Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Trace Element Contamination in Tissues of Four Bird Species from the Rift Valley Region, Ethiopia

  • Published:
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Concentrations of ten trace elements (Hg, As, Cd, Pb, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Se and Zn) were determined in different tissues (liver, kidney, muscle, heart and brain) of African sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus), Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta), marabou stork (Leptoptilos crumeniferus) and great white pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) inhabiting the Ethiopian Rift Valley region. There were differences in trace element patterns among the bird species. Significantly (p < 0.05) higher concentrations of Cd (5.53 µg/g dw ± 2.94) in kidney and Hg (0.75 µg/g ww ± 0.30) in liver were observed in the great white pelican compared to the other species, and liver concentrations of these two elements showed positive correlations with trophic level. Concentrations of toxic elements (As, Cd, Pb and Hg) in liver were below their respective toxicological thresholds, indicating that the data may provide baseline information for future studies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Birdlife International (2013) Country profile: Ethiopia http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/userfiles/file/IBAs/AfricaCntryPDFs/Ethiopia.pdf

  • Burger J, Gochfeld M (2000) Effects of lead on birds (Laridae): a review of laboratory and field studies. J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev 3:59–78

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burger J, Gochfeld M (2002) Effects of chemicals and pollution on seabirds. In: Schreiber EA, Burger J (eds) Biology of marine birds. CRC, NewYork, pp 492–525

    Google Scholar 

  • Cabana G, Rasmussen JB (1994) Modelling food chain structure and contaminant bioaccumulation using stable nitrogen isotopes. Nature 372:255–257

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carpenter JW, Andrews GA, Nelson Beyer W (2004) Zinc toxicosis in a free-flying trumpeter swan (Cygnus buccinator). J Wildl Dis 40:769–774

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark AJ, Scheuhammer AM (2003) Lead poisoning in upland foraging birds of prey in Canada. Ecotoxicology 12:23–30

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eisler R (1986) Chromium hazards to fish, wildlife and invertebrates: a synoptic review. Biological report 85 (1.6). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Eisler R (1987) Mercury hazards to fish, wildlife and invertebrates: a synoptic review. Biological report 85 (1.10). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Eisler R (1994) A review of arsenic hazards to plants and animals with emphasis on fishery and wildlife resources. In: Nriagu JO, Simmons MS (eds) Arsenic in the environment. Part II: human health and ecosystem effects. Wiley, New York, pp 185–259

    Google Scholar 

  • Furness RW (1993) Birds as monitors of pollutants. In: Furness RW, Greenwood JJD (eds) Birds as monitors of environmental change. Chapman and Hall, London, pp 86–143

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Furness RW (1996) Cadmium in birds. In: Beyer WN, Heinz GH, Redmon-Norwood AW (eds) Environmental contaminants in wildlife: interpreting tissue concentrations. Lewis Press, Boca Raton, pp 389–404

    Google Scholar 

  • Goyer AR (1997) Toxic and essential metal interactions. Ann Rev Nutr 17:37–50

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heinz GH (1996) Selenium in birds. In: Beyer WN, Heinz GH, Redmon-Norwood AW (eds) Environmental contaminants in wildlife: interpreting tissue concentrations. Lewis Press, Boca Raton, pp 447–458

    Google Scholar 

  • Ikemoto T, Kunito T, Tanaka H, Baba N, Miyazaki N, Tanabe S (2004) Detoxification mechanism of heavy metals in marine mammals and seabirds: interaction of selenium with mercury, silver, copper, zinc, and cadmium in liver. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 47:402–413

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kim EY, Murakami T, Saeki K, Tatsukawa R (1996) Mercury levels and its chemical form in tissues and organs of seabirds. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 30:259–266

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kojadinovic J, Le Corre M, Cosson RP, Bustamante P (2007) Trace elements in three marine birds breeding on Reunion Island (Western Indian Ocean) part 1: factors influencing their bioaccumulation. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 52:418–430

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kunito T, Kubota R, Fujihara J, Agusa T, Tanabe S (2008) Arsenic in marine mammals, seabirds, and sea turtles. Rev Environ Contam Toxicol 195:31–69

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Levina A, Codd R, Dillon CT, Lay PA (2003) Chromium in biology: nutritional aspects and toxicology. Prog Inorg Chem 51:145–250

