Impact of Heavy Metals on Feathers and Egg Shells in the Yellow River Delta Estuary

Overview

Journal RSC Adv

Publisher Royal Society of Chemistry

Specialty Chemistry

Date 2022 May 6

PMID 35515397

Authors

Yuewei Yang

Jing Li

Fengjiao Zhang

Fengfei Sun

Junfeng Chen

Meizhen Tang

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

In this study, the and , typical wetland birds in the Yellow River estuary, were selected as research objects. The feathers and egg shells of and were collected to determine the contents of heavy metals Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn, Mn, Ni and Pb in the samples. Correlation analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA), principal factor analysis (PFA) and potential ecological risk index (RI) were used to analyse and treat the measured heavy metal content data to determine the heavy metal pollution status, source and potential ecological risk in the Yellow River estuary. The results of CA, PCA and PFA showed that the content of Cd in the Yellow River estuary was much higher than the background value and its pollution was the most serious. Cr pollution was second and Mn pollution was the lowest. Heavy metal pollution mainly came from human activities such as oil exploitation, industrial production, use of pesticides and fertilizers, and the pollution caused by natural sources was relatively low. Based on the RI value of heavy metals in the study area, heavy metal Cd had an extremely high ecological risk status, and other heavy metals were all low. The results of this study can provide some reference and theoretical support for bird protection, heavy metal pollution control and ecological restoration in the Yellow River delta.

Citing Articles

Non-lethal sampling of phalanges for heavy metal bioaccumulation in Pelophylax nigromaculatus from historical mercury mining areas in Southwestern China.

Zhang X, Lu Z, Chen F, Li B, Yang C Sci Rep. 2024; 14(1):30809.

PMID: 39730593 PMC: 11680811. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-81621-6.

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