La Tour du Valat

Institut de recherche pour la conservation des zones humides méditerranéennes

Titre :	Retrospective study of lead poisoning and exposure to potentially toxic heavy metals in White-tailed Eagles Haliaeetus albicilla in Germany.
Auteurs :	Norbert Kenntner, Auteur ; Guenter Oehme, Auteur ; Dietrich Heidecke, Auteur ; Frieda Tataruch, Auteur
Type de document :	Article
Dans :	Vogelwelt (Die) (125(2) 2004)
Article en page(s) :	63-75
Résumé :	The White-tailed Eagle is a top predator and scavenger, therefore it is highly susceptible to biomagnification of persistent environmental contaminants and for acute poisoning. In the present study we analysed organs of 46 White-tailed Eagles for potentially toxic heavy metals. All birds were found dead or moribund in Eastern Germany from 1978 to 1998, Residues of lead, mercury and cadmium were analysed in livers and kidneys, as well as water content and dry ash of both organs. Mercury poisoning was detected in one White-tailed Eagle from the year 1978, with levels of 45.3 ppm and 34.8 ppm in liver and kidney tissue, respectively, both calculated on a wet weight basis (wet wt). Three further White-tailed Eagles had toxicological relevant concentrations of mercury in kidney tissue (> 30 ppm wet wt), but not in their livers ( 5 ppm (wet wt) in both organs were judged as lead poisoned. In 78% of the necropsied White-tailed Eagles we had found background levels for lead exposure for birds of prey (

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