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lucia M, André JM, Gonzalez P, Baudrimont M, Gontier K, Maury-Brachet R, Davail S (2009) Impact of cadmium on aquatic bird Cairina moschata. Biometals 22:843–845

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lucia M, André JM, Gontier K, Diot N, Veiga J, Davail S (2010) Trace element concentrations (mercury, cadmium, copper, zinc, lead, aluminium, nickel, arsenic, and selenium) in some aquatic birds of the Southwest Atlantic Coast of France. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 58:844–853

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lucia M, Bocher P, Cosson RP, Churlaud C, Bustamante P (2012) Evidence of species-specific detoxification processes for trace elements in shorebirds. Ecotoxicology 21:2349–2362

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mateo R, Green AJ, Lefranc H, Baos R, Figuerola J (2007) Lead poisoning in wild birds from southern Spain: a comparative study of wetland areas and species affected, and trends over time. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 66:119–126

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nam DH, Anan Y, Ikemoto T, Tanabe S (2005) Multielemental accumulation and its intracellular distribution in tissues of some aquatic birds. Mar Pollut Bull 50:1347–1362

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pain D, Sears J, Newton I (1995) Lead concentrations in birds of prey in Britain. Environ Pollut 87:173–180

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ralston NVC, Blackwell JL, Raymond LJ (2007) Importance of molar ratios in selenium dependent protection against methylmercury toxicity. Biol Trace Elem Res 119:255–268

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Scheuhammer AM (1987) The chronic toxicity of aluminium, cadmium, mercury, and lead in birds: a review. Environ Pollut 46:263–295

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Scheuhammer AM, Meyer MW, Sandheinrich MB, Murray MW (2007) Effects of environmental methylmercury on the health of wild birds, mammals, and fish. Ambio 36:12–18

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Skoric S, Visnjic-Jeftic Z, Jaric I, Djikanovic V, Mickovic B, Nikcevica M, Lenhardt M (2012) Accumulation of 20 elements in great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) and its main prey, common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and Prussian carp (Carassius gibelio). Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 80:244–251

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Snoeijs T, Dauwe T, Pinxten R, Vandesande F, Eens M (2004) Heavy metal exposure affects the humoral immune response in a free-living small songbird, the great tit (Parus major). Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 46:399–404

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Varian-Ramos CW, Swaddle JP, Cristol DA (2014) Mercury reduces avian reproductive success and imposes selection: an experimental study with adult- or lifetime-exposure in zebra finch. PLoS ONE 9(4):e95674. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0095674

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yohannes YB, Ikenaka Y, Nakayama SMM, Ishizuka M (2014) Organochlorine pesticides in bird species and their prey (fish) from the Ethiopian Rift Valley region, Ethiopia. Environ Pollut 192:121–128

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang WW, Ma JZ (2011) Waterbirds as bioindicators of wetland heavy metal pollution. Procedia Environ Sci 10:2769–2774

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan awarded to M. Ishizuka (No. 16H01779, Core to Core), Y. Ikenaka (No. 26304043) and S. Nakayama (No. 16K16197). We would also like to acknowledge the financial support of the Soroptimist Japan Foundation and the Nakajima Foundation. The authors are grateful to EWCA senior experts, Mr. Yeneneh Teka and Dr. Fekede Regassa, for their assistance with bird sampling. We also appreciate Mr. Lemma Abera for his kind help during sampling, as well as Mr. Takahiro Ichise for his technical input.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Toxicology, Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan

    Yared Beyene Yohannes, Yoshinori Ikenaka, Shouta M. M. Nakayama & Mayumi Ishizuka

  2. Department of Chemistry, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, University of Gondar, P.O. Box 196, Gondar, Ethiopia

    Yared Beyene Yohannes

  3. Department of Environmental Veterinary Sciences, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0818, Japan

    Hazuki Mizukawa

  4. Water Research Group, Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa

    Yoshinori Ikenaka

Authors
  1. Yared Beyene Yohannes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yoshinori Ikenaka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Shouta M. M. Nakayama
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hazuki Mizukawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Mayumi Ishizuka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mayumi Ishizuka.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yohannes, Y.B., Ikenaka, Y., Nakayama, S.M.M. et al. Trace Element Contamination in Tissues of Four Bird Species from the Rift Valley Region, Ethiopia. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 98, 172–177 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-016-2011-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-016-2011-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation