Seasonal features of the accumulation of heavy metals and arsenic in the tissues of striped field mice (Apodemus agrarius Pallas, 1771) (Muridae, Rodentia) in Moscow parks

In our previous study (Belenkova et al., 2025), we investigated the accumulation of heavy metals in the organs and tissues of striped field mice in the spring. The obtained data on the seasonal patterns of bioaccumulation were contradictory. We repeated our study using samples of striped field mice captured in the fall and compared the obtained data with the spring ones. It was shown that, overall, heavy metal (especially Pb) concentrations in the spring exceeded their fall levels. However, the patterns of heavy metal accumulation in the tissues of animals in specific parks remained the same, namely: the Filevsky Park remained the most polluted, while the Ostankinsky park remained the cleanest. These results could potentially be used to develop test systems for comprehensive assessments of the ecological state of urban ecosystems, taking into account the seasonal and spatial dynamics of heavy metal circulation in the environment and in free-living species.