Mercury in pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) organs in Podravina, Croatia

Abstract

Since 1995 the concentrations of total mercury were analyzed in the pheasant organs (liver, kidney, brain and muscle) that live freely in an area that was exposed to elevated levels of mercury as a result of industrial activity (mercury contaminated natural gas production and processing which began in 1980). The range of the median mercury concentration values (wet weight) in pheasant organs in Podravina, Croatia were 0.0004–0.024, 0.0001–0.034, 0.0002–0.016 and 0.0001–0.025 μg/g for liver, kidney, brain, and muscle, respectively. Results of these studies confirms that in the study area in the observed period there was no significant mercury contamination which can be linked to anthropogenic activities (hydrocarbon production)‥ On the contrary, systematic measurements demonstrate a small but constant (barely noticeable) decline in mercury concentrations in pheasant's organs. Primarily, this is the result of the significant improvement in the technological process which involves the removal of mercury from the natural gas that was designed and implemented in 1993. However, due to the need for reliable control of mercury contaminated natural gas production and the importance for better understanding of long-term exposure to low levels of mercury, and assessment of their possible harmful effects on the environment, human and animal health, research will be continued.

Keywords:

• Pheasant
• mercury
• natural gas
• environmental monitoring
• Croatia

Acknowledgments

We thank Jasna Jurasović (The Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Zagreb, Croatia) for her help in conducting the laboratory segment of the study, i.e., for recent laboratory analysis after 2008.