Heavy metal concentrations in three shorebird species from Okgu Mudflat, Gunsan, Korea

Abstract

Iron, zinc, copper, lead, and cadmium were measured in livers of three shorebird species from Okgu Mudflat, Korea in the East Asian-Australian migration flyways. Iron concentrations in red-necked stints (Calidris ruficollis) (geomean = 1,322 microg/g dw) were higher than in terek sandpipers (Xenus cinereus) (467 microg/g dw), and great knots (Calidris tenuirostris) (158 microg/g dw). Copper concentrations in great knots (85.8 microg/g dw) were significantly higher than in red-necked stints (15.9 microg/g dw) and terek sandpipers (10.4 microg/g dw). However, significant differences in zinc concentrations were not found in livers among shorebird species. Iron, zinc, and copper concentrations from this study were within the range of other shorebird studies. We suggest that essential elements such as iron, zinc, and copper are within normal range and are maintained there by normal homeostatic mechanism. Lead and cadmium concentrations differed among shorebird species; red-necked stints (geomeans 27.8 microg/g dw and 4.69 microg/g dw, respectively) were higher than in terek sandpipers (12.9 and 0.44 microg/g dw, respectively), and great knots (5.43 and 0.29 microg/g dw, respectively). Some red-necked stints exceeded toxic levels of lead and cadmium for wild birds. In livers of red-necked stints from Okgu Mudflat, lead and cadmium concentrations were higher than previously reported in other shorebirds.

Assessment of Trace-Metal Concentrations in Western Reef Heron (Egretta gularis) and Siberian Gull (Larus heuglini) From Southern Iran

“…One kidney concentration was slightly greater than the threshold, and the liver value is indicative of an individual from a heavily chromium-contaminated environment (Eisler 2000b). Copper concentrations in Western Reef heron and Siberian gull from the present study were lower than those in Puffinus gravis from Atlantic coast of Brazil (Barbieri et al 2007), Great knot and Red-necked stint from Okgu Mudflat, Gunsan, Korea (Kim et al 2009b), and Barau's petrel, Audubon's shearwater, and White-tailed tropicbird from Reunion Island in the Western Indian Ocean (Kojadinovic et al 2007). In this study, copper concentrations were similar to those in Anas platyrhychnos from Warmia and Mazury, Poland (Szymczyk and Zalewski 2003).…”

“…Iron concentrations in livers of the Western Reef heron and Siberian gull were significantly different, which differs from Hui (1998) in southern California who reported no differences between black-billed plovers (Pluvialis squatarola) and willets (Catoptrophorus semipalmatus). Kim et al (2009b) quantified mean iron concentrations of 467 lg/g in liver from Terek sandpiper, and, similarly, Blomqvist et al (1987) obtained mean concentrations of 463 lg/g from dunlin (Calidris alpina) liver samples. Both were considerably greater than in birds from Hara Biosphere Reserve.…”

Heavy Metals in Liver, Kidney, Brain and Muscle: Health Risk Assessment for Consumption of Edible parts of Birds from the Chahnimeh reservoirs Sistan (Iran)

“…A positive correlation between levels of Zn and Cd in the body of birds may protect them from the effects of increasing Cd in the body (Cosson et al 1988;Elliott et al 1992). Positive correlations of Pb or Cd with other element level in tissues have been reported in birds from Korea (Kim and Oh 2012), shorebirds from Korea (Kim et al 2009), Cory's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) and black-backed gulls (Larus fuscus) from England (Stewart et al 1995), seabirds from Chaun, northeast Siberia, Russia (Kim et al 1996), and feral pigeons (Columba livia) from Korea (Nam and Lee 2006).…”

Heavy Metals in Liver, Kidney, Brain and Muscle: Health Risk Assessment for Consumption of Edible parts of Birds from the Chahnimeh Reservoirs Sistan (Iran)

“…A positive correlation between levels of Zn and Cd in the body of birds may protect them from the effects of increasing Cd in the body (Cosson et al 1988;Elliott et al 1992). Positive correlations of Pb or Cd with other element level in tissues have been reported in birds from Korea (Kim and Oh 2012), (Kim et al 2009), Cory's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea) and black-backed gulls (Larus fuscus) from England (Stewart et al 1995), seabirds from Chaun, northeast Siberia, Russia (Kim et al 1996), and feral pigeons (Columba livia) from Korea (Nam and Lee 2006).…”