Effect of pregnancy on mercury concentration in the body of free-living small rodents
Year | 2024 |
Cathegory | Scientific publication in impacted journals |
Internal link | 24120.pdf |
Abstract | Relatively little information exists on the effects of mercury on terrestrial wildlife populations. We analyzed 38 free-living small rodent females (Myodes glareolus, Microtus agrestris, and Apodemus flavicolis), of which 11 were pregnant, for total mercury concentrations in combined liver and kidney samples. Using a single-purpose atomic absorption spectrometer for mercury determination, the measured mercury values ranged from 0.006 to 0.079 mg/kg. Pregnant females had significantly (P < 0.041) higher mercury levels in liver and kidney than did nonpregnant females. Our results suggest that during mercury biomonitoring studies it is necessary to consider the pregnancy of the analyzed animals. |
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