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Mercury, methylmercury, and selenium in blood of bird species from Doñana National Park (Southwestern Spain) after a mining accident

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Abstract

Total mercury (Hg), monomethylmercury (MeHg), and selenium (Se) were determined in blood of 11 bird species living in Doñana National Park (DNP, Southwestern Spain) and the surrounding area in 1999 and 2000 after a mine spill accident. The total Hg contents found varied from 1.00 to 587 ng/mL, with an MeHg percentage higher than 80 %, except in mallard species. In all the cases, the concentrations found were below the threshold of high risk for the bird populations. The parameters which most affected the accumulation of Hg and MeHg in the birds studied were, first, species, or trophic position, and second sampling area. Age does not seem to have a great influence on the content of Hg in the blood of these birds. The levels of Se found ranged from 108 to 873 ng/mL, and they were not affected by species, trophic level, age, or sampling area. The blood Hg concentrations of birds living in the area directly affected by the toxic mud, outside the park, were higher than those found in the other birds, and this could be explained by the mine spill accident happened in 1998.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha (PAI06-0094, PEII09-0032-5329) and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology (BQU2008-02126 and BQU2007-65991) for financial support. The authors thank the staff of Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), and particularly, Dr. F. Hiraldo, for providing the blood samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Biochemistry, University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), Avda. Carlos III s/n, 45071, Toledo, Spain

    C. Rodríguez Alvárez, M. Jiménez Moreno, F. J. Guzmán Bernardo & R. C. Rodríguez Martín-Doimeadios

  2. Department of Instrumental Analysis and Environmental Chemistry, Institute of General Organic Chemistry (IQOG-CSIC), Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006, Madrid, Spain

    L. López Alonso, B. Gómara & M. J. González

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  1. C. Rodríguez Alvárez
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  2. M. Jiménez Moreno
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  3. L. López Alonso
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  4. B. Gómara
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  5. F. J. Guzmán Bernardo
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  6. R. C. Rodríguez Martín-Doimeadios
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  7. M. J. González
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Correspondence to M. J. González.

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Responsible editor: Vera Slaveykova

Highlights:

1. The concentrations of Hg in blood strongly depend on the bird species.

2. The study of blood avoids sacrificing birds and enables the monitoring of recent dietary intake and short term exposure to Hg and Se.

3. The Hg and Se concentrations found in the blood of the bird species studied are far below the toxic values reported in the literature.

4. The 1998 spill accident could have an influence in the Hg blood of bird living in the area directly affected by the toxic mud.

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Alvárez, C.R., Moreno, M.J., Alonso, L.L. et al. Mercury, methylmercury, and selenium in blood of bird species from Doñana National Park (Southwestern Spain) after a mining accident. Environ Sci Pollut Res 20, 5361–5372 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-1540-1

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