ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METAL RESIDUES IN EXCRETA OF BLUE ROCK PIGEON IN JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN

Manju Bala 1 , Asha Sharma 2 and Gaurav Sharma 3 . 1. Department of Applied and Biosciences, Suresh GyanVihar University, Jaipur. 2. Department of Zoology, Swargiya PNKS Government P.G. College Dausa, Rajasthan. 3. Department of Microbiology, Suresh GyanVihar University. ...................................................................................................................... Manuscript Info Abstract ......................... ........................................................................ Manuscript History

Heavy metal toxicity is a major problem worldwide affecting both wild and captive avian populations, causing deaths in numerous bird species annually, resulting from the lack of baseline information of one species to another. Birds are exposed to heavy metal from drinking-water contamination (e.g. lead pipes), high ambient air metal concentrations near emission sources, or intake via the food. After absorption, metals circulate in the body, are excreted in fecal matter or get accumulated in various body tissues, or are sequestered in feathers (Nighat et al., 2013). Birds are the most conspicuous and significant component of different habitats due to their high sensitivity to environmental contaminants especially from anthropogenic activities than any other vertebrates, hence their presence or absence may indicate the ecological conditions of the particular area. Hence birds are the best to monitor environmental change (Kler et al., 2014 andMedona et al., 2015).
Excretion of heavy metals in fecal matter of birds has received attention because according to Wildlife Protection Act 1972, the capturing and killing of birds is legally banned by Govt. of India; therefore any analytical studies which make use of bird's tissues and organs are away from the experts working in this area. Besides, in India studies on heavy metal pollution in bird's excreta are restricted. As a further matter, the heavy metals show the capacity for bioaccumulation and biomagnification in the food chains (Zhuang et al., 2009). So the faecal matter as indicator of metal contamination has display the metal pollution level well in environment. Thus, faecal matter of bird is the only source, which if examined can give an estimation of the adverse impact of trace metals on these organisms and environment. Therefore, the present studies were designed in order to biomonitor concentration of heavy metals in the faecal matter of birds contributed by industrial environment and also to discover if faecal matter can be used as non-invasive method to determine metal concentration in environment.

Materials and Methods:-
Study area:-Study areas include Jhotwara, Malviya, Mansarover, Sitapura, Vishwakarma industrial area and Sanganer industries of Jaipur, Rajasthan. Industrial effluent contributes to air, soil and water pollution by adding different types of contaminants. Some of the industries are situated inside the city and the remaining outside, but all are not free from human residential localities.
Sample collection:-Dry excreta of bird's species Blue Rock Pigeon were collected from Jhotwara, Malviya, Mansarover, Sitapura, Vishwakarma industrial area and Sanganer industries of Jaipur, Rajasthan. Samples were collected in month of January and February (winter season) and in month of July and August (summer season) in 2016. Excreta Samples were collected from five different sites in each industrial area during both seasons. The collected excreta samples were put into polyethylene bags and labelled appropriately with the source, time and date of collection.
Sample preparation:-0.5 gm dry excreta samples from different industrials areas were weighed. Concentrated nitric acid and Perchloric acid were added to each sample in 4:1 ratio. Samples were kept in water bath until it was digested completely and became clear. Perchloric acid was added (3 to 4 drops) to neutralize and to dissolve the fat. The final volume was made to 25 ml with distilled water and the solution was filtered. Samples were stored at room temperature prior to analysis.

Sample and Statistical analyses:-
The digested samples were analyzed for heavy metals such as Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Nickel (Ni), Lead (Pb), and Zinc (Zn) by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) at Rajasthan state pollution control board, Jaipur. Each analysis was done three times while single blank was run for 5 samples. The readings taken on AAS were converted into parts per million (ppm= μg/g). The data for different metals in different industrial areas during both seasons was statistically analysed by one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) succeeding Turkey HSD (p<0.05) deviation using the Statistical Packages of Social Science (SPSS) to determine whether heavy metals shows significant difference among the different industrial areas. The data obtained was represented as Mean ± SE (standard error).

Metals concentration in fecal matter:-
The elemental composition of excreta of Blue Rock Pigeon obtained from different industrial areas of Jaipur (Jhotwara, Malviya, Mansarover, Sitapura, Vishwakarma industrial areas and Sanganer industries) has shown the existence of six elements in total i.e. Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Nickel (Ni), Lead (Pb), and Zinc (Zn) in present studies. Cd and Pb are included in the category of heavy metals which are toxic and non-essential in nature. As being essential elements, Cr, Ni, Cu and Zn are required to perform some metabolic activities in body. All these essential elements are also detrimental when exist above threshold levels in these organisms. All heavy metal concentrations observed shows variation among different industrial regions and also between seasons as it were evident from recorded data. In the present studies, Cadmium was not traceable in any sample in summer season and in samples from Jhotwara and Mansarover industrial area collected during winter seasons. Besides, lead was not detected in samples from Sitapura industrial area during winter season, while Copper, Chromium, Nickel and Zinc were found in miscellaneous concentration during both seasons as shown in Table 1 and Table 2. Thus, this variation in level of metals provides a range for all heavy metals concentration. The concentration of all heavy metals except Cd varied significantly at 5% level of significance among the industrial regions (Table 1 and Table 2).

Cadmium:-
The Cd concentration in all industrial areas varied from ND to 0.445±0.113 ppm and from ND to 0.225±0.055 ppm in the winter and summer season respectively. Cd concentration was lowest in excreta sample of Sanganer industries and it was highest in Sitapura industrial area during summer season while in samples collected during winter season, Cd was present only in Sitapura industrial area.

Lead:-
The level of Pb was ND to 6.60±0.50 ppm and from 0.22±0.03 to 5.45±0.803 ppm in the winter and summer season respectively for all industrial areas During winter season, concentration of Pb was found to be lowest in excreta sample collected from Mansarover industrial area and it was highest in Sanganer industries while lead concentration was highest in Vishwakarma and Mansarover industrial area and lowest in Sanganer industries during summer season.

Copper:-
The Cu concentration, for all industrial areas, varied 6.55±2.40 to 24.75±4.069 ppm and from 3.60±0.065 to 26.05±0.721 ppm in the winter and summer season respectively. During winter season, Cu level was lowest in excreta collected from Mansarover industrial area and it was highest in Sitapura industrial area while its lowest value was recorded in Sitapura industrial area and highest value in Vishwakarma industrial area during summer season.

Nickel:-
The Ni concentration range was found to be 2.75±0.470 to 9.10±2.22 ppm and from 1.92±0.135 to 6.45±0.310 ppm in the winter and summer season respectively for all industrial areas. Ni level was lowest in excreta collected from Sanganer industries and it was highest in Vishwakarma industrial area during winter season. During summer season, highest nickel level was found in Jhotwara industrial area and lowest in Sanganer industries.
Zinc:-Zn value varied from 49.60±8.11 to 162±4.58 ppm and from 31.98±10.10 to 111.45±2.76 ppm in the winter and summer season respectively among industrial areas. Zn concentration was lowest in excreta collected from Mansarover industrial area and highest in Vishwakarma industrial area during winter season while its lowest level has been observed in Jhotwara industrial area and highest in Sanganer industries during summer season.   Braune and Noble (2009) the concentration of heavy metals are usually low (1 ppm wet weight, which approximately represents 3 ppm dry weight) in most living organisms. High Cd accumulation results in carcinogenic, mutagenic and tetratogenic effects. It alters the activity of a number of cellular enzymes. High concentration of Cd also causes altered behavior, suppression of egg production, egg shell thinning and testicular damage. According to Elinder CG (1992) cadmium is an environmental hazard and found that environmentally exposed organisms have suffered from kidney damage. In mammals and birds, cadmium accumulates in livers and kidneys at concentrations of 0.1-2 mg/kg and 1-10 mg/kg wet weight, respectively. Bravo  Burger J (1995) examined the risk of lead to birds and found that Lead causes decreases in clutch and egg size, mortality of embryos and nestlings, depression of growth and deficits in behaviour that affect survival. Lead decreases migratory behaviour and increases vulnerability to cold stress, hunters and other predators. Dauwe et al. (2005) reported that Pb impairs the growth and survival of nestlings, causes haemolytic anaemia in wild Pbpoisoned birds and has adverse effects on reproduction such as decreased plasma calcium, egg production and also causes behavioural impairments. Further, Jayakumar and Muralidharan (2011) recorded the maximum concentrations of Pb (20.59 ± 9.07 μg/g) in muscles of jungle babbler which falls in the toxic category. Lead at its 4 ppm concentration in feathers cause adverse effects in birds (Burger and Gochfeld, 2000b). Thus, mean Pb concentration varied from ND to 6.60±0.50 ppm in the excreta of pigeon from different industrial area in both seasons was above this value indicating high exposure of Pb to the birds. The high concentration of Pb in excreta can be related to the different anthropogenic activities. A concentration of 5.753 ± 0.676 ppm of Pb in excreta of blue rock pigeon was reported by Kler et al. (2014).