Trace Elements (Pb, Zn, Cu) in Blood of Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) from the Isonzo River Nature Reserve (Italy)

Lead concentrations in blood of 45 specimens of mute swan from the molting area of the Isonzo River Mouth Nature Reserve (Italy) were determined in two consecutive years (2006-2007), some birds were neck ringed to identify their homing behavior. The second sampling included whole body X-ray radiography and Cu and Zn plasma analyses to investigate the health impact of putative Pb exposure. X-ray images of all investigated specimens did not show any radiopacity due to the ingestion of metal bodies. Lead levels (0.08-0.44 g/ml) were in the range of those reported for swans living in unpolluted or slightly polluted environments and excluded acute intoxication, as confirmed by clinical investigation. Zinc concentrations ranged between 2.93 and 7.59 g/ml and were one order of magnitude higher than Cu concentrations (0.21-0.42 g/ml). The negative correlation between Pb and Zn concentrations could be indicative of adverse health effects caused by chronic lead exposure. To our knowledge this is the first study reporting Pb, Zn and Cu blood levels, X-ray radiographies and data on the origin of swan populations

Effect of different organotins on DNA of mollusk (Scapharca inaequivalvis) erythrocytes assessed by comet assay.

The alkaline comet assay, employing a single-cell gel-electrophoresis, is a rapid, simple and sensitive technique for visualizing and measuring DNA damage leading to strand breakage in individual cells. In this study, we report data about the effect of different organotin compounds (MBTC, DBTC and TBTC) on DNA from erythrocytes of the Scapharca inaequivalvis bivalve mollusc. Our results show significant DNA damage after 30 min in vitro incubation with 10μM of organotins. Since TBTC turned out to be the most genotoxic compound, followed by MBTC and DBTC, we exposed the molluscs to 50ppb of TBTC for 11 days. A significant increase of comet parameters was measured in our experimental conditions. The use of the comet test as a high-throughput screening assay to monitor the effect of environmental pollutants on marine organisms has been proposed

Copper, zinc,cadmium and metallothionein in wild animals from the Quaderna Valley

While some trace elements as Cu and Zn are essential for many biological functions, Cd is considered only for its toxicity and rises the greatest biological and environmental concern, due to the increasing contamination of soil caused by human activities. The reported research is part of a project carried out in our laboratory on ecotoxicological risks and detoxification mechanisms in terrestrial and aquatic animals environmentally exposed to heavy metals (1,2). In the present study, we analysed the concentrations of Cd, Cu and Zn in terrestrial wild animals from the Quaderna Valley, a partially unpolluted area, 15 km SW of Bologna. In addition, in two selected species, fox and badger, we isolated metallothonein (MT) in kidney and liver. Cd, Zn, and Cu concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) in selected tissues of fox, badger, hare, pheasant, quail and snail. MT was isolated by gelfiltration chromatography from liver and kidney of fox and badger. MT was detected by AAS by measuring Zn, Cu and Cd concentrations in the eluted fractions. Due to their essentiality in biological systems, Cu and Zn were present at detectable concentrations in all samples, showing similar levels in the examined species, with the exception of high levels of Cu in snail, due to the presence of hemocyanin. Cd was found in detectable amounts only in the kidney and liver; the kidney metal concentrations varied between a minimum of 0.26 mg/kg wet wt in fox to a maximum of 3.93 mg/kg wet wt in badger. The highest kidney Cd levels found in quail and badger are due to the earthworm-based diet, as previously reported for woodcock (1). This is confirmed by the presence of Cd-MT in the gelfiltration pattern. Overall, the reported data are indicative of a low metal environmental contamination. AKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Work supported by RFO 200