Abstract
Environmental pollution due to heavy metal pollution is of growing concern, due to the increased industrial activities. The release of these substances into the atmosphere poses a great risk to humans, animals and the ecosystem at large. This study assesses the metal concentration levels of nine metals (lead, nickel, magnesium, cadmium, chromium, manganese, cobalt, copper and iron) in the sera and different brain regions (cerebellum, cerebrum and brainstem) of the hedgehog (Eulipotyphla), pigeon (Columbiformes), cattle egret (Pelecaniformes) and two species of the squirrel (sciuromorpha) using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. Results obtained showed that of all the metals tested for, magnesium had the highest concentration across all samples and regions in all animals tested. Metal levels appeared to be higher than those reported in some previous studies from other climes, except for cobalt where there was no detectable level in all the tissues tested. Values obtained were highest in the serum, more than the brain. There was no particular pattern to the concentration of the metals in the brain regions. Data obtained from this study will serve as an indicator of the level of environmental pollution going on, and the long-term effect it can have on wildlife behavioural patterns and consequently the ecosystem.