Major
Environmental Science
Anticipated Graduation Year
2025
Access Type
Open Access
Abstract
This presentation explores the relationship between heavy metal concentration in birds and migratory season. Over the course of three migration seasons, birds were collected from window strike fatalities across campus in collaboration with Student Operation for Avian Relief. Feathers from these individuals were tested using ICP-MS for their heavy metal load. They were tested for metals that are known to have adverse effects on avian health. Significant differences in metal loads were found between species, metal concentration and migratory season. The findings indicate similar testing could be done to identify potential metal pollution hot spots.
Faculty Mentors & Instructors
Dr. Gordon Getzinger, PhD, School of Environmental Sustainability Fr. Stephen Mitten, S.J., MS, School of Environmental Sustainability, SOAR
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
The Concentration of Heavy Metals Within Bird Feathers of Neotropical Migrants Found on Loyola’s Lakeshore Campus
This presentation explores the relationship between heavy metal concentration in birds and migratory season. Over the course of three migration seasons, birds were collected from window strike fatalities across campus in collaboration with Student Operation for Avian Relief. Feathers from these individuals were tested using ICP-MS for their heavy metal load. They were tested for metals that are known to have adverse effects on avian health. Significant differences in metal loads were found between species, metal concentration and migratory season. The findings indicate similar testing could be done to identify potential metal pollution hot spots.
