Platinum Group Elements in the Feathers of Raptors and Their Prey

Platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), and rhodium (Rh) concentrations were determined in the feathers of three raptor species in Sweden, the sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), and the gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus), as well as the main prey of the sparrowhawk (the house sparrow, Passer domesticus) and the gyrfalcon (the willow grouse, Lagopus lagopus). The analysis of feathers from 1917–1999 revealed a clear temporal trend, with significantly higher Rh concentrations in sparrowhawk and peregrine falcon after 1986. There is evidence for increasing platinum group element (PGE) concentrations from 1917 to 1999 in peregrine falcon and sparrowhawk. This suggests that feathers reflect increased PGE concentrations in the environment over this time period. Mean concentrations of PGE in feathers of raptors after 1986 ranged from 0.3 to 1.8 ng g⁻¹ for Pt, 0.6 to 2.1 ng g⁻¹ for Pd (indicative values), and 0.1 to 0.6 ng g⁻¹ for Rh. House sparrows in urban areas had significantly higher Pt and Pd concentrations than urban sparrowhawks. The higher Pd concentrations in relation to Pt and Rh may indicate the greater mobility of Pd in the environment. Although PGE concentrations are generally higher in birds living in urban areas, no significant spatial trend could be established. This is partly due to the widespread distribution of automobiles and partly because birds forage and integrate PGE exposure over large areas. Laser ablation analysis demonstrates that PGE contamination of feathers is predominantly external, consisting of small particles in the nanometer size range. Other indications of external contamination are that Pt and Pd levels are significantly higher in the vane than in the shaft and that PGE relative ratios (except Pd) reflect urban particles. Received: 23 May 2001/Accepted: 2 November 2001     

Toxic element concentrations in the Razorbill Alca torda (Charadriiformes, Alcidae) in Portugal

The present study provides the first data on inorganic element levels (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Pb, Se, and Zn) in juvenile, immature, and adult razorbills (Alca torda) collected along the central coast of Portugal. Element concentrations were assessed by ICP-MS in kidney, liver, muscle, and feathers of 28 razorbills, including 4 juveniles, 17 subadults, and 7 adults. The effect of age and tissue on element accumulation was also assessed. The detected levels in razorbills may indicate a possible contamination risk by Hg and Cr. With respect to bird tissues, higher accumulation of Se and Cd was detected in kidney, Zn and Pb in feathers, and As and Mn in liver. Age was found to affect the accumulation of Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, and Mn, juveniles presenting higher levels of Cu and Mn than older individuals. In razorbill kidney, Zn–Hg constituted the most significant relationship among metal concentrations. Liver presented the highest number of significant relationships (mostly involving Zn and Co). With regard to feathers, the most significant relationships involved Se, Zn, Cr and Cu concentrations. Positive linear relationships were detected among kidney, liver, and muscle, with emphasis on relationships involving Se and Hg, which may be indicative of similar accumulation/regulation mechanisms in those organs. Element concentrations are discussed in view of possible detoxification mechanisms in seabirds.     

Heavy-Metal Concentrations in Female Laying Great Tits (Parus major)and Their Clutches

Egg laying may be an additional excretory pathway for heavy metals available to laying female birds. In this study, we examined the relationships between tissue concentrations (both internal organs and feathers) of 10 breeding female great tits (Parus major) and the concentrations in their eggs. We also investigated differences in metal concentrations (Ag, Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) among eggs as a result of the laying order of the eggs. Heavy-metal concentrations in internal tissues were highest in bone (Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn), kidney (Cd), liver (Cu), blood (Al, As, Co, Hg), and intestine (Ag, Mn). In the egg contents, relatively high concentrations of the essential elements Cr, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, and Zn were found. In eggshells, concentrations of Ag, Al, As, Co, Cr, and Ni were high compared with internal tissue concentrations. Metal concentrations in the egg contents and eggshells were poorly correlated with metal concentrations in internal tissues and feathers; significant positive correlations were found only for cadmium and lead. We found few significant differences in metal concentrations among eggs, and none were according to the laying order of the eggs. The egg volume tended to decrease significantly as egg laying progressed. Our results seem to suggest that no special sampling strategies (e.g., sampling the first egg or pooling eggs from one clutch) are required for most metals.     

Toxic Element Concentration in the Atlantic Gannet Morus bassanus (Pelecaniformes, Sulidae) in Portugal

The present study provides the first data on inorganic element levels in juvenile, subadult, and adult Atlantic gannets (Morus bassanus). Physiological and potentially toxic elements (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Pb, Se, and Zn) were assessed by ICP-MS in kidney, liver, muscle, and feathers of 31 gannets, including 18 juveniles, 7 subadults, and 6 adults. The effect of age and tissue on element accumulation was also assessed. Mercury was roughly above the minimum level for adverse effects in birds. A higher accumulation of Se and Cd was detected in kidney, Pb in feathers, and Mn in liver. Age was found to affect the accumulation of Cd, Co, Hg, Mn, Se, and Zn. Adults presented significantly lower levels of Mn, Se, and Zn than subadults. Linear positive relationships within tissues were detected involving Se-Cd and Se-Hg. Also, positive linear relationships were detected among kidney, liver, and muscle, with emphasis on relationships involving Cd, Hg, Se, and Zn, which may be indicative of analogous regulation mechanisms in those organs. Atlantic gannets occurring in the study area leave their reproduction sites as juveniles. During their development process, several molting cycles occur and thus the possible contamination risk by Hg should reflect levels in the development areas rather than contamination levels in reproduction areas. The present study provides basic information on multielement accumulation in Morus bassanus, which may help us to understand the behavior and toxicity of various elements in marine birds.     

Trace Metals in Tissues of Resident and Migratory Birds from a Lagoon Associated with an Agricultural Drainage Basin (SE Gulf of California)

With the aim of knowing Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn concentrations in selected tissues of birds from two places at Altata-Ensenada del Pabellón lagoon in the SE Gulf of California, 39 specimens of 14 species were analyzed. Migratory birds in this study showed the highest values of Cd, Cu, and Pb in liver; Fe and Mn, in viscera; and Zn, in feathers. Concerning the resident avifauna, the highest levels of Cd, Cu, and Fe were detected in the liver, Mn in viscera; and Pb and Zn, in feathers. Regarding Cu and Fe, higher concentrations were detected in migratory avifauna, while Mn and Zn were more accumulated in resident waterfowl. In the case of Cd and Pb, both elements showed a tendency to be more accumulated in resident seabirds. Statistical comparisons showed that in carnivorous and omnivorous birds the resident component was the group with higher levels in more comparisons where mainly Cu and Fe were involved. In the rest of the metals the differences in the concentrations in the distinct tissues of migratory versus resident species were not clearly evident in one group in particular. In a few cases, carnivorous birds had higher levels of Cd than herbivorous and omnivorous birds; for the rest of the metals there was not a clear trend of metal accumulation.     

Relationships of Metals Between Feathers and Diets of Black-Tailed Gull (Larus crassirostris) Chicks

In birds, metal contaminants in feathers are influenced by prey concentrations and environmental quality. In Black-tailed Gull chicks, Cd, Pb and Cu concentrations were strongly correlated between feathers and stomach contents. Between feathers and livers, Pb, Zn and Fe concentrations were significantly correlated. Cd concentrations were within the range of other seabirds and within the background level for bird feathers (<2 μg/g dw). At the lighthouse, eight chicks exceeded the background for Pb level in feathers (>4 μg/g dw). Elevated Pb concentrations might be attributed to ingestion of paint-based chips and natural (soil and rocks) sources. There is evidence that the analyzed birds suffered from acute toxicity, including high levels of pecking from conspecifics and increased mortality from elevated Pb levels. It seems likely that these birds might experience negative health effects from this increased Pb exposure. As a result, Black-tailed Gull chick feathers are a very useful monitoring tool for assessing Cd, Pb and Cu contamination. Essential elements such as Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu were all within the acceptable range of normal concentrations for seabird species including gulls and may be maintained by normal homeostatic mechanisms.     

Distribution of heavy metals and their age-related changes in the eastern great white egret,Egretta alba modesta,in Korea

Organ and tissue distribution of eight metals (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Ni, Cd, Hg) and their age-related changes were investigated in the chick and adult eastern great white egret,Egretta alba modesta, collected in Korea. High concentrations of the metals were found in the liver, kidney, feathers, bone, and skin; low values were found in the muscle and brain. A majority of the metal burdens in the chick and adult egrets existed in the muscle, bone, and feathers; about 50% of the Hg was in the feathers. The concentrations of Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu in organs and tissues of the chicks characteristically changed with age, and their accumulations depended upon the metabolic turnover. In contrast, the concentrations of Pb, Ni, Cd, and Hg increased with age, suggesting that age or exposure time is a dominant factor. However, the younger stage of the downy chicks showed a rapid accumulation plateau of Pb, Ni, Cd, and Hg, and a dilution effect of these metal concentrations by increased body weight with age also was observed. Furthermore, rapid decreases of the body burden of Mn, Cu, Ni, Pb, Cd, and Hg were found in the fledgling birds, indicating that the metals were excreted via the feathers by moulting. These results indicate that consideration of the growth stage of organs and tissues is necessary for understanding the bioaccumulation processes and the toxicological criteria of the metals.     

Trace elements in little egrets and flamingos of Camargue, France

Trace elements (Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Se, Zn) were measured in nine organs (liver, kidney, breast muscle, lungs, breastbone, stomach, gizzard, spleen, feathers) of several specimens of Greater Flamingos (Phaenicopterus ruber (Pallas] and Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta (L.] from the Camargue, in the Rh?ne river delta. In both species, individual fluctuations of Cd, Hg, Pb, and Se levels were important in all organs, whereas Zn and Cu, essential metals, exhibited only moderate variations. The organotropism of trace elements supports the hypothesis that major routes of contamination would be both nutritional and aerial for flamingos, and prevailingly alimentary for egrets. In both species we found the highest levels in liver and kidney, with the exception of lead, the highest levels of which were found in breastbone and feathers. Our study indicates that trace element concentrations in flamingos and egrets are higher than or equivalent to those reported in the literature for birds living in polluted areas. Because the Camargue is a unique area in western Europe it would be of interest to develop more studies to evaluate the impact of surrounding human activities on this Biosphere Reserve.     

Great and blue tits as indicators of heavy metal contamination in terrestrial ecosystems.

Although there are abundant data on heavy metal contamination in the feathers of seabird species and birds of prey, relatively few studies have addressed the use of passerine birds as indicators of point-source contamination. Concentrations of three essential elements (Al, Zn, and Cu) and two toxic metals (Cd and Pb) were determined in the outer tail feathers of great and blue tits (Parus major and Parus caeruleus), two small insectivorous passerines, at a presumed polluted site (in an urban area close to household waste incinerators) and at a reference site (in a nature reserve). For the great tit, both Cd and Cu levels were significantly higher at the polluted site than in the nature reserve. For the blue tit, Cd, Pb, and Cu levels were significantly higher at the polluted site than at the reference site. There were striking differences in metal levels between blue and great tits inhabiting the same polluted site: lead, zinc, and copper were significantly higher in the smaller blue tit than in the great tit. We suggest that tit (Parus) species, which have been important models in behavioral and ecological research, may be very useful as biomonitors for local contamination.     

Spatial and temporal patterns in heavy metals concentration in street dust in a hot desert region

This investigation reports temporal and spatial variations in heavy metal concentration in street dusts in the State of Bahrain. Monitoring sites were chosen to include an urban area with high traffic density, commercial, industrial, and remote areas. The overall mean levels for Pb, Zn, Ni, Cu and Cd were 395, 80, 40, 20 and 1.5 mg kg^‐1, respectively. The general pattern of occurrence in order of decreasing concentration was Pb > Zn > Ni > Cu > Cd. The highest levels of Pb, Zn and Cu were found in the high traffic density area, and strong positive correlations were found between these metals, suggesting that automobiles exhaust are the dominant source of these metals. The results did not reveal statistically significant differences on the levels of Pb, Zn and Cu between months. Summer average values for Pb, Zn and Cu exceeded corresponding winter values. In cold regions opposite patterns were observed. In general Ni and Cd followed different patterns than that reported for Pb, Zn and Cu. Our results reveal relatively widespread contamination of heavy metals, and that all sites studied were statistically not different from each other, except a high traffic density site, indicating that Bahrain can be considered as one big urban center.     

Heavy Metals in the Blue Crab (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Callinectes sapidus</Emphasis>) in Mersin Bay,Turkey

The concentrations of four metals (copper, cadmium, zinc and lead) were quantified in blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) tissues collected in January, April, June and September at two stations in Mersin Bay, northeastern Mediterranean Sea, using ICP-MS. The metal concentrations in crabs from the two stations differed significantly. The hepatopancreas was the major organ accumulating metals, followed by gill and muscle tissues. Except for lead, the highest concentrations of metals were measured in the hepatopancreas. The hepatopancreas had higher concentrations of all heavy metals (Cu 321.1?±?4.30; Zn 182.2?±?3.40; Cd 48.2?±?2.00) compared to gill (Cu 90.2?±?1.35; Zn 104.3?±?2.30; Cd 22.3?±?3.40) and muscle (Cu 19.1?±?1.10; Zn 55.1?±?3.25; Cd 2.5?±?0.20). Among the metals analyzed, Cu, Zn and Pb were the most abundant in the different tissues while Cd was the least abundant in C. sapidus. Seasonality in the levels of the four metals was determined.The highest concentrations of all metals were observed in the June (Zn 55.1?±?3.25; Cu 19.1?±?1.10; Cd 2.5?±?0.20; Pb 5.1?±?0.18) compared to all other months (Zn 34.1?±?3.23; Cu 11.1?±?1.15; Cd 0.9?±?0.20; Pb 3.1?±?0.21).     

Heavy Metals in Livers of Waterbirds from Spain

Wetlands tend to accumulate heavy metals from local sources, such as Pb shot used for waterfowl hunting, and from regional sources, such as atmospheric deposition and riverine or marine inputs. We determined concentrations of six heavy metals (Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb) in livers of waterbirds shot by hunters in five Spanish wetlands to study the different factors that can contribute to the accumulation of these metals (sex, age, diet, grit, and Pb shot ingestion). Differences among wetlands were observed only for Cr, Cu, and Cd. Differences among species were observed for all the metals, and Cu was notably higher in pochards (Aythya and Netta genus) than in other waterfowl. Cu, Zn, and Cd concentrations increased with age, and only Pb showed differences related to sex, with males having higher concentrations than females. Most metals other than Pb were correlated with each other. Lead was dependent on Pb shot ingestion. Grit ingestion positively correlated with concentrations of Cr and to a lesser extent with Mn, Zn, and Cd. Ingestion of grit or shot may obscure relationships between metals and diet. Herbivorous species, which had more grit in the gizzard, had higher Cr, Zn, and Cd concentrations. Granivorous birds, which have the highest rates of Pb shot ingestion, had the highest concentrations of Pb. Grit and Pb shot ingestion are both important sources of heavy metals for waterbirds. Lead was the single metal studied whose concentrations exceeded toxicity thresholds. Received: 5 March 2002/Accepted: 12 June 2002     

Allometry of heavy metal bioconcentration in the echinoid Paracentrotus lividus

The relationships between concentration and size in Paracentrotus lividus were studied for seven metals (Zn, Pb, Cd, Fe, Cr, Cu, and Ti). In the calcified body compartment, Zn concentrations showed inverse power relationships, while concentrations of Pb, Cd, and Cr increased as power functions of echinoid size; Fe, Cu, and Ti concentrations did not vary significantly with echinoid size. In the non-calcified body compartment of the echinoid, the concentrations of Zn, Pb, Fe, Cu, and Ti showed inverse power relationships, Cd concentrations increased linearly, and Cr concentrations did not show any significant relationship with echinoid body size. Most relationships were rather weak, except in the cases of Pb and Fe in the non-calcified compartment and Cd in the calcified compartment. The allometric relationships were affected by seasonal factor in the non-calcified compartment only. The results indicate that biomonitoring programs using P. lividus as an indicator of metal contamination must take into account both echinoid size and season as source of metal concentration variations.     

Background Concentrations of Heavy Metals in Benthos from Transboundary Rivers of the Transbaikalia Region, Russia

The concentrations (mg/kg dry weight) of Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg, and Pb were measured in benthic macroalgae and invertebrates collected in the upper transboundary tributaries of the Onon River, Transbaikalia, Russia. The background concentration ranges in Cladophora fracta, Ulothrix zonata and Zygnemataceae were: 6.4–9.1 for Cu, 27.2–73.1 for Zn, 0.4–0.9 for Cd, 6.7–35.3 for As, 0.01–0.02 for Hg, and 1.9–4.3 for Pb. In Brachycentrus americanus and Lymnaea media the concentration ranges were: 9.0–25.5 for Cu, 21.4–96.0 for Zn, 0.1–0.3 for Cd, 1.7–5.6 for As, 0.004–0.02 for Hg, and 0.4–2.2 for Pb. The concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, and Hg were consistent with data for uncontaminated areas. Under contamination conditions the concentrations in C. fracta were: 938 for Zn, 513 for Pb, and 9.5 for Cd; in Lymnaea media were: 46.8 for Cu, 176 for Zn, 52.3 for Pb, and 3.0 for Cd. All the organisms showed a common response to contamination, and consequently can be used as biomonitors of contamination by heavy metals.     

Spatial distribution of trace metals in sediments from urban streams of Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia

Elevated environmental concentrations of metals are usually associated with the impact of urbanization. The present study is focused on metal contamination in urban sediments. A field survey was carried out to determine the distribution of four metals, i.e., cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn), in the coastal urban area of Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia. Sediment samples were collected from 101 grids of 2x2 km. To map the spatial distribution of these metals, concentrations of each metal were plotted against the corresponding grid coordinate. Cd was below the detection limit (<0.03 microg/g) in all samples, whereas concentrations of Pb, Zn, and Cu fell into a wide range. Frequency distributions of Pb, Zn, and Cu concentrations indicated a similar pattern, in which the major proportion of the sites had a low metal concentration. Some sites, however, had extremely high metal concentrations, Zn up to 1257 microg/g, Pb up to 2666 microg/g, and Cu up to 448 microg/g. The data were used to define background concentrations for sediments in coastal zones of Indonesia ("reference values"). The proposed reference values are 25.6 microg/g, 132.2 microg/g, and 40.7 microg/g, respectively, for Pb, Zn, and Cu. The degree of metal contamination of each individual site was classified according to the calculated value of a combined pollution index, W. Four categories of the degree of metal contamination were proposed, i.e., unpolluted, slightly polluted, polluted, and heavily polluted. Based on this classification, from 101 sites investigated in the greater Semarang area, 51 are unpolluted, 36 slightly polluted, 9 polluted, and 5 heavily polluted.     

Heavy-Metal Levels in Feathers of Cattle Egret and Their Surrounding Environment: A Case of the Punjab Province, Pakistan

Levels of 10 heavy metals in cattle egret chick feathers, prey, and surrounding soils from three heronries in Punjab Province, Pakistan, were assessed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Mean levels of cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), and lithium (Li) in feathers, manganese (Mn), cobalt (Co), and nickel (Ni) in prey, and lead (Pb), iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), cobalt (Co), and lithium (Li) in soils were significantly different among Trimun Headworks, Shorkot, and Mailsi heroneries. Mean levels of Pb (43.10 μg/g), Cr (35.77 μg/g), Co (18.34 μg/g), Cu (0.20 μg/g), and Ni (0.22 μg/g) in feathers were significantly greater at Mailsi, and Mn (3.07 μg/g), Zn (18.83 μg/g), and Li (1.5 μg/g) levels were significantly greater at Shorkot. Multivariate analysis identified that some metals, such as Fe, Zn, and Li, in feathers were either associated with natural sources or with human-related activities, whereas Ni, Cr, Pb, Cd, Cu, Co, and Mn were correlated mainly with anthropogenic processes. Alarming levels were recorded for Cr, Pb, and Cd in feathers that were above threshold levels that may affect cattle egret flighting capacity and reproduction, thus leading to their population decline in Punjab Province. The results of this study provide evidence for the potential of feathers of cattle egret to be used as a biomonitor for the local heavy-metal contamination.     

