Concentrations of Selected Heavy Metals in Bones and Femoral Bone Structure of Bank (Myodes glareolus) and Common (Microtus arvalis) Voles from Different Polluted Biotopes in Slovakia

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Abstract

Concentrations of selected heavy metals in the femora and femoral bone structure of bank ( Myodes glareolus) and common ( Microtus arvalis) voles from different polluted biotopes in Slovakia (Kolíňany and Nováky sites) were investigated. Length, weight, and histological structure of vole bones were also analyzed. We observed higher concentrations of lead (Pb), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) in the bones of both species from the Kolíňany site. Significant differences were observed in the concentration of Fe in bank and common voles ( p < 0.05) and in the concentration of Zn ( p < 0.05) in common voles. The animals from Nováky had higher concentrations of cadmium (Cd) and nickel (Ni) in their bones; however, the differences were not significant. The measured values for bone length and weight were higher in both species from Nováky ( p < 0.05). We did not identify differences in qualitative histological characteristics of the femora between the voles ( M. glareolus and M. arvalis separately) between the two biotopes. In addition, no statistically significant differences for any the measured variables of primary osteons’ vascular canals were observed. Correlation analysis in M. glareolus showed a strong positive relation between Cd and Ni ( r = 0.52), Pb and bone weight (r = 0.53), Fe and bone weight ( r = 0.52), and Fe and perimeter size of primary osteons’ vascular canals ( r = 0.55). In common voles, a strong positive relation was found between Fe and Cu ( r = 0.60) and between Fe and perimeter size of vascular canals of primary osteons ( r = 0.55). Our results indicate that accumulation of some heavy metals is slightly increased in the femora of both species at Kolíňany.

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Mechanical properties and the hierarchical structure of bone.

J. Rho, L. T. Kuhn-Spearing, P Zioupos (1998)

Detailed descriptions of the structural features of bone abound in the literature; however, the mechanical properties of bone, in particular those at the micro- and nano-structural level, remain poorly understood. This paper surveys the mechanical data that are available, with an emphasis on the relationship between the complex hierarchical structure of bone and its mechanical properties. Attempts to predict the mechanical properties of bone by applying composite rule of mixtures formulae have been only moderately successful, making it clear that an accurate model should include the molecular interactions or physical mechanisms involved in transfer of load across the bone material subunits. Models of this sort cannot be constructed before more information is available about the interactions between the various organic and inorganic components. Therefore, further investigations of mechanical properties at the 'materials level', in addition to the studies at the 'structural level' are needed to fill the gap in our present knowledge and to achieve a complete understanding of the mechanical properties of bone.