Monitoring Technique For Heavy Metal Assessment In Different Locations of Punjab Using Feathers of Feral Pigeons (Columbia Livia)

Abstract

Abstract Heavy metals are one of the major environmental issues due to their large number of sources and their diligence. The amount of heavy metals in washed and unwashed feral pigeon feathers were investigated in this paper. The feathers were collected from five distant locations: Agronomy Farm Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Cold Storage Jalandhar Bypass, Cold Storage Mullanpur, Jalandhar FCI and Hoshiarpur FCI. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry was used to analyse the concentration of heavy metals (Arsenic, Chromium, Cadmium and Lead). The high metal concentration in two areas (Hoshiarpur FCI and Jalandhar Bypass) as compare to other three areas is due to much more industries and anthropogenic activities. Mean values of As, Cd, Pb, and Cr were statistically significant different in the five collection sites. Metal concentrations are related to contact time or external exposure, as shown by significant differences in Cd, Pb, and Cr concentrations in washed and unwashed feathers. According to our analysis, bird’s feather can be used to quantify the environmental heavy metals. It can also be recommended that unwashed feathers were proficient to explore exogenous and endogenous absorption of the heavy metals.