accumulate in bones, feathers, hair, and other calcium-containing tissues (Gruz et al 2018).…”

Determination of Some Heavy Metals (Cadmium and Lead) in The Blood of Wild Birds

“…While a high level of heavy metal exposure causes death in birds, a low level of heavy metal exposure may lead to teratogenicity, mutagenicity, and carcinogenicity, suppress the immune system, impair body coordination and cause reproductive complications (Carneiro et al 2014;Pankowski et al 2018). Birds are commonly used as bioindicator organisms in monitoring environmental pollution (Bauerová et al 2020;Maia et al 2017). The most important route that affects the intake of heavy metals by living organisms is their feeding habits.…”

“…In the world and Turkey, numerous studies have been conducted using birds as biological materials (egg shell, tissue, feather, faecal pellets, and blood) in the determination of environmental pollution (Bala et ). Blood is preferred as the biological material to identify the inorganic pollutants since blood analysis is fast, riskless, and reproducible (Maia et al 2017). Various devices (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, ICP-MS; Atomic absorption spectrometer, AAS; Inductively coupled optic emission spectrometry, ICP-OES; Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry, GFAAS; Flame atomic absorption spectrometry, F-AAS; X-ray uorescence spectrometry, XRF) are employed for the analysis of heavy metal concentration in biological materials.…”

“…Pb and Cd mean ± standard deviation and (min-max) range in studies conducted with wild poultry blood samples around the World (N/D: Non-determination) López et al 2016). The Pb concentration was assessed to be 102.70 ± 90.90 ppb in a study using the same device (ICP-MS), in the blood samples of white storks (n = 70) in Spain (Los Hornos)(Maia et al 2017). In the blood samples of white stork collected from Caceres (n = 23) and La Puebla del Río (n = 35) cities of Spain, blood Pb concentrations were determined as 90.7 ± 51.0 ppb and 44.4 ± 33.6 ppb, respectively using AAS device(Baos et al 2006a).…”