Evaluation of bioconcentration of trace elements in the Western Mediterranean mouse Mus spretus at two Moroccan wetland sites

Many micromammals were shown to be vulnerable to metallic trace elements and are therefore suitable for biomonitoring. The objective of our research is to assess the concentration level of five trace elements (Cu, Pb, Cr, Fe and Zn) in small rodent Mus spretus organs (liver, kidneys and heart) from two Moroccan sites, Merja Zerga and Dayet Erroumi, threatened by massive fertilizer use. Tissue metal concentrations in this species varied widely with age, sex, sites and organs. The concentration of Cu in the liver was the highest among all the metals and was recorded in adult females of Merja Zerga with a maximum of 60 μg g −1 ; at Dayet Erroumi, it was around 14 μg g −1 . At the same time, we found a similar trend for Fe, Pb, Cr and Zn in the three organs in males and females at the two sites. Highly significant differences between females at the two sites were recorded for the variables weight (W) and head to body length (TL) ( t = -3.99; p