Trace elements in blood collected from birds feeding in the area around Donana National Park affected by the toxic spill from the Aznalcollar mine

A long-term monitoring plan was established to study if bird populations around Donana National Park were affected by the toxic spill from the Aznalcollar mine. The concentrations of Zn, Pb, As, Cu, Sb, Co, Tl and Cd in the blood of 11 bird species feeding in the area were determined. The parameters which most affect the accumulation of trace elements in the birds studied are, firstly, species and, secondly, trophic position, sex, days of exposure and weight. In some individuals, Zn and Cu occurred at higher levels than the reference values for contaminated areas. Concentrations of Pb and Cd in a considerable number of individuals were higher than those found in birds from uncontaminated areas. The present data, together with the lack of data on blood metal concentration prior to the spill, do not offer any conclusive evidence of the influence of the spill on avian blood metal concentrations. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.