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Kraus JM, Skrabis K, Ciparis S, Isanhart J, Kenney A, Hinck JE. Ecological Harm and Economic Damages of Chemical Contamination to Linked Aquatic-Terrestrial Food Webs: A Study-Design Tool for Practitioners. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2023; 42:2029-2039. [PMID: 36920000 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Contamination of aquatic ecosystems can have cascading effects on terrestrial consumers by altering the availability and quality of aquatic insect prey. Comprehensive assessment of these indirect food-web effects of contaminants on natural resources and their associated services necessitates using both ecological and economic tools. In the present study we present an aquatic-terrestrial assessment tool (AT2), including ecological and economic decision trees, to aid practitioners and researchers in designing contaminant effect studies for linked aquatic-terrestrial insect-based food webs. The tool is tailored to address the development of legal claims by the US Department of the Interior's Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Program, which aims to restore natural resources injured by oil spills and hazardous substance releases into the environment. Such cases require establishing, through scientific inquiry, the existence of natural resource injury as well as the determination of the monetary or in-kind project-based damages required to restore this injury. However, this tool is also useful to researchers interested in questions involving the effects of contaminants on linked aquatic-terrestrial food webs. Stylized cases exemplify how application of AT2 can help practitioners and researchers design studies when the contaminants present at a site are likely to lead to injury of terrestrial aerial insectivores through loss of aquatic insect prey and/or dietary contaminant exposure. Designing such studies with ecological endpoints and economic modeling inputs in mind will increase the relevance and cost-effectiveness of studies, which can in turn improve the outcomes of cases and studies involving the ecological effects of contaminants on food webs. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:2029-2039. Published 2023. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna M Kraus
- Columbia Environmental Research Center, US Geological Survey, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Kristin Skrabis
- Office of Policy Analysis, US Department of the Interior, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Serena Ciparis
- Virginia Field Office, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Gloucester, Virginia, USA
| | - John Isanhart
- Office of Restoration and Damage Assessment, US Department of the Interior, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Aleshia Kenney
- Illinois-Iowa Field Office, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Moline, Illinois, USA
| | - Jo Ellen Hinck
- Columbia Environmental Research Center, US Geological Survey, Columbia, Missouri, USA
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2
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Wicht AJ, Heye K, Schmidt A, Oehlmann J, Huhn C. The wastewater micropollutant carbamazepine in insectivorous birds-an exposure estimate. Anal Bioanal Chem 2022; 414:4909-4917. [PMID: 35581428 PMCID: PMC9234033 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-022-04117-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Insects with aquatic life stages can transfer sediment and water pollutants to terrestrial ecosystems, which has been described for metals, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and polychlorinated chemicals. However, knowledge of the transfer of aquatic micropollutants released by wastewater treatment plants is scarce despite some preliminary studies on their occurrence in riparian spiders. In our study, we address a major analytical gap focusing on the transfer of the micropollutant carbamazepine from the larvae to the adult midges of Chironomus riparius using an optimized QuEChERS extraction method and HPLC–MS/MS applicable to both life stages down to the level of about three individuals. We show that the uptake of carbamazepine by larvae is concentration-dependent and reduces the emergence rate. Importantly, the body burden remained constant in adult midges. Using this information, we estimated the daily exposure of insectivorous tree swallows as terrestrial predators to carbamazepine using the energy demand of the predator and the energy content of the prey. Assuming environmentally relevant water concentrations of about 1 μg/L, the daily dose per kilogram of body weight for tree swallows was estimated to be 0.5 μg/kg/day. At places of high water contamination of 10 μg/L, the exposure may reach 5 μg/kg/day for this micropollutant of medium polarity. Considering body burden changes upon metamorphosis, this study fills the missing link between aquatic contamination and exposure in terrestrial habitats showing that wastewater pollutants can impact birds’ life. Clearly, further analytical methods for biota analysis in both habitats are urgently required to improve risk assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Jorina Wicht
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Bayerisches Landesamt für Umwelt, Augsburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Heye
- Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Anja Schmidt
- Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jörg Oehlmann
- Department Aquatic Ecotoxicology, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Carolin Huhn
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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3
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Génier CSV, Guglielmo CG, Mitchell GW, Falconer M, Hobson KA. Nutritional consequences of breeding away from riparian habitats in Bank Swallows: new evidence from multiple endogenous markers. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coaa140. [PMID: 33532072 PMCID: PMC7836397 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coaa140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia), a threatened species in Canada, breeds primarily in banks at lakeshores and rivers and in artificial (typically inland) aggregate mining pits. Inland pits may be ecological traps for this species, but relative dietary trade-offs between these two nesting habitats have not been investigated. The availability of aquatic emergent insects at lakeshores may have associated nutritional benefits for growing nestlings due to increased omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) in prey. We compared the diets of juvenile swallows from lakeshore and inland pit sites using assays of stable isotope values (δ13C, δ15N, δ2H) of feathers, faecal DNA metabarcoding and blood plasma FAs. Colony proximity to Lake Erie influenced the use of aquatic versus terrestrial insects by Bank Swallow adults and juveniles. Feather δ2H was particularly useful as a tracer of aquatic emergent versus terrestrial prey, and inland juveniles had feathers enriched in 2H, reflective of diets composed of fewer aquatic emergent insects. DNA metabarcoding of juvenile and adult faecal material indicated that lakeshore birds consumed more aquatic-emergent chironomids than inland birds. Lakeshore juveniles had elevated plasma omega-3 eicosapentaenoic acid levels compared with inland pit-breeding birds. We discuss the need to consider 'nutritional landscapes' and the importance of this concept in conservation of declining species and populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corrine S V Génier
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Christopher G Guglielmo
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Greg W Mitchell
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Wildlife Research Division, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Myles Falconer
- Birds Canada, 115 Front Rd., P.O. Box 160, Port Rowan, Ontario N0E 1M0, Canada
| | - Keith A Hobson
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario N6A 3K7, Canada
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Wildlife Research Division, 11 Innovation Blvd., Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 3H5, Canada
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Naslund LC, Gerson JR, Brooks AC, Walters DM, Bernhardt ES. Contaminant Subsidies to Riparian Food Webs in Appalachian Streams Impacted by Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:3951-3959. [PMID: 32189492 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b05907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Selenium is highly elevated in Appalachian streams and stream organisms that receive alkaline mine drainage from mountaintop removal coal mining compared to unimpacted streams in the region. Adult aquatic insects can be important vectors of waterborne contaminants to riparian food webs, yet pathways of Se transport and exposure of riparian organisms are poorly characterized. We investigated Se concentrations in stream and riparian organisms to determine whether mining extent increased Se uptake in stream biofilms and insects and if these insects were effective Se biovectors to riparian spiders. Biofilm Se concentration increased (p = 0.006) with mining extent, reaching a maximum value of 16.5 μg/g of dw. Insect and spider Se increased with biofilm Se (p = 0.004, p = 0.003), reaching 95 and 26 μg/g of dw, respectively, in mining-impacted streams. Adult insect biomass was not related to mining extent or Se concentrations in biofilm. Even though Se concentrations in aquatic insects were significantly and positively related to mining extent, aquatic insect Se flux was not associated with mining extent because the mass of emerging insects did not change appreciably over the mining gradient. Insect and spider Se concentrations were among the highest reported in the literature, regularly exceeding the bird Se dietary risk threshold of 5 μg/g of dw. Risks of Se exposure and toxicity related to mining are thus not constrained to aquatic systems but extend to terrestrial habitats and food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura C Naslund
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Jacqueline R Gerson
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Alexander C Brooks
- Department of Geoscience, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521, United States
| | - David M Walters
- U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri 65201, United States
| | - Emily S Bernhardt
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
