Concentrations of Pb, Cu, and Zn in Feathers of laughing doves (Spilopelia senegalensis) as Indicators of Urban Metal Pollution in Iran | ||
| Pollution | ||
| مقاله 5، دوره 12، شماره 4، زمستان 2026، صفحه 1071-1082 اصل مقاله (908.3 K) | ||
| نوع مقاله: Original Research Paper | ||
| شناسه دیجیتال (DOI): 10.22059/poll.2026.414782.3337 | ||
| نویسنده | ||
| Hassan Malvandi* 1، 2، 3 | ||
| 1Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Faculty of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Iran | ||
| 2EthnoBiology Core (EBC), Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Khorasan Razavi, Iran | ||
| 3Founding Member of the NGO, Hakim Institute for Wildlife Cooperation, Research and Rehabilitation, Sabzevar, Khorasan Razavi, Iran | ||
| چکیده | ||
| Heavy metals are among the most important environmental pollutants in urban ecosystems because of their persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and adverse effects on wildlife. Urban-dwelling birds can serve as effective bioindicators of environmental contamination, particularly through the analysis of feathers. This study investigated the concentrations of lead (Pb), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) in feathers of laughing doves (Spilopelia senegalensis) collected between January 2021 and January 2022 from three Iranian cities with different levels of urbanization and anthropogenic activity: Sabzevar, Mashhad, and Tehran. Feather samples were obtained from individuals killed in road accidents and subsequently transferred to local environmental departments. After sample preparation and acid digestion, metal concentrations were determined using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry (Shimadzu AA 6800). Across the studied cities, Pb concentrations ranged from 0.001 to 0.040 µg/g, Cu from 0.400 to 1.300 µg/g, and Zn from0.550 to 1.330 µg/g. Significant differences in metal concentrations were observed among the three cities (p < 0.05), whereas no significant differences were detected between adult and juvenile individuals. The highest Pb concentrations were recorded in Tehran, while Mashhad exhibited the highest Cu concentrations. Overall, the concentrations of Pb, Cu, and Zn were below reported toxicological threshold levels for birds. These findings suggest that feathers of laughing doves can provide valuable information on the spatial distribution of urban metal pollution and highlight the potential of this species as a practical non-invasive biomonitoring tool for assessing environmental contamination in urban ecosystems of Iran. | ||
| کلیدواژهها | ||
| Biomonitoring؛ Feather؛ Heavy Metals؛ Laughing Dove؛ Urban Pollution | ||
| مراجع | ||
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آمار تعداد مشاهده مقاله: 119 تعداد دریافت فایل اصل مقاله: 55 |
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