Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) Measurements of Sulfur Uptake in Pigeon Bone Associated with the Intake of Slag, and the Induction of Homocystinuria

Abstract

Slag from nickel smelting operations over the last 150 years has been deposited over vast areas of soil around the Sudbury basin in Ontario, Canada. This metal-rich material containing a 2.50 ± 0.50% sulfur concentration by mass, when ingested, has the potential to effect important physiological changes in biological systems. In this work, we measure the uptake of sulfur in the tibio-tarsal bones of pigeons (Columbia Livia Domestica) subjected to a slag-based diet, using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). A sulfur-rich diet is associated with homocystinuria, a condition which impairs the conversion of methionine to cysteine. Among the bony changes associated with the condition are osteopenia, loss of calcium, compromised mechanical integrity, and increased resorption. In previous work, we have detected and quantified all of these changes, and thus propose that the results of the present work support the conclusion that a sulfur-rich, slag-based diet, can induce homocystinuric condition in this avian species.