Survey of Mercury Bioaccumulation in Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), Chukar Partridge (Perdix chukar) and Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), Related to Feed Ecology

Document Type : Full Research Paper

Authors

1 MSc Expert of Enviroment Biology, Modares Tarbiat University.

2 Professor of Enviroment Biology, Modares Tarbiat University.

3 Associate Professor of Modares Tarbiat University.

Abstract

Mercury is a toxic and dangerous element for living organisms. Our bodies do not need mercury and its entrance and absorption in the body can cause many problems. Following industrialization of countries, it enters the nature and accumulates in the organisms body through the food chain which causes biological magnification. Therefore time and place monitoring of mercury is necessary. Biological monitoring is one of the best methods for mercury monitoring. Among these, methods which do not kill the organism have priority. Therefore, using feather, due to its non-destructive character is especially important. In the present study, three species including common cormorant, golden eagle, common chuker, which do not have any relationship regarding the feeding and migration, were studied. The results showed that the highest and lowest mercury concentrations were calculated in cormorant (with average 2710 ppb) and chuker (with average120 ppb), respectively.

Keywords



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