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Distribution of cadmium in blood and tissues of wild birds

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Abstract

The principal aim of this study is to establish the kinetic behavior of cadmium by determining the concentrations of this element in the blood and in different tissues of wild birds exposed to environmental cadmium. We have studied a total of 118 birds living in the southeast of Spain, a zone with a Mediterranean climate and stopover point for important migratory species. The distribution pattern followed by the cadmium in our samples reveals that the kidney is the primary organ for accumulation, followed by the liver and, to lesser extent, the brain and bone. Low concentrations were found in the tissues and in the blood. The study of correlations between the different tissues and blood suggests a compartmental behavior of cadmium under these exposure conditions.

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Garcá-Fernández, A.J., Sanchez-Garcia, J.A., Gomez-Zapata, M. et al. Distribution of cadmium in blood and tissues of wild birds. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 30, 252–258 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00215805

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00215805

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