Lead poisoning mortality in wild passeriformes and its detection in free-range chicken eggs in Southern Minas Gerais, Brazil

Martins, NRSMarques, MVRDAR, VilelaResende, JSCarvalhaes, AGAndrade, EAGBarrios, PR

The mortality of passerines native of Southern Minas Gerais, Brazil, in August 2006 and the examination of sentinel free-range chicken eggs in August 2007 in an area surrounding a car battery lead smelter plant is described. The high levels of lead, as detected in the passerines (4.80-12.74 mg/kg) at the onset of mortality and at the follow-up sampling of the free-range chicken eggs (25.02-35.21 mg/kg in shells, 0.41-1.36 mg/kg in yolks and 0.40-0.75 mg/kg in the albumins), used as environmental sentinels, indicated the continuing lead pollution.

1. free-range chicken
2. car
3. lead
4. passerine
5. Battery recycling