الفهرس 
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Abstract
Bioindicators represent the range of species that can be used to monitor the health of the environment or the ecosystem. That is biological specie can detect the degree of ecosystem or environmental safety in any area. The effects of these organisms can be monitored by (biochemical, physiological or behavioral) changes that may indicate a problem in the ecosystem. It also tells us about the cumulative effects of the various pollutants in the ecosystem and extent of the problem (quantity and intensity of exposure) to provide us with information that would give a clear picture of the environmental situation in these areas, benefit of them and present them to the decision maker for analysis and taking what the deems appropriate for the environmental sanitation of this region.
So Feral pigeons were selected to serve as bioindicator in this study, which was collected from different areas in Assiut governorate (Bani Ady, Manflut, Al- Hawatika, Bani Sanad, Refa and Salam).
The main aim of this study was the evaluation of the levels of
some heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Al) in tissues (including blood, liver,
kidney, lung, bones, muscles and feathers of wings and breast) in feral pigeon as positive or negative bioindicator of environmental pollution
at Assiut governorate.
Seventy two feral pigeons (with equal number of males and females) were collected from 6 different locations at Assiut Governorate (Bani Ady, Manfalout, Al-Hawtica, Bani Sanad, Refa, Salam). Special care was taken to make sure that the pigeons were approximately of similar size and weight (100 ± 10 gm). The pigeons were collected from October 2015 to April 2016. The samples (blood, liver, kidney, lung, bone, muscles, feathers of wings and breast) were put in plastic bag/ metal free containers and transported to the laboratory.
These frozen samples except blood were cleaned and washed with de-ionized water. Tissue samples were chopped into pieces with the aid of a stainless steel knife. All frozen samples were digested according to method applied by (Janssens et al., 2001). Afterwards, all samples were diluted to 25 ml with Bi-distilled water and were stored in polypropylene metal-free vials at -18 ºC until the time of analysis.
The digested samples were analyzed in triplicate for heavy metal determination (Cd, Pb and Al) concentrations by using the ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectrometer, iCAP 6200) At Central Laboratory for Chemical Analysis, Faculty of Agriculture,
Assiut University.
The results obtained in this study revealed that:
Heavy metal concentrations in different examined tissues
(1) Cadmium:
Cd concentrations differed and ranged in feathers of wings and breast, livers and lungs of male pigeons from 0.103-1.153, 0.339-
2.553, 0.03-0.617, 0.091-0.470 respectively with the highest level of
it was found in Bani Sanad while the lowest level found in Al-
Hawatika, the concentration of Cd in blood ranged from 0.066-0.183
as the highest level was observed in Bani Ady and the lowest one
in Refa, but in bone Cd levels ranged from 0.009-0.186 as the
highest level was in Bani Ady and the lowest one in Salam. In kidney its concentration ranged from 0.182-3.319 with the highest level
was in Bani Sanad while the lowest one in Manflout. For muscles
Cd was ranged from 0.081-0.418 as the highest level was
observed in Bani Ady and the lowest level was observed in Salam.
But in female pigeons, Concentration of Cd in feathers of wings ranged from 0.338-2.954 as the highest level was in Bani Ady while
the lowest one was in Bani Sanad. For feathers of breast and blood
Cd level was ranged from 0.337-2.312, 0.074-0.774 respectively as
the highest level was recorded in Bani Sanad and the lowest one in
Al-Hawatika. For bone, Cd concentration was ranged from 0.010-
0.680 as the highest level was found Bani Sanad and the lowest one
was found Salam. Cd level in kidney was ranged from 0.414-0.534
as the highest level was observed in Refa and the lowest level
was observed in Al-Hwatica. Cd level in liver was ranged from 0.089-0.268 where the highest level was recorded in Bani Sanad and the
lowest one was in Salam. For lung tissue, Cd concentration was
ranged from 0.051-0.378 as the highest level was recorded in Bani
Ady and the lowest one was recorded in Manfalout. Cd level in
muscular tissue was ranged from 0.060-2.100 as the highest level
was found in Manfalout and the lowest level was found in Refa.
(2) Lead:
Pb concentrations differed and ranged in feathers of wings and blood of male pigeons from 21.654-81.318, 4.195-12.87 respectively
with the highest level was found in Bani Sanad while the lowest
level was found in Bani Ady. In feathers of breast, Pb concentration
was ranged from 1.561-63.76 where the highest level was recorded
in Salam and the lowest one was recorded in Bani Sanad. In
bone Pb concentration was ranged from 0.431-12.799 as the highest
level was found in Refa and the lowest level was found in Salam.
Pb concentrations in kidney, lung and muscles ranged from
3.522- 55.256, 5.423-17.566, 3.112-12.054 respectively as the highest level was in Bani Sanad and the lowest level was in Salam. In
liver tissue, Pb level was ranged from 0.773-11.995 and Bani
Sanad had the highest level and Refa had the lowest one.
In female pigeons Pb concentration in feathers of wings was
ranged from 20.077-88.268 where the highest level was reported
in Manfalout and the lowest level was detected in Bani Sanad. In
feathers of breast, Pb concentration was ranged from 1.130-67.69
where the highest level was recorded in Al-Hwatica and the lowest
one was recorded in Bani Sanad. Pb in blood was ranged from
2.665-14.710 and the highest level was observed in Al-Hwatica
where the lowest level was found in Bani Ady. In bone Pb
concentration was ranged from 0.148-16.689 as the highest level
was found in Bani Sanad and the lowest level was found in Salam. Pb levels ranged from 0.397-25.441, 0.512-18.235, 0.435-12.995 in
kidney, liver and lung respectively as the highest level was recorded
in Reva and the lowest one in Salam. In muscular tissues, Pb level was ranged from 4.676-22.705 as the highest concentration was
detected in Manfalout and the lowest level was found in Bani Ady.
