Distribution of mercury in some organs of the Kani Barazan wetland common coot (Fulica atra) |
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| Authors: | Borhan Mansouri Farshid Majnoni Seyede Parvin Moussavi |
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| Institution: | 1. Kurdistan Environmental Health Research Center, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran;2. Department of Environmental Sciences, Birjand University, Birjand, Iran;3. Faculty of Public Health, International Branch of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences and Health Services, Yazd, Iran |
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| Abstract: | We document mercury distribution in the tissues (kidney, liver, breast feathers and pectoral muscle) of a waterbird, the common coot (Fulica atra) from the Kani Barazan wetlands in north-western Iran. Bird samples were collected between November 2011 and January 2012, and mercury was assayed by using a Varian 220 atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Mean levels of mercury in kidney, liver, breast feathers and pectoral muscle were 0.13, 0.22, 0.20 and 0.09 μg/g, respectively. Mercury concentrations in tissues of F. atra were in the following order: liver>feather>kidney>pectoral muscle. The mercury level was significantly (one-way ANOVA, p<0.05) different between kidneys, livers, pectoral muscles and feathers in F. atra. Although mercury concentrations were higher for all tissues in female birds compared with males, significant (p<0.05) differences were observed in muscle only. |
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| Keywords: | pollution waterbird feather gender Kani Barazan wetland |
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