METAL ACCUMULATION IN 3 SPECIES OF PASSERINE BIRDS (EMBERIZA-CIA, PARAS-MAJOR, AND TURDUS-MERULA) SUBJECTED TO AIR-POLLUTION FROM A COAL-FIRED POWER-PLANT

Metal accumulation in three passerine bird species, Great Tit (Parus m ajor), Rock Bunting (Emberiza cia), and Blackbird (Turdus merula), was analyzed in a polluted zone where there is a coal-fired power plant ( Cercs, Northeast Spain), and a non-polluted zone located 40 km from th e source of pollution. Rainwater from the polluted area was acidic (pH 5.2) but the calcareous composition of the soil in this zone buffered the soil and water pools; there were no significant differences betwe en soil pH in the two areas. Metal accumulation in organs and tissues was dependent upon the species and the diet. Blackbirds did not show a ny significant difference between sites, but Rock Buntings from the po lluted zone had higher levels of Cr in feathers and Al in bone, and lo wer levels of Mn in muscle. Great Tits from the polluted zone showed s ignificantly higher levels of Cr in feathers than those from the unpol luted area, Concerning interspecific differences, Blackbird accumulate d significantly more metals than Great Tit or Rock Bunting: higher lev els of Cd and Cu in the liver, higher levels of Cr, Pb, Zn and S in bo ne, and higher levels of S in muscle.