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Concentration of trace elements in feathers of waterfowl, Korea

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Abstract

Cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe) were analyzed in the breast feather of white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons, n = 15), mallards (Anas platyrhynchos, n = 4), and spot-billed ducks (Anas poecilorhyncha, n = 13) found dead in Gimpo, Korea. All of the mallards and eight of the 13 spot-billed ducks had embedded shot. Concentrations of Pb, Cr, Cu, Mn, Zn, and Fe were significantly different among waterfowl species. Mallards with embedded shot had relatively higher Pb, Cr, Mn, and Fe concentrations than the other species. Cd and Cr in feathers of waterfowl species were within the range reported for other birds, and no specimen exceeded the tentative threshold effect levels of Cd (2 μg/g dry weight (dw)) and Cr (2.8 μg/g dw) for birds. However, Pb in feathers of all four mallards and two spot-billed ducks exceeded the threshold for deleterious effects (>4 μg/g dw). Essential elements such as Cu, Mn, Zn, and Fe in the feather of waterfowl species were not at toxic levels and within the background or normal range for the homeostatic mechanisms.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a grant from the Kyung Hee University in 2014. We are grateful to Thomas W. Custer (USGS) for a critical reading and comments of the manuscript.

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  1. Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kyung Hee University, 1 Seocheon-dong, Giheung-gu, Yongin, Gyeonggi-do, 446-701, Republic of Korea

    Jungsoo Kim & Jong-Min Oh

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  1. Jungsoo Kim
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Correspondence to Jungsoo Kim.

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Kim, J., Oh, JM. Concentration of trace elements in feathers of waterfowl, Korea. Environ Monit Assess 186, 8517–8525 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-4021-1

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