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Heavy Metals in Tissues of Small Mammals Inhabiting Waste‐Water‐Irrigated Habitats
Author(s) -
Anthony Robert G.,
Kozlowski Rosemarie
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1982.00472425001100010005x
Subject(s) - effluent , cadmium , microtus , irrigation , biology , sewage , phalaris arundinacea , ecology , environmental science , environmental chemistry , agronomy , environmental engineering , wetland , chemistry , organic chemistry
Concentrations of heavy metals in liver and kidney of meadow voles ( Microtus pennsylvanicus ) and white‐footed mice ( Permyscus leucopus ) from waste‐water‐irrigated and control areas were analyzed. Heavy metals were not accumulating in meadow voles inhabiting a reed canarygrass ( Phalaris arundinacea ) field irrigated with sewage effluent. In contrast, Pb and Cd concentrations were significantly higher in tissues of white‐footed mice inhabiting an irrigated forested site as compared with a control forested site. However, concentrations of Pb and Cd were not high enough to be considered toxic. Cadmium/zinc ratios for kidneys of small mammals were higher than those for soils and vegetation on irrigated areas, demonstrating the potentially hazardous uptake of Cd. Heavy metals were not accumulating to hazardous levels in herbivorous small mammals inhabiting areas irrigated with sewage effluent at application rates ranging from 5.0 to 7.5 cm/week for 14 years.