Spatial and Temporal Variations of Heavy Metals in Surface Sediments in Bohai Bay, North China

Characteristics of the spatial and temporal distributions of selected heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb and Hg) in Bohai Bay, north China was examined. Surface sediment samples from 15 sites were collected and analyzed for the selected metals with atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) from the year of 1997–2007. Mean concentrations of metals in the 11-year period showed that Hg and Zn concentrations slightly fluctuated, while Cu, Cd and Pb concentrations in sediments varied with time. High levels of heavy metals occurred not only along the shoreline but also at some site in the inner part of the bay, suggesting the contamination sources of heavy metals from both terrestrial inputs and the atmospheric deposition. Compared with the environmental background values of selected heavy metals it indicated that anthropogenic activities influenced the sediment quality. The contamination factor \textCⁱ_f {\text{C}}^{i}_{f} , which is used to evaluate the pollution of the environment, showed that the contamination by selected heavy metals was moderate. Cd, Zn and Pb were the main polluting elements in this area.     

Trace elements determination in edible seaweeds by an optimized and validated ICP-MS method

An optimized and validated inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method was used to analyze trace elements in seaweeds. Different volumes and rates of HNO₃ and H₂O₂, digestion times, and microwave power levels were tested to ascertain the best conditions for sample digestion. Analytical mass and instrumental parameters were selected to assure accurate and precise determination of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, and V by ICP-MS. The method was optimized and validated using biological Certified Reference Materials. In addition, some samples of seaweeds (Porphyra and Laminaria) from France, Spain, Korea, and Japan were analyzed using the optimized method. Porphyra presented higher concentrations of most elements, except for As, than Laminaria. Seaweeds from Korea and Japan tended to display the highest concentrations of Pb and Cd. In contrast, Spanish and French samples showed the highest levels of some micro-elements essential to human nutrition.     

Levels and Variability of Metals in Soils of the Province of Golestan (Iran)

Studying the concentration distribution of metals is necessary for soil pollution monitoring and maintaining environmental quality. To date, very little large-scale research has been performed to investigate metal contamination in developing countries. In this study, the content and spatial distributions of five metals (cadmium [Cd], copper [Cu], nickel [Ni], lead [Pb], and zinc [Zn]) were quantified based on 346 topsoil samples from 12 districts in the province of Golestan (northeast [NE] Iran). The concentration levels (mg/kg) of Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn varied from 0.02 to 0.36, 9.3 to 93.7, 6.8 to 44, 9.5 to 85.35, and 25 to 417.4, respectively. The average concentrations (mg/kg) obtained were as follows: Cd 0.12 ± 0.07, Cu 23.9 ± 9.07, Ni 34.88 ± 11.59, Pb 15.42 ± 5.81 and Zn 82.08 ± 30.87. Significant differences in the distribution of trace elements among districts were detected. The AzadShahr and BandarGaz districts displayed the highest metal concentrations. Greater metal values were obtained in the central, south, west, and NE areas, although Zn concentration was also high to the north of the province. Values of contamination factor and contamination degree indicated that the metal pollution level was on the order of Zn > Cd > Pb > Cu > Ni and that all of the metals belonged to a low or moderate pollution category. Ni and Cu levels derived from natural sources, whereas Cd, Pb, and Zn derived from anthropogenic activities with greater mean concentrations than reference concentrations.     

Determination of selected heavy metal concentrations and distribution in a southwestern stream using macrophytes

Since the reduction of the arsenic standard from 50 to 10 μg L⁻¹ by the US Environmental Protection Agency in 2006 many small town and rural water municipalities were left with the task of preventing or mitigating arsenic contamination of drinking water supplies. In this study macrophytes and sediments were used to determine the concentration and distribution of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) within the primary source of drinking water (Gallinas River watershed) to the residents of Las Vegas, New Mexico. Sampling was done in the spring and fall at four sites, two above the city and two below, and samples were analyzed using ICP-MS. Results showed significantly higher (p<.05) metal concentrations in plant roots than shoots for most metals. Spearman’s correlation showed positive correlations (r>.3) between plant and sediment concentrations of Cd, Pb, Zn, As, and a negative correlation for Cu. The site above waste water treatment plant (AWWTP) had the highest plant tissue concentrations of Cd, Pb, Zn, and As. All of these concentrations attained critical toxicity levels exceeding sediment quality guidelines. High concentration factor values and levels of metals detected in macrophyte tissues indicate that heavy metals within sediments in the Gallinas River occur in bioavailable forms. Correlations between plant and sediment metal concentrations indicate that metal concentrations in macrophyte tissues are a good reflection of metal concentrations within the sediment in the Gallinas River.