Gutachten zur Umweltbiologie

Monitoring of Metal Contamination in the Eggs of Two Bird Species in India

Jayakumar R, Muralidharan S, Dhananjayan V and Sugitha C

Monitoring of Metal Contamination in the Eggs of Two Bird Species in India

The eggs of birds are extensively used as biological indicator of metal pollution because they come from a specific fragment of the population, formed in a specific period, have consistent composition, easily sampled and the removal of one egg from a nest has a minor effect on population parameter. Many workers [2-7] have advocated the use of eggs to monitor metal contamination in birds as the birds get rid of their body burden of metals through feathers and eggs.