The Accumulation of Trace Metals in Rodent Tissues along the TAZAMA Pipeline and TANZAM Highway in MINAPA, Tanzania. Wambura Mashauri Natural Resources Management Submission date: July 2018 Supervisor: Eivin Røskaft, IBI Co-supervisor: Augustine Arukwe, IBI Julius Nyahongo, School of Biology, UDOM-Tanzania Norwegian University of Science and Technology Department of Biology The Accumulation of Trace Metals in Rodent Tissues along the TAZAMA Pipeline and TANZAM Highway in MINAPA, Tanzania. Wambura Mashauri Mtemi Natural Resources Management Submission date: July 2018 Supervisor: Professor Eivin Røskaft Co-supervisor: Professor Augustine Arukwe Professor Julius William Nyahongo Norwegian University of Science and Technology-NTNU Faculty of Natural Science Department of Biology Table of Contents Declaration ............................................................................................................................... iv Dedication ................................................................................................................................. v List of Figures .......................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables .......................................................................................................................... vii List of Abbreviations ............................................................................................................. viii Acknowledgment .................................................................................................................... ix Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... x Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1 Background Information ...................................................................................................... 1 Problem Statement and Justification ................................................................................ 3 Objectives of the Study ....................................................................................................... 5 Hypotheses ........................................................................................................................... 5 Materials and Methods ........................................................................................................... 7 Description of the Study Site .............................................................................................. 7 Reconnaissance Survey ..................................................................................................... 9 Animal Sampling .................................................................................................................. 9 Small Mammals Aging ...................................................................................................... 11 Animal Sexing ..................................................................................................................... 11 Tissue Collection and Preservation ................................................................................ 11 Metals Analysis in Tissues ............................................................................................... 12 Soil Sampling and Preparation ........................................................................................ 14 Metals Analysis in Soils .................................................................................................... 14 Statistical Analysis of Species Richness, Abundance, and Trace Metals ................ 15 Results ..................................................................................................................................... 16 Abundance and Richness of Small Mammal’s Species along a Gradient of Distance and among all four Study Sites. ....................................................................................... 16 ii Trace Metal Concentrations (mg/kg) in Soils ................................................................ 17 Trace Metal Concentrations (mg/kg) in the Liver of Mastomys natalensis ............... 20 Trace Metal Concentrations (mg/kg) in Kidneys of Mastomys natalensis ................ 22 Comparison of the Mean Concentrations (mg/kg) of Trace Metals in Soils and Mastomys natalensis Tissues .......................................................................................... 24 Discussion............................................................................................................................... 26 Abundance and Richness of Small Mammal’s Species .............................................. 26 Trace Metal Concentrations (mg/kg) in Soils ................................................................ 31 Trace Metal Concentrations (mg/kg) in Livers and Kidneys of Mastomys natalensis and their Correlation in Soils ............................................................................................ 34 Conclusion and Recommendations .................................................................................... 38 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 38 Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 38 References ............................................................................................................................. 40 Appendices ............................................................................................................................. 45 Appendix 1; Trace metals mean (SD) concentrations (in mg/kg) and their maximum permissible limits (mg/kg), in soils along a gradient of distance from all four study sites. 45 Appendix 2; Trace metals mean (SD) concentrations (in mg/kg) in the livers and kidneys of Mastomys natalensis with their reference material (bovine liver-1577b) along a gradient of distance from all four study sites. ......................................................................................... 47 iii Declaration I hereby declare to the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) that, with exception to the references from other people’s work that were appropriately cited within texts, the rest part is my own work which has never been presented elsewhere or being published. -------------------------------- Wambura Mashauri Mtemi iv Dedication I dedicate this thesis to my beloved father (Mashauri Wambura Mtemi) and mother (Agnes Mashauri) for their supports, prays and encouragement during my entire academic journey. May almighty God bless you all. v List of Figures Figure 1: Map of Mikumi National Park showing Public infrastructures traversing the Park 8 Figure 2: Arrangement of transects and plots from all four study sites in which small mammal’s individuals were trapped in Mikumi National Park, Tanzania. ............................................... 10 Figure 3: Milestone UltraClave temperature profile during the digestion of tissue samples. 13 Figure 4: Crocidura spp. with abnormality behind the femur in the Mikumi National Park, Tanzania (Photo: W. Mashauri). .............................................................................................. 28 vi List of Tables Table 1: Milestone Microwave temperature (MWT) profile during the digestion of tissue samples. .................................................................................................................................... 13 Table 2: Species abundance of rodents and shrews captured in Mikumi National Park, from four sites such as; TAZAMA pipeline, TANZAM highway, TAZAMA pipeline-TANZAM highway intersection, and Control. ......................................................................................................... 16 Table 3: Species abundance and richness along a gradient of distance and among the four study sites such as TAZAMA pipeline, TANZAM highway, TAZAMA pipeline-TANZAM highway intersection, and Control. ......................................................................................................... 18 Table 4: Trace metals mean (SD) concentrations (in mg/kg) and their maximum permissible limits (mg/kg), in soils along a gradient of distance from all four study sites. ........................ 19 Table 5: Trace metals mean (SD) concentrations (in mg/kg) in the liver of Mastomys natalensis with their reference material (bovine liver-1577b) along a gradient of distance from all four study sites. ................................................................................................................................ 21 Table 6: Trace metals mean (SD) concentrations (in mg/kg) in kidneys of Mastomys natalensis with their reference material (bovine liver-1577b) along a gradient of distance from all four study sites. ................................................................................................................................ 23 Table 7: Pearson correlation coefficients (r) for trace metals in soils and Mastomys natalensis tissues such as livers and kidneys along a gradient of distance from all study sites. .............. 24 vii List of Abbreviations Ag Silver element Cd Cadmium element Cr Chromium element Cu Copper element DW Distilled water