Haematological and biochemical parameters and the serum concentrations of phosphorus, lead, cadmium and chromium in flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) and black-headed gull (Larus ridibundus) in Iran

Abstract

Blood samples of nine flamingos and 12 black-headed gulls from Fars province of Iran were used to determine the haematological and biochemical factors and the concentrations of phosphorus, lead, chromium and cadmium in serum. Haematological parameters in flamingo—packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb) concentration, red blood cell (RBC) number, white blood cell (WBC) count, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), MCH concentration (MCHC), heterophiles, lymphocytes and thrombocytes—were found to be 35.21±1.6 (%), 117.8±59 (g/l), 2.27±0.29 (×1012/l), 5.93±1.25 (×109/l), 201.84±86 (fl), 62.54±5.73 (pg), 329±1.6 (g/l), 64.71±4.47 (%), 35.14±2.1 (%) and 76.4±9.2 (109/l), respectively. Haematological parameters in black-headed gull—PCV, Hb, RBC, WBC, MCV, MCH, MCHC, heterophiles, lymphocytes and thrombocytes—were found to be 39±2.52 (%), 123±13.3 (g/l), 2.89±0.45 (×1012/l), 2.25±0.42 (×109/l), 184±17.32 (fl), 60.33±6.74 (pg), 327.6±3.8 (g/l), 57.33±12.2 (%), 42.66±4.7 (%) and 61.44±8.25 (109/l), respectively. The results of blood serum biochemistry in flamingo indicated that the concentrations of glucose, cholesterol, total protein, albumin, uric acid, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), creatine phosphokinase (CPK), phosphorus, cadmium, lead and chromium were 8.45±1.65 (mmol/l), 10.4±0.01 (mmol/l), 55±4.7 (g/l), 17.1±2.7 (g/l), 528.99±172.4 (μmol/l), 70.83±19.77 (IU/l), 4.2±0.2 (IU/l), 19.78±5.38 (IU/l), 197.16±57.45 (IU/l), 2.01±0.4 (mmol/l), 2.55±0.98 (μmol/l), 11.14±3.95 (μmol/l) and 4.08±1.41 (μmol/l), respectively. The results of blood biochemistry in black-headed gull indicated that the serum concentrations of glucose, cholesterol, total protein, albumin, uric acid, AST, ALT, ALP, CPK, phosphorus, cadmium, lead and chromium were 10.78±1.39 (mmol/l), 7.37±0.63 (mmol/l), 51±8.1 (g/l), 18.3±2 (g/l), 707.8±210.55 (μmol/l), 92.66±17.14 (IU/l), 9.21±1.2 (IU/l), 27.73±5.37 (IU/l), 164.33±48.81 (IU/l), 2.09±0.59 (mmol/l), 3.26±1.1 (μmol/l), 10.32±2.49 (μmol/l) and 5.91±1.25 (μmol/l), respectively. The results showed high concentrations of heavy metals in both species, which could be an indication of environmental pollution.