Le renard, indicateur biologique de la pollution de l’environnement par les composés organo-chlorés et les métaux lourds

Abstract

Fox could be convenient for an ecologial monitoring because of its biology. A study with two populations of foxes from different area permits to check this possibility. Encephalon and head muscles from dead animals, killed in rabies prophylaxis plan, were analysed. Samples from plain district where organochlorine pesticides were intensively used, are contamined with heptachlore and dieldrine, whereas samples from mountain area are free of contamination. No signifiant differences for mercury, cadmium, and lead concentrations can be demonstrated either between samples types or regions because probably no special contamination exists with heavy metals.