Abstract
The present study was aimed at analyzing the total mercury in the tissues of mammals adapted to the semi-aquatic or subterranean lifestyle and at analyzing the possible role of their antioxidant system in heavy metal detoxification. The water shrew (Neomys fodiens Pennant, 1771), European mole (Talpa europaea Linnaeus 1758), muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus Linnaeus, 1766), and water vole (Arvicola terrestris Linnaeus, 1758) were the species under study. Our results indicate that the tissue mercury accumulation depends on age, the tissue type and diet of the species. The largest mercury deposition occurred in the water shrew tissues as compared with the other species. Age features of toxicant accumulation in the animals were noted. A correlation between the mercury concentration and the catalase activity in the kidneys of the species investigated was revealed.
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