Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Metal Contamination in Select Species of Birds in Nilgiris District, Tamil Nadu, India

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

Abstract

Variation in metal contamination in six species of birds, namely the Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis), Little Egret (Egretta garzetta), Pond Heron (Ardeola grayii), Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis) and Jungle Babbler (Turdoides striatus) in Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu, India. The accumulation of heavy metals differed among the species studied. On an average, Little Egret accumulated high concentrations of copper (53.31 ± 23.19 ppm) followed by Cattle Egret (16.27 ± 9.83 ppm) in liver. Of all the species, Jungle Babbler recorded the maximum concentrations (20.59 ± 9.07 ppm) in muscle. The Pond Heron recorded the maximum concentration (35.38 ± 11.14 ppm) in brain. On an average the maximum level was in the kidney of Common Myna (7.76 ± 1.80 ppm).

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

  • Bakre PP, Sharma A (1995) Lead concentrations in house sparrow (Passer domesticus) collected from urban area of Jaipur. J Environ Biol 16(1):15–17

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Battaglia A, Sergio G, Giorgio C, Roberto S (2005) Heavy metal contamination in little owl (Athene noctua) and common buzzard (Buteo buteo) from northern Italy. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 60:61–66

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Custer TW (2000) Environmental contaminants. In: Kushlan JA, Hafner H (eds) Heron conservation. Academic, London, pp 251–268

    Google Scholar 

  • Eens M, Pinxten R, Verheyen RF, Blust R, Bervoets I (1999) Great and blue tits as indicators of heavy metal contamination in terrestrial ecosystems. Ecotoxicol Environ Safe 44:81–85

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Erwin RM, Custer T (2000) Herons as indicators. In: Kushlan JA, Hafner H (eds) Heron conservation. Academic, London, p 311

    Google Scholar 

  • Franson JC (1996) Interpretation of tissue lead residues in birds other than water fowl. In: Beyer WN, Heins GH, Redmon-Norwood AW (eds) Environmental contaminants in wild life: interpreting tissue concentrations. Lewis Publishers, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, p 265

    Google Scholar 

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

    Google Scholar 

  • Gragnaniello S, Fulgione D, Milone M, Soppelsa O, Cacace P, Perrara L (2001) Sparrows as possible heavy metal biomonitors of polluted environments. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 66:719–726

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jayakumar R (1999) Accumulation of heavy metals in select species of birds in Nilgiris district. M.Sc. dissertation submitted to Bharathiar University, Coimbatore

  • Lewis CA, Poppenga RJ, Davidson WR, Fischer JR, Morgan KA (2001) Lead toxicosis and Trace elements levels in wild birds and mammals at Firearms training facility. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 41:208–214

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Manickam M (2002) A study on the levels of heavy metals in the feathers of select species of terrestrial birds. M.Sc. dissertation submitted to Bharathiar University

  • Mochizuki M, Hondo R, Kumon K, Sasaki R, Matsuba H, Ueda F (2002) Cadmium contamination in wild birds as an indicator of environmental pollution. Environ Monit Assess 73:229–235

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Muralidharan S (1995) Heavy metal contamination in and around the aquatic environments of Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Ph.D., thesis. University of Rajasthan

  • Muralidharan S, Jayakumar R, Vishnu G (2004) Heavy metals in feathers of six species of birds in the district Nilgiris, India. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 73:285–291

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tirelli E, Maestrini N, Govoni S, Catelli E, Serra R (1996) Lead contamination in the Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) in Italy. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 56:729–732

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Toman R, Massanyi R, Lukae N, Ducsay L, Golian J (2005) Fedility and content of cadmium in pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) following cadmium intake in drinking water. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 62:112–117

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tsuji LJS, Karagatzides JD, Younds J, Nieboer E (2002) Liver lead concentrations of several bird species from the western James bay region of Northern Ontario, Canada: do the data support the Canadian non-toxic legislation? Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 69:309–313

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge Dr. V. S. Vijayan, Founder Director, SACON for his support. One of us (Jayakumar) is thankful to Tamil Nadu State Council for Science and Technology for partial financial assistance. Mr. S. Patturajan is appreciated for his assistance in the laboratory work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. GITAM University, Hyderabad Campus, Rudraram, Medak, Andhra Pradesh, 502 329, India

    R. Jayakumar

  2. Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641 108, India

    S. Muralidharan

Authors
  1. R. Jayakumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. Muralidharan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. Jayakumar.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jayakumar, R., Muralidharan, S. Metal Contamination in Select Species of Birds in Nilgiris District, Tamil Nadu, India. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 87, 166–170 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-011-0323-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-011-0323-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation