Concentrations of cadmium, copper and zinc in tissues of mallard and coot from southern Poland.

The aim of this study was to present the content of cadmium, copper and zinc in tissues of the most common game waterbirds from southern Poland. Concentrations of the three metals were measured in brain, pectoral muscle, heart muscle, liver and kidney of mallard (n = 10) and coot (n = 10) shot in 2003 on fishponds around Zator, Southern Poland. The lowest concentrations were noted in the case of cadmium. Its highest median occurred in kidney (mallard 8.4251 μg/g d.w., coot 5.0704 μg/g d.w.). Average concentrations of this element in muscles oscillated in both species around 0.94 μg/g d.w. In the comparison of cadmium concentrations to the safety norms for consumable meat, almost all samples were non-fit for human consumption. Copper concentrations showed a significant variation between species but their range in different tissues was generally narrow. The highest median was noted among mallards in liver (39.4863 μg/g d.w.) and among coots in pectoral muscle (40.2684 μg/g d.w.). Zinc concentrations did not differ statistically between species only in the case of liver and kidney. Median of this element hit to 98.4883 μg/g d.w. (liver of mallard) and 107.6153 μg/g d.w. (heart muscle of coot). No statistically significant correlations between concentrations of studied metals in different samples were noted. Concentrations of study elements were also evaluated in environmental samples. Water contained trace amounts of researched elements (medians from 0.0401 for Cd to 0.1251 mg/L for Cu). In deposit and forage samples, zinc occurred in the highest concentration (median up to 56.7701 μg/g d.w.).