Essential, toxic and potentially toxic elements in White Storks' blood

Sampling took place across several municipalities in the Madrid region as part of a biomonitoring program aimed at assessing environmental contamination in avian wildlife. Each row corresponds to an individual bird and includes biological and health-related information such as age (chick or adult), body condition, and the presence or absence of trauma or foreign bodies.

A total of 52 chemical elements were quantified using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), covering both essential (e.g., Fe, Zn, Cu, Se) and non-essential or toxic elements (e.g., Pb, Cd, Hg, As), along with several rare earth and trace elements. Results are expressed in nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL), equivalent to micrograms per liter (µg/L), based on wet weight concentrations in whole blood. Variables in the dataset include: Reference: unique sample identifier Species: white stork (Ciconia ciconia) Municipality: location of capture Age: classified as chick or adult Body condition: qualitative status (e.g., average, thin) Health indicators: including trauma and foreign body presence Elemental concentrations: 52 variables in ng/mL for a wide panel of trace elements This dataset offers a unique insight into the internal exposure of free-ranging storks to environmental pollutants in urban and peri-urban settings.