A NON-INVASIVE APPROACH TO DETECT HEAVY METAL POLLUTION IN COLUMBA LIVIABHUMESH SINGH, VIPRA KOHLI, SHIVANI SHARMA, KALIRAJAN ARUNACHALAM,MUNSAKA SIANKUKU, JYOTI SHARMA, ADITI DWIVEDI, MONIKA SEN, SUSHMA GAUTAM, HITAKSHI, AYATI NARANG AND NEHA SHARMAAbstract Heavy metals are considered as one of the potential threats to environment, with ioaccumulation and bio magnification the key outcomes. Birds have long been known to act as prospective bioindicators by virtue of their mobility across distant locations. Current scope of study was to establish the efficacy of avian Pigeon feather as bio-indicator of heavy metal accumulation. Another approach was aimed to determine the correlation between the traffic density in locations and concentration of metal viz. Lead and Zinc in the avian feathers, the fact corroborated by significant lowering of pigeon population in urban clusters. Feathers collected from rural areas were found to have significantly less Lead and Zinc concentrations then those from urban environments of Jaipur District. Preliminary findings were indicative of exploring pigeon feathers as bio-prospective ecological monitors. |