Author/Authors :
tifarouine, loubna mohammed v university - biodiversity and environment center, faculty of sciences - biodiversity-ecology and genome laboratory, Rabat, Morocco , benabbou, asmae mohammed v university - biodiversity and environment center, faculty of sciences - biodiversity-ecology and genome laboratory, Rabat, Morocco , bazairi, hocein mohammed v university - biodiversity and environment center, faculty of sciences - biodiversity-ecology and genome laboratory, Rabat, Morocco , badaoui, bouabid mohammed v university - biodiversity and environment center, faculty of sciences - biodiversity-ecology and genome laboratory, Rabat, Morocco , tnoumi, ali faculty of sciences - laboratory of marine geosciences and soil sciences (urac 45), department of earth sciences, El Jadida, Morocco , tahri, latifa mohamed v university - scientific institute - zoological laboratory, Rabat, Morocco , fekhaoui, mohamed mohamed v university - scientific institute - zoological laboratory, Rabat, Morocco , el abidi, abdellah health ministry - national institute of health - department of toxicology, Rabat, Morocco , benaakame, rachid health ministry - national institute of health - department of toxicology, Rabat, Morocco , el brini, hicham mohammed v university - biodiversity and environment center, faculty of sciences - biodiversity-ecology and genome laboratory, Rabat, Morocco , benhoussa, abdelaziz mohammed v university - plant and microbial biotechnology, biodiversity and environment center, faculty of sciences - biodiversity-ecology and genome laboratory, Rabat, Morocco
Abstract :
This study was conducted in the Mediterranean region of Oued Siad / Jebel Moussa in north of Morocco. It aimed at studying the diversity of rodents in this region, assessing the degree of contamination of their vital organs by adopting the morphometric analysis as well as the species identification. Four rodent species belonging to the family Muridae were caught. The concentrations (μg/g dry weight) of Cr, Pb, Cu, Fe and Zn in various organs (liver, kidney, and heart) of the analyzed species were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy Varian AA 240 with graphite furnace. The highest concentrations of Pb, Cu, Fe and Zn were found in the liver of Rattus norvegicus, while those of Cr were detected in the kidneys of Rattus rattus. The medium and low contamination levels were detected in Lemniscomys barbarus and Mus spretus, respectively. The results suggest that the genus Rattus can be considered as a bio-indicator as it accumulates more Trace- metals than the genus Mus and Lemniscomys.
Keywords :
Mediterranean , Oued Siad , Jebel Moussa , Muridae , Bio , indicator , Trace , metals
