European Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) as a Biomonitor for Contemporary Heavy Metal Pollution of the Environment in Forest Mountain Regions in Rhodope Mountains, Bulgaria

The aim of the study was to check the current loaded with heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn) liver and kidney tissues of European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) inhabiting typical forest mountain region in Bulgaria. The roe deer's liver and kidneys were used as test systems for determination of analytic concentrations of the studied heavy metals by an inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) using a Perkin Elmer Optima 7000 DV. The concentrations [mg/kg dry tissues] of the tested metals, specific for each organ showed the limits of their variability. In the liver, the limits of the variability of metal concentration were as follows: for Cu from 29.65 to 348.86; for Zn from 13.6 to 166.57; for Pb from 0.75 to 4.78 and for Cd from 0.025 to 3.22. Respectively in the kidneys, they are for Cu from 35.66 to 61.70; for Zn from 81.41 to 224.47; for Pb from 0.35 to 9.22 and for Cd from 8.87 to 35.82. The results of this study show that the roe deer in the mountainous regions of the Rhodope Mountains is suitable for use as a biomonitor for contemporary heavy metal environmental pollution in the trophic area of the big game in the forest mountain regions of Bulgaria. In addition, the established results could be used to create a baseline for the estimation of current heavy metal accumulation in roe deer. They also offer an opportunity for it to be used as a biomonitor of future potential anthropogenic negative impact on the environment in forest regions of the country, under the conditions of modern anthropogenic activities therein.