Optimizing heavy metal biomonitoring in the tropics

As mining industries expand to meet the global demand for precious minerals, heavy metal pollution is becoming commonplace throughout the tropics. Blood sampling provides a reliable, nonlethal measurement to track contamination in organisms, but storing samples can be impractical in remote field conditions. I am developing a simple, inexpensive method to assess heavy metal exposure in birds without needing refrigeration – thereby removing logistical barriers for scientists based in the tropics.

Blood draw via brachial venipuncture of a Black-banded Woodcreeper (Dendrocolaptes picumnus) in Madre de Dios, Peru. Handled and released safely with appropriate institutional and national permits.

Funded by Centro de Innovación Científica Amazónica, Biodiversity Research Institute, UCLA Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, American Ornithological Society, SoCal SETAC, UCLA Latin American Institute, and Sigma Xi Research Honor Society.