Arsenic and lead contamination in soil and in feathers of three resident passerine species in a semi-arid mining region of the Mexican plateau

ABSTRACT

The current study aimed at quantifying arsenic and lead in feathers from three passerine species that are residents from areas exposed to mining activities (Toxostoma curvirostre, Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus, and Melozone fusca). Lead and As contents in bird feathers and in superficial soil samples were measured with AAS. Levels of these metals were compared between sites exposed and unexposed to mining. Possible correlations of As and Pb between superficial soil and bird feathers were also investigated. Soil metal concentrations were significantly higher near mining sites, and metal concentrations in bird feathers showed a behavior similar to those recorded for soil samples. Individual birds from polluted sites had higher mean feather metal concentrations in comparison with non-polluted sites; no differences in metal concentrations were recorded among bird species. This work constitutes a basis for monitoring contaminants, and for future toxicological studies attempting to understand the impact that some mining activities may have on bird populations.

KEYWORDS:

• Heavy metal pollution
• mining areas
• passerine birds
• semiarid environments

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Erik Espinosa Serrano, Daniel Guerrero, Carina Don Juan and Miriam Escobar for helping during lab work and Gerardo Ham and Romeo Tinajero for their help during field work and collection of bird samples.

Funding

Funding for the completion of this work was granted by CONACYT, Mexico (grant number – CB-2012-1-183377), and by PROMEP SEP UASLP CA37.