Heavy metals in the mallard Anas platyrhynchos from eastern Austria

Christof Plessl; Peter Jandrisits; Regina Krachler; Bernhard K Keppler; Franz Jirsa

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.013

Heavy metals in the mallard Anas platyrhynchos from eastern Austria

Sci Total Environ. 2017 Feb 15:580:670-676. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.013. Epub 2016 Dec 10.

Authors

Christof Plessl¹, Peter Jandrisits¹, Regina Krachler¹, Bernhard K Keppler¹, Franz Jirsa²

Affiliations

¹ University of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Währingerstrasse 42, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
² University of Vienna, Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Währingerstrasse 42, A-1090 Vienna, Austria; University of Johannesburg, Dept. of Zoology, P. O. Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa. Electronic address: franz.jirsa@univie.ac.at.

PMID: 27964989
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.013

Abstract

A total of 77 specimens of the mallard Anas platyrhynchos were sampled from the eastern part of Austria before the ban on lead gun shot for hunting water fowl. Samples of muscle and liver were analyzed for their content of Cr, Cu, Zn, Ag, Cd, Hg and Pb using atomic absorption spectrometry. In addition the Hg content of feather samples from this aquatic bird species was evaluated. Results generally show higher concentrations of the metals in the liver compared to muscle; for mercury the concentrations were feathers>liver>muscle. Elevated, in some cases critical concentrations of Cr, Cu, Cd, Hg and Pb were measured. Levels of Ag were recorded for the first time for this species from Europe, providing basic information for future evaluation of this upcoming pollutant in aquatic environments.

Keywords: Lead; Mercury; Silver; Trace elements; Water fowl.

MeSH terms

Animals
Austria
Ducks*
Environmental Monitoring*
Environmental Pollutants / analysis
Feathers / chemistry
Liver / chemistry
Metals, Heavy / analysis*
Muscles / chemistry

Substances

Environmental Pollutants
Metals, Heavy