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The Characteristics of Heavy Metal Accumulations in Feral Pigeon (Columba livia) Eggshells for Environmental Monitoring

이장호 1 Lee,Jong-Chun 2 박종혁 3 이유진 3 심규영 3 MYUNGJIN KIM 3 Young-Kyu Shin 2

1국립환경과학원 환경자원연구부 자연평가연구팀
2국립환경연구원
3국립환경과학원

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ABSTRACT

The heavy metal accumulations of avian eggshells were studied in order to test a feral pigeon (Columba livia)’s eggshell as an indicator for the environmental monitoring of pollutants. The reviews on the eggs of the different 19 avian species showed that it is the eggshell rather than the egg content that can better reflect the heavy metals in the environment; in most cases the CVs (coefficients of variations) of the heavy metal concentrations in the eggshells were higher than those in the egg contents. This can indicate that the heavy metal accumulations are homeostatically controlled in the egg contents, but the accumulations in the eggshells are varied according to the environmental conditions. To test the reviews, the feral pigeon eggs from the two different sites, one representing urban and the other rural environment, were analyzed for lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd). The result showed that the eggshells of the urban pigeons (Hangang) had the higher metal concentrations than those of the rural pigeons (Hampyeong). The same difference can also be found in the internal organs (liver, bone) and blood. However, the analyses of the egg contents between the two sites did not reveal the differences. In other words, the result suggests that the feral pigeons, like the other avian species, are able to control the heavy metals into the egg contents homeostatically. Therefore, it is more useful to use the feral pigeon eggshell rather than the egg content in case of monitoring heavy metals in different habitats.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.