Arıkan Kalender, Arıkan Zeynep Yaşar, Turan Salih Levent
Pesticide Research and References Laboratory, Department of Biology Education, Faculty of Education, Hacettepe University, Beytepe Campus, Ankara, Turkey.
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ankara University, Tandoğan Campus, Ankara, Turkey.
Bull Environ Contam Toxicol. 2018 Mar;100(3):361-368. doi: 10.1007/s00128-018-2272-1. Epub 2018 Jan 15.
The residues of persistent organochlorinated pollutants (POPs), namely polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) (HCHs, CHLs, HCCPs, DDTs, and dicofol congeners) were investigated in the hair and muscle of road-killed Erinaceus roumanicus and E. concolor in Turkey. Mean residue levels were as follows: in hair, PCBs = 7.43 ± 4.88 ng/g and OCPs = 9.21 ± 1.27 ng/g; in muscle, PCBs = 30.73 ± 2.51 ng/g and OCPs = 145.04 ± 16.59 ng/g. There was no significant difference between species and sex, while there was significant difference between habitats and regions in terms of either total PCB and OCP levels, or POP levels (p < 0.05). Age was a determinative factor for the bio-accumulation of POPs. The contaminant levels were high in the species, sample areas, and habitats. The data also showed that tissues of hedgehogs are suitable for monitoring and evaluating the bioaccumulation of POP levels in Turkey.
