Abstract
Pigeons are susceptible to various pollutants. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of nematode parasites in the bioremediation of metal accumulation in domestic pigeon Columba livia. A total of 26 domestic pigeons from poultry farm in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; were collected randomly. The concentration of elements in infected and non-infected pigeons was measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. The levels of the metal varied that depending on different tissues. During this study, zinc was measured as the dominant metal. Overall, the results showed that all heavy metals concentrations in liver samples were significantly higher than in other pigeon tissues. Nematodes have been collected and described in the intestinal tract of pigeons. The results showed that intestinal nematode parasites in the tissues of infected pigeons caused a significant decrease in metal concentrations compared to non-infected ones. Bioaccumulation factors have shown that nematode parasites have a higher concentration potential than pigeon tissues. Adult nematode infection in domestic pigeons is considered a biomarker of heavy metal contamination, and its presence reduced the biosynthesis of heavy metals in pigeon tissues.
Highlights
Birds are good subjects for pollution studies because they have high trophic levels, are well studied, easy to detect, and are indicators of environmental health [1,2]
Based on the taxonomic keys, nematodes are identified according to their morphological characteristics as Ascaridia columbae
The heavy metal concentrations found in the parasites were significantly higher than in the tissues of the host pigeons, and were ordered as follows: Sr > Mn > Zn > Mg > Al > Mo > Se > Ni > Cd > Ba > Cr > As > Cu > Pb > Co > Fe
Summary
Birds are good subjects for pollution studies because they have high trophic levels, are well studied, easy to detect, and are indicators of environmental health [1,2]. Heavy metals are often mobilized faster than normal in birds and environments [3]. The ability to bioaccumulate by the parasites arising from the competition for chemical elements, including heavy metals which is a valuable tool for evaluating the functions of the parasite-host system [7]. With regard to urban ecosystems, data on the use of parasites as potential bio-indicators for heavy metal pollution are still very scarce and apply exclusively to cestode/mammal models [9,10]. Models have been proposed for water birds [11] or raptors [12], but no data on urban birds are available
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