Bioaccumulation and toxicology of chromium: implications for wildlife

The major source of exposure to Cr for wild birds and mammals is through ingestion with food. Chromium(VI) compounds are absorbed significantly more efficiently (2-10% of dose) from the GI tract than inorganic Cr(III) compounds (0.5-3%), due to the increased membrane permeability of the former. Transfer of Cr(VI) into mammalian fetuses has been documented at oral doses of 500 mg Cr/L in drinking water, and injected single doses of 5 mg Cr(VI)/kg BW in dams were teratogenic. Cr concentration data for mammalian and avian wildlife species and their potential food organisms are scarce. Worldwide, fewer than 50 species of free-living mammals and birds have been surveyed with regard to tissue Cr concentrations. Tissue concentrations in animals living in habitats remote from sources of Cr contamination range from approximately 0.1-15 micrograms/g DW depending on the species and tissue analyzed. In habitats experiencing Cr pollution, levels can be up to two orders of magnitude higher. Eisler (1986) suggested that tissue concentrations in wildlife > 4 micrograms/g DW be considered to indicate likely contamination by Cr. Bone tissue often accumulates higher concentrations than other tissues in animals chronically exposed to Cr. Measuring concentrations only in the liver and/or kidneys has been a common practice, yet these organs failed to show evidence of extant Cr contamination in some cases. It is recommended that analysis of the bone, liver, and kidneys be a minimum requirement for future Cr biomonitoring studies. Concentrations in fur or feathers can be extremely variable even among individuals within the same habitat. At best, concentrations in fur and feathers might be used to indicate relative levels of airborne Cr contamination. The toxicological significance of "elevated" Cr concentrations is largely unknown because toxicological data on free-living wildlife species are virtually nonexistent. Based on controlled dosing studies in which Cr compounds were administered orally to experimental animals, dietary Cr concentrations > or = 10 micrograms/g DW in food should be considered potentially harmful to the health and reproductive success of wildlife consumers. Certain species of fish and aquatic invertebrates are sensitive to Cr, showing reduced survival or growth at Cr(VI) concentrations > 10 micrograms/L. The elimination of these organisms from environments contaminated with Cr may have detrimental effects on wild birds and mammals that depend on such organisms for food.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)