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DeLeon S, Webster MS, DeVoogd TJ, Dhondt AA. Developmental polychlorinated biphenyl exposure influences adult zebra finch reproductive behaviour. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230283. [PMID: 32191759 PMCID: PMC7082000 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are worldwide chemical pollutants that have been linked to disrupted reproduction and altered sexual behaviour in many organisms. However, the effect of developmental PCB-exposure on adult passerine reproductive behaviour remains unknown. A commercial PCB mixture (Aroclor 1242) or an estrogenic congener (PCB 52) were administered in sublethal amounts to nestling zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) in the laboratory to identify effects of developmental PCB-exposure on adult zebra finch reproductive parameters. Results indicate that although traditional measures of reproductive success are not altered by this PCB dosage, PCBs do alter sexual behaviours such as male song and nesting behaviour. Males treated with PCB 52 in the nest sang significantly fewer syllables than control males, while females treated with Aroclor 1242 in the nest showed the strongest song preferences. PCB treatment also caused an increase in the number of nesting attempts and abandoned nests in the Aroclor 1242 treatment relative to the PCB 52 treatment, and offspring with control fathers fledged significantly earlier than those with fathers treated with Aroclor 1242. Behavioural differences between males seem to best explain these reproductive effects, most notably aggression. These findings suggest that sublethal PCB-exposure during development can significantly alter key reproductive characteristics of adult zebra finches, likely reducing fitness in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara DeLeon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Michael S. Webster
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology and Behaviour, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Timothy J. DeVoogd
- Department of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - André A. Dhondt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
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Dean KM, Marcell AM, Baltos LD, Carro T, Bohannon MEB, Ottinger MA. Comparative Lethality of In ovo Exposure to PCB 126, PCB 77, and 2 Environmentally Relevant PCB Mixtures in Japanese Quail (Coturnix japonica). ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2019; 38:2637-2650. [PMID: 31436847 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) egg bioassay was used to directly compare the toxicity of 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB 126), 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB 77), and 2 environmentally relevant polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixtures over specified dose ranges relative to vehicle and uninjected controls. Measures included lethality and deformities. Results showed clear dose-response relationships for PCB 126 and the 2 PCB mixtures by logistic analysis of covariance using a varying threshold model because there was a low but significant slope for mortality of vehicle controls over incubation. No dose-dependent increase in mortality was observed with PCB 77 treatment. Mortality increased above baseline for PCB 126 and the 2 mixtures after embryonic day 7 (ED07) to a stable slope from ED10. Median lethal doses and thresholds for response differed for PCB 126 and the 2 PCB mixtures, with the mixtures having lower initial toxicity and all showing progressively greater toxicity over the course of development. Further, the lethality of the PCB mixtures appeared to involve both aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and non-AhR mechanisms. Incidence of deformities was unrelated to treatments. In summary, complex mixtures of PCBs were lethal in a dose-related manner, with sublethal effects from exposure to PCB 77. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:2637-2650. © 2019 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen M Dean
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Allegra M Marcell
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Leah D Baltos
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Tiffany Carro
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Meredith E B Bohannon
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Mary Ann Ottinger
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
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7
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Kotalik CJ, Clements WH. Stream Mesocosm Experiments Show Significant Differences in Sensitivity of Larval and Emerging Adults to Metals. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:8362-8370. [PMID: 31184880 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b00883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Evaluations of aquatic insect responses to contaminants typically use larval life stages to characterize taxa sensitivity, but the effects of contaminants to emerging terrestrial adults have received less attention. We present the results of two stream mesocosm experiments that exposed aquatic insects to mixtures of Cu and Zn. We compared responses of larvae and emerging adults in a single-species experiment with the mayfly Rhithrogena robusta and a benthic community experiment. Results showed that R. robusta larvae and emerging adults were highly tolerant of metals. In the benthic community experiment, larval and emerging adult life stages of