Accumulation and distribution of cadmium in willow ptarmigan

The accumulation and distribution of cadmium (Cd) were studied in willow pt armigan from a mountainous area in Central Norway. The highest concentratio ns were found in the kidneys. The liver also accumulated substantial amount s, but heart and breast muscles had low concentrations. There was a signifi cant correlation between the Cd content and age in all tissues. The liver a nd kidneys showed a rapid increase in Cd content during the ptarmigan's fir st autumn and winter, but the accumulation seemed to level off when the bir d passed its first year of life. Furthermore, a positive correlation was fo und among all four tissues, the strongest being between liver and kidneys, and the weakest between heart muscle and breast muscle. The ratio of cadmiu m in liver to cadmium in kidney was less than 1, which indicates a chronic low-level exposure situation. This ratio varied among seasons, being signif icantly higher in winter/spring than in summer/autumn. In general, the Cd c ontent in the kidneys was approximately 7-10 times that of the liver. Breas t muscle had a very low Cd content when the concentration of cadmium in the kidney was less than 75-80 mg kg(-1) of Cd, but the content increased mark edly when the kidney contained more Cd than this.