ABSTRACT
The analysis of the concentrations of K, S, P, Mg, Na, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Y, Ag, Cd, In, Cs, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Hg, Tl, Pb, Bi, Th and U in tissues and organs of white-tailed sea eagle collected dead in Poland has revealed that the metal of risk is lead, and to a somewhat degree also mercury. An intoxication of white-tailed sea eagles with lead is due to ingestion of lead pellets from the waterfowl injured or killed by the hunters, which than become recaptured by the birds. In the case of mercury a source of elevated concentrations of that element in tissues and organs of some white-tailed sea eagles examined is their food (waterfowl and fish) originating from a coast of the Baltic Sea and the Firth of Szczecin.
Subject(s)
Eagles , Kidney/chemistry , Liver/chemistry , Minerals/analysis , Muscle, Skeletal/chemistry , Animals , PolandABSTRACT
The residues of PCBs, DDTs, HCHs, HCBz, PCBz, CHLs, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, isodrin, endosulfan 1, endosulfan 2, mirex, TCPM-H and TCPM-OH were determined in breast muscles and an egg of white-tailed sea eagles collected in Poland in 1991-1995. The method of measurement was capillary gas chromatography and low resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/LRMS) after a non-destructive extraction, clean-up and fractionation of the sample. Only aldrin, endrin, endosulfan 1 and endosulfan 2 were absent in birds and egg examined. Some of the adult white-tailed sea eagles collected dead from the coastal area of the Baltic Sea still remain relatively high contaminated with organochlorines, and the concentrations of PCBs and DDTs in those birds ranged between 2300-2600 and 490-2000 micrograms/g lipids, respectively. In dead egg concentration of PCBs was 390 micrograms/g lipids (25 micrograms/g wet weight), while of DDTs 270 micrograms/g lipids (18 micrograms/g w.w.).
