Skip to Content
Merck

Lead and cadmium contaminations in feathers of heron and egret chicks.

Environmental monitoring and assessment (2014-01-11)
Jungsoo Kim, Jong-Min Oh
ABSTRACT

In birds, concentrations of heavy metal contaminants were associated with their diet and environmental quality. This study presents concentrations of lead and cadmium in feathers and the relationship between concentrations in the feather and stomach content of three species of heron and egret chicks. Cadmium concentrations were higher in the Little Egret (geomean 0.75 μg/g dry weight) and Black-crowned Night Heron (geomean 0.88 μg/g dry weight) chicks than in Grey Heron chicks (geomean 0.48 μg/g dry weight). Lead and cadmium concentrations had significant correlations between feathers and stomach contents of heron and egret chicks. The mean lead and cadmium concentrations in feathers were within the background levels for wild birds. Heron and egret species forage around breeding colony (4-7 km). Lead and cadmium concentrations in heron and egret chicks were moderately associated with those of prey concentrations. These results suggest that contaminant concentrations such as lead and cadmium in feathers of heron and egret chicks can reflect local heavy metal contaminations and serve as a great biological indicator for monitoring heavy metal contamination. In addition, the feathers can be a routine monitoring tool over time and space without harming the wild birds.

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Sigma-Aldrich
Cadmium, granular, ≥99%, 5-20 mesh
Sigma-Aldrich
Cadmium, powder, −100 mesh, 99.5% trace metals basis
Sigma-Aldrich
Cadmium, shot, 3 mm, 99.999% trace metals basis
Sigma-Aldrich
Cadmium, granular, 30-80 mesh, ≥99%
Cadmium, foil, 6mm disks, thickness 0.25mm, as rolled, 99.9%
Cadmium, foil, not light tested, 50x50mm, thickness 0.01mm, 99.7+%
Cadmium, foil, light tested, 25x25mm, thickness 0.01mm, 99.7+%
Cadmium, tube, 500mm, outside diameter 2.29mm, inside diameter 1.27mm, wall thickness 0.51mm, 99.95+%
Cadmium, foil, 50mm disks, thickness 0.5mm, as rolled, 99.95%
Cadmium, foil, not light tested, 100x100mm, thickness 0.01mm, 99.7+%
Cadmium, foil, not light tested, 50x50mm, thickness 0.005mm, 99.7+%
Cadmium, foil, not light tested, 25x25mm, thickness 0.01mm, 99.7+%
Cadmium, foil, 4mm disks, thickness 0.5mm, as rolled, 99.95%
Cadmium, rod, 300mm, diameter 10.0mm, as drawn, 99.99+%
Cadmium, foil, not light tested, 100x100mm, thickness 0.025mm, 99.7+%
Cadmium, foil, not light tested, 25x25mm, thickness 0.025mm, 99.7+%
Cadmium, foil, light tested, 100x100mm, thickness 0.025mm, 99.7+%
Cadmium, foil, 6mm disks, thickness 0.25mm, as rolled, 99.95%
Cadmium, foil, light tested, 50x50mm, thickness 0.01mm, 99.7+%
Cadmium, foil, 50mm disks, thickness 0.25mm, as rolled, 99.95%
Cadmium, rod, 500mm, diameter 5.0mm, as drawn, 99.99+%
Cadmium, rod, 25mm, diameter 40mm, 99.9%
Cadmium, foil, light tested, 100x100mm, thickness 0.015mm, 99.7+%
Cadmium, wire reel, 0.1m, diameter 0.5mm, hard, 99.95+%
Cadmium, foil, 8mm disks, thickness 0.125mm, as rolled, 99.99+%
Cadmium, foil, 6mm disks, thickness 0.005mm, 99.7+%
Cadmium, foil, not light tested, 50x50mm, thickness 0.002mm, 99.7+%
Cadmium, foil, 6mm disks, thickness 0.5mm, as rolled, 99.95%
Cadmium, foil, 50mm disks, thickness 1.0mm, as rolled, 100%
Cadmium, foil, not light tested, 100x100mm, thickness 0.015mm, 99.7+%