Essential Metal Profile in the Tissues of Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) at a Nature Conservation Area in Hungary

The quantities of five essential metals (Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, and Zn) were investigated in the kidney, bone, plumage, and liver of Great Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo). Essential metals are those that are necessary for normal biological functions, including growth, development, and maintenance of homeostasis. They can be found naturally in the environment, as well as physiologically in the tissues, organs, and eggs of birds. The samples from cormorants were collected in the Central Tisza region (Central Tisza-Jászság Nature Conservation Area) of Hungary, and were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The aim of the study was to analyze the potential accumulation of these metals in different tissues of wetland birds such as Great Cormorants. Among these essential elements, the mean concentration of Cr was under the detection limit in the case of liver and kidney. The measured quantity of all the investigated essential metals was lower than the Maximum Tolerable Level of each metal; thus, it can be supposed that this bird’s habitat is not contaminated at levels posing a risk of toxicosis for the animals. No significant difference was realized between the sexes for any metal–tissue sample combination.