the mayfly Baetidae were highly sensitive to metals exposure, with significant alterations in adult sex ratios. In contrast, the emergence of Chironomidae (midge) was unaffected, but larval abundance strongly decreased. Timing of adult emergence was significantly different among treatments and varied among taxa, with emergence stimulation in Chironomidae and delays in emergence in R. robusta and Simuliidae (black fly). Our results demonstrate that metal tolerance in aquatic insects is life stage dependent and that taxa sensitivity is influenced by a combination of physiology and phylogeny. Regulatory frameworks would benefit by including test results that account for effects of contaminants on metamorphosis and adult insect emergence for the development of aquatic life standards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Kotalik
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology , Colorado State University Fort Collins , Colorado 80521 , United States
| | - William H Clements
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology , Colorado State University Fort Collins , Colorado 80521 , United States
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8
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Ottinger MA, Lavoie ET, Bohannon MEB, Marcel AM, Tschiffely AE, Duffy KB, McKernan M, Thompson N, Whitehouse HK, Davani K, Strauss M, Tillitt DE, Lipton J, Dean KM. Embryonic effects of an environmentally relevant PCB mixture in the domestic chicken. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2018; 37:2513-2522. [PMID: 29947098 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2018] [Revised: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Studies were conducted to develop methods to assess the effects of a complex mixture of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the domestic chicken (Gallus domesticus). Treatments were administered by egg injection to compare embryonic effects of an environmentally relevant PCB congener mixture in the domestic chicken over a range of doses. Chicken eggs were injected with the PCB mixture with a profile similar to that found in avian eggs collected on the upper Hudson River, New York, USA, at doses that spanned 0 to 98 μg/g egg. Eggs were hatched in the laboratory to ascertain hatching success. In the domestic chicken, the median lethal dose was 0.3 μg/g. These data demonstrate adverse effects of an environmentally relevant PCB mixture and provide the basis for further work using in vitro and other models to characterize the potential risk to avian populations. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:2513-2522. © 2018 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Ann Ottinger
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Emma T Lavoie
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Meredith E B Bohannon
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Allegra M Marcel
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Anna E Tschiffely
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Kara B Duffy
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Moira McKernan
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Nichola Thompson
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - H Kasen Whitehouse
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Kimya Davani
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Marci Strauss
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Donald E Tillitt
- Biochemistry & Physiology Branch, Columbia Environmental Research Center, US Geological Survey, Columbia, Missouri
| | | | - Karen M Dean
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
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9
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Schmitt CJ, Echols KR, Peterman PH, Orazio CE, Grim KC, Tan S, Diggs NE, Marra PP. Organochlorine Chemical Residues in Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Eggs from Greater Washington, DC USA. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2018; 100:741-747. [PMID: 29796875 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-018-2357-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Northern Cardinal eggs from six neighborhoods near Washington DC were analyzed for organochlorine pesticides and PCBs. All compounds were detected more frequently and at higher concentrations in more heavily urbanized neighborhoods. DDT (mostly as p,p'-DDE) was detected in all neighborhoods. p,p'-DDT was typically 0.5‒16 ng/g (ww) in most suburban neighborhoods but was not detected (< 0.1 ng/g) in more rural areas; however, p,p'-DDT was 127‒1130 ng/g in eggs from two suburban Maryland nests and comprised 65.7% of total p,p'-DDT isomers in the most contaminated sample, indicating recent exposure to un-weathered DDT. Total chlordane (sum of 5 compounds) was 2‒70 ng/g; concentrations were greatest in older suburban neighborhoods. Total PCB (sum of detected congeners) was < 5‒21 ng/g. Congener patterns were similar in all neighborhoods and resembled those typical of weathered mixtures. Results indicate that wildlife remains exposed to low concentrations of legacy contaminants in suburban neighborhoods and that cardinal eggs can be used to monitor localized contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Schmitt
- Columbia Environmental Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 4200 New Haven Road, Columbia, MO, 652011, USA.
