Environmental pollution is a global problem that affects all aspects of life. With the development of industry and urbanism, different pollutants are being released continuously into the ecosystem, bringing disorder, imbalance, and the impossibility of self-regulation. These effects are being felt by living organisms. The particular problem is pollution that comes from metallurgy, whose processes may release heavy metals that can affect living organisms and cause numerous disorders and diseases. As a result, many heavy metals are present in the environment. They are released in the form of oxides in the air and as salts in the soil and water. It was found that they have toxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic effects on animals and humans [1][2][3][4]. As a component of Earth's Pol. J. Environ. Stud. Vol. 25, No. 6 (2016), 2695-2699 Short Communication Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Feral PigeonsLiving AbstractThe aim of this study was to determine the effects of a ferronickel smelter in Drenas, Kosovo, in concentrations of lead, cadmium, zinc, copper, and nickel in tissues of liver, kidney, testes, femur, and tibia of feral pigeons (Columba livia). For this purpose, we took 20 birds (nine male and 11 female) from the ferronickel smelter courtyard, and 20 (11 male and 9 female) from Lubizhdë village (control group) to assess the accumulation of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni) in soft tissues (liver, kidney, and testes) and solid tissues (femur and tibia). We found that lead (Pb) concentrations in the liver, kidney, femur, and tibia increased in the Drenas group (P = 0.160, P = 0.176, P<0.001, P<0.001), whereas lead concentration decreased in the testes compared to the control group (P = 0.030). Cadmium (Cd) concentrations in the liver and kidney increased (P = 0.460, P<0.001), whereas in other tissues it is not found. Zinc (Zn) concentrations in the liver, kidney, and tibia tissues increased (P = 0.050, P = 0.094, P = 0.258), whereas in the testes and femur it decreased (P<0.001, P = 0.556). Copper (Cu) concentrations increased in the liver, kidney, testes, and tibia tissues (P<0.001, P<0.001, P<0.001, P = 0.007), but decreased in the femur tissue (P = 0.456) compared to the control group. Nickel (Ni) concentrations increased in all examined tissues (P<0.001, P = 0.010, P = 0.292, P = 0.312, P = 0.102) of feral pigeons (Columba livia) from the smelter courtyard. The highest concentration of Ni was recorded in the liver (139.97 µg/mg d.w.).

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Our purpose was to monitor the environmental pollution with heavy metals, such as Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cd, and their accumulation in Roman snails (Helix pomatia L.) and the possibility of Roman using snail as a bioindicator of heavy metal pollution. For analyses, we were taken 22 specimens of roman snails in the Mitrovica town (area with the heavy metal pollution derived from the "Trepça" smelter) and 22 specimens in the Vernica village (control area), in which case is analyzed the concentration of heavy metals: Lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), Zinc (Zn) and Copper (Cu) in the hepatopancreas, foot, and shell of snails. Our results show the high concentration of Pb, Zn, and Cd in the hepatopancreas compared to the other tissues (foot and shell), whereas Cu concentration was higher in the foot of snails from Mitrovica compared to the control group in a significant degree (P < 0.001). We have found a significant (P<0.001) positive correlation between all heavy metals (Pb/Cd; Pb/Cu; Pb/Zn; Cd/Cu; Cd/Zn and Cu/Zn) in the hepatopancreas tissue. In the foot, we have found the negative correlation for Pb/Cd and Pb/Cu and positive for the Pb/Zn; Cd/Cu; Cd/Zn, and Cu/Zn, whereas in the shell the correlation was positive for the Pb/ Cd; Pb/Cu and Cd/Cu, and negative for the Pb/Zn; Cd/Zn and Cu/Zn. In the hepatopancreas, the concentration of metals ranged from higher to the lower concentration was: Zn>Cd>Pb>Cu; in the foot: Cu>Zn>Cd>Pb, whereas in the shell: Zn>Cu>Pb>Cd. The Mitrovica town is the area with heavy metals pollution, whereas the Roman snail accumulates relatively high values of these heavy metals and can serve as an indicator organism for pollution with the metals such as Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu.