Content of Manganese and Molybdenum in Selected Tissues and Organs of Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos L.) in Relation to Their Sex and Harvest Location

The aim of this study was to analyze the manganese and molybdenum content in selected tissues of mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos L.) depending on their location of collection and gender. The study was conducted on material obtained from mallard ducks from two study areas: the Siedlce hunting district and the Leszno hunting district. The research material consisted of breast muscles, leg muscles, and liver obtained from 28 mallards. The samples were frozen and stored at −20 °C. The material was analysed for manganese and molybdenum using inductively coupled argon plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP OES), with a Perkin Elmer Optima 2000 DV spectrometer (Shelton, WA, USA). Manganese levels were significantly higher in mallards harvested in the Siedlce hunting district than in those from the Leszno hunting district. The pattern was reversed for molybdenum, which was present in higher concentrations in the tissues of mallards from the Leszno hunting district, although these were not statistically significant differences. Among the muscles and organs tested, the highest levels of manganese and molybdenum were shown in the liver. The level of molybdenum in the liver was significantly higher in male mallards than in females. An effect of the birds’ origin on manganese content and of sex on molybdenum content in mallard tissues was observed.