| | - Kathy R Echols
- Columbia Environmental Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 4200 New Haven Road, Columbia, MO, 652011, USA
| | - Paul H Peterman
- Columbia Environmental Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 4200 New Haven Road, Columbia, MO, 652011, USA
| | - Carl E Orazio
- Columbia Environmental Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 4200 New Haven Road, Columbia, MO, 652011, USA
| | - K Christiana Grim
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Front Royal, VA, USA
| | - Shirlee Tan
- Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Front Royal, VA, USA
- Public Health Seattle and King County, 401 5th Ave., Seattle, WA, 98104, USA
| | - Nora E Diggs
- Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20008, USA
| | - Peter P Marra
- Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20008, USA
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10
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Carro T, Walker MK, Dean KM, Ottinger MA. Effects of in ovo exposure to 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB 77) on heart development in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor). ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2018; 37:116-125. [PMID: 28767159 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2017] [Revised: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) eggs from 2 uncontaminated sites, the Patuxent Research Refuge (Laurel, MD, USA) and the Cobleskill Reservoir (Cobleskill, NY, USA) were dosed with polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) 77 to evaluate effects on the developing cardiovascular system. To ensure embryonic viability, treatments were administered into the air cell at embryonic day 2.5 including: untreated (control), vehicle (filtered sterilized fatty acid mixture), 100 ng/g and 1000 ng/g egg. Eggs were dosed in the field with 0.2 μL/egg, returned to the nest, collected at embryonic day 13, hatched in the laboratory, and necropsied. The PCB 77-treated hatchlings were compared with uninjected, vehicle-injected, and environmentally exposed hatchlings collected from a PCB-contaminated Upper Hudson River (NY, USA) site. The PCB 77-treated embryos showed no effects on hatching success or hatchling mortality, heart index, or morphological measures of 4 distinct heart layers (heart width, length, septal thickness, total and ventricular cavity area) compared with controls. Hatchlings that had received PCB 77 exhibited increased incidence of a cardiomyopathy and absence of the ventricular heart wall compact layer (Chi square test; p < 0.001); environmentally exposed embryos showed no apparent effects. The compact layer is essential in development and overall heart function for ventricular cardiomyocyte proliferation and normal heart contraction. The finding that in ovo exposure to PCB 77 resulted in distinct cardiomyopathy has implications for long-term individual fitness. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:116-125. © 2017 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany Carro
- Department of Animal & Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Mary K Walker
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Karen M Dean
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - Mary Ann Ottinger
- Department of Animal & Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
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11
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Tillitt DE, Buckler JA, Nicks DK, Candrl JS, Claunch RA, Gale RW, Puglis HJ, Little EE, Linbo TL, Baker M. Sensitivity of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) early life stages to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-P-dioxin and 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2017; 36:988-998. [PMID: 27600767 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Revised: 06/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The aquatic food web of the Great Lakes has been contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) since the mid-20th century. Threats of PCB exposures to long-lived species of fish, such as lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), have been uncertain because of a lack of information on the relative sensitivity of the species. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the sensitivity of early-life stage lake sturgeon to 3,3',4,4',5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB-126) or 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) exposure. Mortality, growth, morphological and tissue pathologies, swimming performance, and activity levels were used as assessment endpoints. Pericardial and yolk sac edema, tubular heart, yolk sac hemorrhaging, and small size were the most commonly observed pathologies in both TCDD and PCB-126 exposures, beginning as early as 4 d postfertilization, with many of these pathologies occurring in a dose-dependent manner. Median lethal doses for PCB-126 and TCDD in lake sturgeon were 5.4 ng/g egg (95% confidence interval, 3.9-7.4 ng/g egg) and 0.61 ng/g egg (0.47-0.82 ng/g egg), respectively. The resulting relative potency factor for PCB-126 (0.11) was greater than the World Health Organization estimate for fish (toxic equivalency factor = 0.005), suggesting that current risk assessments may underestimate PCB toxicity toward lake sturgeon. Swimming activity and endurance were reduced in lake sturgeon survivors from the median lethal doses at 60 d postfertilization. Threshold and median toxicity values indicate that lake sturgeon, like other Acipenser species, are more sensitive to PCB and TCDD than the other genus of sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus, found in North America. Indeed, lake sturgeon populations in the Great Lakes and elsewhere are susceptible to PCB/TCDD-induced developmental toxicity in embryos and reductions in swimming performance. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:988-998. Published 2016 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald E Tillitt
