Contrasting levels of heavy metals in the feathers of urban pigeons from close habitats suggest limited movements at a restricted scale

Adrien Frantz , Marie-Anne Pottier (1) , Battle Karimi , Hélène Corbel , Emmanuel Aubry (1) , Claudy Haussy , Julien Gasparini , Maryse Castrec-Rouelle (1)

1 Bioemco - Biogéochimie et écologie des milieux continentaux

Despite restrictions in emissions, heavy metals may remain a major environmental issue due to their numerous sources and their persistence. Here, we assessed current levels of 4 metals (Copper, Cadmium, Lead, Zinc) in the feathers of 91 feral pigeons (Columba livia) from 7 sites in the urbanized region of Paris. Elements were detected in all pigeons, indicating that metals persist in urbanized areas. The ratio between metal concentrations in the feathers vs. in the environment calculated using data from other studies was 2-90 times higher for cadmium than for other metals, underlying its ecological importance. Concentrations in the feathers depended on locality, suggesting that pigeons remain in local habitats at this restricted scale, as expected from previous observations. Overall, our study suggests that urban feral pigeons may represent a good model system for metal biomonitoring. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mots clés: Heavy metal; Feral pigeon; Urban areas; Pollution; Paris

Domaines: Géochimie; Sciences de l'environnement

Adrien Frantz, Marie-Anne Pottier, Battle Karimi, Hélène Corbel, Emmanuel Aubry, et al.. Contrasting levels of heavy metals in the feathers of urban pigeons from close habitats suggest limited movements at a restricted scale. Environmental Pollution, 2012, 168, pp.23-28. ⟨10.1016/j.envpol.2012.04.003⟩. ⟨hal-01195895⟩