(3) Aluminum:
Al concentrations in feathers of wings and breast of male
pigeons ranged from 1.766-7.826, 1.407-7.952 respectively as the
highest level was observed in Salam and the lowest level for feathers
of wings was in Al-Hawatika and for feathers of breast was in
Manflout. Al in blood was ranged from 1.030-66.150 and the
highest level was observed in Refa where the lowest level was found
in Al-Hawtica. In bone Al concentration was ranged from 1.709-
48.165 as the highest level was found in Bani Sanad and the lowest
level was found in Refa. Al concentration was ranged from 1.422-
45.123 in kidney tissues where the highest level was found in Refa
and the lowest level was found in Salam. In liver tissue, Al level
was ranged from 7.710-61.266 and Refa had the highest level and
Bani Ady had the lowest one. Al level in lung tissue was ranged
from 1.009-34.594 where the highest level was found in Bani Ady
and the lowest level was found in Salam. In muscular tissues,
Al level was ranged from 2.186-68.006 as the highest level was
detected in Salam and the lowest level was found in Refa.
In female pigeons, Al concentration in feathers of wings was ranged from 1.690-7.471 where the highest level was in Salam and
the lowest level was in Bani Ady. In feathers of breast, Al level
was ranged from 2.011-74.353 where the highest level was found in
Al-Hwatica and the lowest one was in Refa. Al in blood was
ranged from 13.590-64.290 and the highest level was observed in
Refa where the lowest level was in Manfalout. In bone and muscles
Al levels ranged from 0.446-45.166, 9.041-62.263 respectively
with the highest level was observed in Al-Hawatika and the lowest
level was observed in Bani Ady. Al level was ranged from 1.110-
61.211 in kidney tissues where the highest level was found in Salam
and the lowest level was in Bani Sanad. In liver tissue, Al level
was ranged from 1.053-99.425 and Al-Hawtica had the highest
level and Bani Sanad had the lowest one. Al level in lung tissue
was ranged from 1.265-78.398 where the highest level was
found in Manfalout and the lowest level was found in Salam.
Our results revealed that there is a significant difference in (Cd,
Pb and Al) concentration from one area to another. For Cd, The
highest level in males was found in Bani Sanad, while the highest
level in females was in Manflout and the highest level for both males
and females together was in Bani Sanad, the lowest levels in males, females and both males and females together were in Al-Hawatika.
For Pb, In males the highest level was in Bani Sanad while the lowest
one was in Manflout, but in females the highest level was in Manflout and the lowest in Bani Ady. In both males and females together, the highest level was in Al-Hawatika and the lowest was in Bani Ady,
For Al, the highest level of Al in males was in Refa, while the
highest level in females was in Al-Hawatika and the highest level in
both males and females together was in Al-Hawatika. The lowest
levels of Al in males, females and both males and females together was
in Bani Ady. This variance in concentration may be due to difference
in feeds, water, environmental condition in which pigeons live.
Our results also revealed that there is a significant difference in (Cd, Pb and Al) concentration from one tissue to another as: (1) The highest concentration of Cd was in kidney (male pigeons in Bani Sanad) with a level of 3.319 ± 0.064. (2)The highest concentration of Pb was found in feather of wings (female pigeons in Manflout) with a level of 88.268 ± 0.064. (3)The highest concentration of Al was found in liver
( female pigeons in Al-Hawatika) with a level of 99.425 ± 6.429.
Statistical analysis:
The data were expressed as (mean ± SE). The results were analyzed statistically using one-way analysis of variance with Tukey and Dunnett multiple comparison tests as a post-hock tests. These analyses were carried out using the computer SPSS program for windows, version 16.0. Differences between and among the groups were considered significant if P ≤ 0.05 and P ≤ 0.01 (Snedecor and Cochran (1989).
Conclusion:
This study demonstrated: (1) The importance of using feral pigeons as a bioindicator to assess the levels of Pb, Cd and Al in the environment.
The high levels of Pb, Cd and Al found in the tissues (including
the feathers either of wings or breast, blood, bone, kidney, liver, lung
and muscle) of pigeons may be attributed to the result of pollution of
the surrounding environment from industrial activities (Industrial city
in Bani Ghalib, oil refining factory, Cement, Super Phosphate in Manqabad…….etc) , high traffic density, uncontrolled use of fertilizers which contain high metal contents, soil contamination, water (either
of Nile river or sea), and or feeds (cereal and crops which admitted
to the pigeons).
(2) Comparing the levels of Cd, Pb and Al found in the examined tissues of pigeons in the Assiut Governorate with other
major cities in the world, we note that our values for Pb and Al are
higher than that recorded in the literature which places great responsibility to remove the causes of pollution
in these areas and search for radical solutions to avoid their risks.
(3) At the end of this study, we can recommend that feral pigeons can be used as a tool for environmental monitoring for heavy metals to set different programmes and strategies for control of environmental pollution in each examined area, and by that in all the country in the future.