Evaluation of some factors influencing on variability in bioaccumulation of heavy metals in rodents species: Rombomys opimus and Rattus norvegicus from central Iran

Abstract

In the present study, the effects of sex, age, nutritional status, and habitat use on hair and internal tissue concentrations of some trace metals (Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb and Cd) in brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) and great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus) from Aran-O-Bidgol City in Central Iran were investigated. Five sampling stations in different land-uses were selected for the study. Concentrations of Cd and Pb in liver and whole body concentration as well as concentration of Zn in hair of male rats were significantly higher than females. A significantly higher concentration was only observed for Pb in kidney of male gerbils than females. In numerous cases, age had significantly negative correlations with concentration of metals in different tissues of both species, and was only significantly (and positively) correlated with the concentration of Cd in kidney and Zn in liver of gerbils. This finding may indicate that the early neonatal age is a critical period for metals accumulation. The relationships between nutritional status and metal concentrations for both species were negative, which can be ascribed to the weight-specific metabolic rate that cause to a relatively low uptake of metals per unit of body weight. No significant differences were observed for soil metals concentrations in different sites. So, this suggests that the influence of life history, microhabitat use and foraging behavior did significantly influence on inter and intra specific variation of metals concentration in small mammals. Our observations suggest that hair cannot be used alone for monitoring exposure of metals.