The use of bird feathers for indicating heavy metal pollution

Feather material has been investigated as suitable indicating tissue for heavy metal pollution. At least three different routes are described through which trace metal content in the feathers can increase: internal deposition during growth, contamination by the bird's secretion and outside contamination.As mercury is only deposited during feather growth, the feather burden reflects the internal contamination of the bird. Internal deposition of zinc appears to be well regulated in the shaft but concentrations differ widely in the vanes. No external contamination of the vanes could be demonstrated, so these levels reflect contamination from inside. Selenium and lead contamination can be deposited by the birds secretion. When the time elapsed after feather formation is accounted for, the feather can give indirectly an indication of the birds exposure to these elements.