Authors: C Rodríguez Alvárez M Jiménez Moreno L López Alonso B Gómara F J Guzmán Bernardo R C Rodríguez MartínDoimeadios M J González
Publish Date: 2013/02/14
Volume: 20, Issue: 8, Pages: 5361-5372
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 100 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 1998The authors are grateful to Junta de Comunidades de CastillaLa Mancha PAI060094 PEII0900325329 and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology BQU200802126 and BQU200765991 for financial support The authors thank the staff of Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC and particularly Dr F Hiraldo for providing the blood samples
Keywords: