The importance of the GUT and its contents in prey as a source of cadmium to predators

摘要

Many mammalian and avian predators consume the whole carcass of their small mammal prey. Thus, the contaminant load of the gut and its contents may be of toxicological significance, but pollutant loads in the gut of prey species are often not measured and their role in food-chain transfer of contaminants is largely unquantified. We investigated the importance of the gut and its contents in prey as a source of cadmium (Cd) to predators by measuring the Cd concentrations in the guts(including contents), in various body tissues, and in the intact bodies of wood mice(Apodemus sylvaticus).