The Use of feral Pigeon's (Columba livia) Feathers as a Monitor for Lead Pollution in Korea

비둘기 깃털을 이용한 납 오염 모니터링

  • 남동하 (경희대학교 환경응용화학부) ;
  • 이두표 (호남대학교 자연과학부) ;
  • 구태회 (경희대학교 환경응용화학부)
  • Published : 2002.12.01

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the lead exposure conditions using feathers of pigeons as a monitor for lead pollution from rural (Duckjeok Island), central urban (Seoul), and industrial complex areas (Yochon, Ansan, Ulsan, and Busan) in Korea. The feathers were taken from breast body parts and their lead analysis was performed without washing the feathers to reflect lead particles attached to the surface. The tissue lead concentrations were also compared with levels of atmospheric concentrations. The lead levels in the feathers were increased when the atmospheric lead levels were higher, so that the lead levels in the feathers of the pigeons from the industrial complex area with highest atmospheric lead levels were about four times greater than those of the rural areas. A positive correlation was found between the lead concentration of the pigeon's livers and feathers in rural, and the Yochon industrial complex area with the lowest lead levels. This result means that most of lead in feathers is transported from body tissues during the molting period without attached atmospheric lead. Thus, the feather lead concentrations could be discussed in the light of the metabolism known to occur between the liver and feathers. However, there were not significant correlations in the other areas with higher atmospheric lead levels, and observed relatively higher lead accumulation ratio in feathers than in livers compared with rural and the Yochon industrial complex areas. It is therefore suggested that the former was more exposure conditions and mainly influenced by outer pollutant sources than by the metabolism as the latter.

비둘기 깃털을 이용하여 섬지역(경기도 덕적도), 도심지역(서울), 공단지역(여천, 안산, 울산, 부산)의 납 오염 수준을 모니터링 해본 결과, 깃털의 평균 납 농도는 섬지역이 2.55 $\mu\textrm{g}$/wet g, 도심 지역이 4.99 $\mu\textrm{g}$/wet g, 공단지역이 3.08~9.01 $\mu\textrm{g}$/wet g, 으로 각 지역간에 유의한 농도 차이가 있는 것으로 조사되었다(p<0.05). 다만, 여천 공단의 경우 다른 공단에 비해 상대적으로 낮게 나타났으며 섬지역과 비슷한 수준의 납이 검출되었다. 이러한 각 지역간 깃털의 납 농도는 대기오염 농도와도 비슷한 경향을 보이는 것으로 나타났다. 납 농도가 비교적 낮은 덕적도와 여천 공단의 경우 간과 깃털 조직간에 정의 상관관계가 있는 것으로 밝혀졌지만(p<0.05) 그외의 지역에서는 상대적으로 간 농도에 비해 깃털의 농도가 높았으며, 두 조직간에 상관관계가 없는 것으로 조사되었다(p>0.05) 이와 같은 결과는 덕적도와 여천 공단지역의 깃털 중 납의 대부분은 체내 조직으로부터 깃털로 이행되어진 것으로 판단되지만, 그 외 지역에서는 체내 조직에서 깃털로 이행된 양보다는 외부로부터 깃털에 부착된 양이 더 크다는 것을 시사한다.

Keywords

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