To study the amount of Cadmium and Chromium in the feathers of emigrant birds in Fereydoonkenar International Wetland

ABSTRACT: Fereydoonkenar International Wetland is of the most important water ecosystems in Iran located in south of the Caspian Sea in forest ecosystem-wetland, considered a winter-spending habitat for emigrant birds. A considerable amount of heavy metals so far through human activities have been involved into the environment in a way it may cause the birds exposure to chemicals like heavy metals directly or through spoiled food and contaminated water. Therefore the organs of the birds can play store or remove heavy metals. In such a research has been studied the extent of aggregation of heavy metals including Cadmium and Chromium in the feathers of pochard(Aythyaferina) (n=10) and mallard(Anasplatyrhynchos) (n=10) in fall of 2012 in Fereydoonkenar International Wetland. The outcome resulted from analyzing the feathers of two species to determine the density of Cadmium and Chromium provides the facts that the most and the least extent of Cadmium in the feathers of such birds are 3/18 and 1/13 µg/gr respectively in pochard; and also the most and the least amount of Chromium respectively 4/9 in pochard and 1/9 µg/gr in mallard. Thus it turned out the density of Cadmium and Chromium in such two species are of not a remarkable difference (p > 0.05). Also the outcome of the Pearson Correlation Test showed that there is not a significant statistical relation between the weights of such birds and density of Cadmium and Chromium (p > 0.05). The stated results in this research may be of use in constant monitoring of metals in pochard and mallard.