Lewis S A, Becker P H, Furness R W
Applied Ornithology Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK.
Environ Pollut. 1993;80(3):293-9. doi: 10.1016/0269-7491(93)90051-o.
The relationships between mercury levels in eggs, tissues, and feathers of male and female herring gulls caught at their nests at a colony on the German Wadden Sea Coast were investigated, and an assessment of mercury intake and excretion of these birds was made. Samples of the liver, ovary, pectoral muscle, and body feathers, as well as the primary feather (in some cases), and eggs were taken from 37 adult herring gulls. Analysis of total mercury in all samples showed that body-feather and tissue levels were independent of sex. There was, however, a significant difference between levels of mercury in the primary feathers of male and female birds. Egg levels were not correlated to pectoral muscle, ovary, or feather levels although they were positively correlated with mercury levels in the liver. Liver levels were in turn correlated with mercury levels in the ovary. The ratio of mean feather to mean egg concentration ranged from 3.7 to 5.5 according to which feather was used. It was estimated that herring gulls from the Wadden coast ingested between 825 and 1337 microg of mercury in the year prior to analysis. It was also estimated that female birds may excrete over 20% more mercury via their eggs than could be excreted by male birds.
对在德国瓦登海海岸一个聚居地的巢穴捕获的雌雄银鸥的蛋、组织和羽毛中的汞含量之间的关系进行了调查，并对这些鸟类的汞摄入量和排泄量进行了评估。从37只成年银鸥身上采集了肝脏、卵巢、胸肌、体羽以及初级飞羽（某些情况下）和蛋的样本。对所有样本中的总汞进行分析表明，体羽和组织中的汞含量与性别无关。然而，雌雄鸟类初级飞羽中的汞含量存在显著差异。蛋中的汞含量与胸肌、卵巢或羽毛中的汞含量没有相关性，尽管它们与肝脏中的汞含量呈正相关。肝脏中的汞含量又与卵巢中的汞含量相关。根据所使用的羽毛不同，平均羽毛与平均蛋浓度的比值在3.7至5.5之间。据估计，在分析前一年，来自瓦登海岸的银鸥摄入了825至1337微克的汞。还估计雌性鸟类通过蛋排泄的汞可能比雄性鸟类多20%以上。