- Columbia Environmental Research Center, US Geological Survey, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Justin A Buckler
- Five Rivers Services Corporation, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Diane K Nicks
- Columbia Environmental Research Center, US Geological Survey, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - James S Candrl
- Columbia Environmental Research Center, US Geological Survey, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Rachel A Claunch
- Columbia Environmental Research Center, US Geological Survey, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Robert W Gale
- Columbia Environmental Research Center, US Geological Survey, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Holly J Puglis
- Columbia Environmental Research Center, US Geological Survey, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Edward E Little
- Columbia Environmental Research Center, US Geological Survey, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Tiffany L Linbo
- Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Mary Baker
- Office of Response and Restoration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington, USA
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Custer TW, Custer CM, Dummer PM, Goldberg D, Franson JC, Erickson RA. Organic contamination in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) nestlings at United States and binational Great Lakes Areas of Concern. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2017; 36:735-748. [PMID: 27539913 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Revised: 05/30/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Contaminant exposure of tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, nesting in 27 Areas of Concern (AOCs) in the Great Lakes basin was assessed from 2010 to 2014 to assist managers and regulators in their assessments of Great Lakes AOCs. Contaminant concentrations in nestlings from AOCs were compared with those in nestlings from nearby non-AOC sites. Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether concentrations in tree swallow nestling carcasses at 30% and 33% of AOCs, respectively, were below the mean concentration for non-AOCs. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in nestling stomach contents and perfluorinated compound concentrations in nestling plasma at 67% and 64% of AOCs, respectively, were below the mean concentration for non-AOCs. Concentrations of PCBs in nestling carcasses were elevated at some AOCs but modest compared with highly PCB-contaminated sites where reproductive effects have been documented. Concentrations of PAHs in diet were sufficiently elevated at some AOCs to elicit a measurable physiological response. Among AOCs, concentrations of the perfluorinated compound perfluorooctane sulfonate in plasma were the highest on the River Raisin (MI, USA; geometric mean 330 ng/mL) but well below an estimated toxicity reference value (1700 ng/mL). Both PAH and PCB concentrations in nestling stomach contents and PCBs in carcasses were significantly correlated with concentrations in sediment previously reported, thereby reinforcing the utility of tree swallows to assess bioavailability of sediment contamination. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:735-748. Published 2016 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W Custer
- Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, US Geological Survey, La Crosse, Wisconsin
| | - Christine M Custer
- Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, US Geological Survey, La Crosse, Wisconsin
| | - Paul M Dummer
- Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, US Geological Survey, La Crosse, Wisconsin
| | - Diana Goldberg
- National Wildlife Health Center, US Geological Survey, Madison, Wisconsin
| | | | - Richard A Erickson
- Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, US Geological Survey, La Crosse, Wisconsin
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13
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Custer CM, Custer TW, Dummer PM, Goldberg D, Franson JC. Concentrations and spatial patterns of organic contaminants in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) eggs at United States and binational Great Lakes Areas of Concern, 2010-2015. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2016; 35:3071-3092. [PMID: 27187748 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Revised: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, were sampled across the Great Lakes basin in 2010 through 2015 to provide a system-wide assessment of current exposure to organic contaminants. The results provide information identified as critical by regulators to assess the "bird or animal deformity or reproductive problems" beneficial use impairment. Eggs were collected from 69 sites across all 5 Great Lakes, including 27 Areas of Concern (AOCs), some with multiple sites, and 10 sites not listed as an AOC. Concentrations of organic contaminants in eggs were quantified and compared with background and reproductive effect thresholds. Approximately 30% of AOCs had geometric mean concentrations of total polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at or below average background exposure (0.34 μg/g wet wt). Exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) was minimal, and only 3 of 27 AOCs and 1 non-AOC had geometric mean concentrations that exceeded background for tree swallows (96 ng/g wet wt). Concentrations of both PCBs and PBDEs were 10 to 20 times below the lower limit associated with impaired hatching success. In contrast, geometric mean concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and furan (PCDD-F) toxic equivalents (TEQs) at the Saginaw River and Bay AOC and Midland, Michigan, USA (a non-AOC site), exceeded the lower limit for hatching effects (181 pg/g PCDD-F TEQs). The rest of the sites had geometric mean concentrations of PCDD-F TEQs below background levels (87 pg/g PCDD-F TEQs). Other organic contaminants, including p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene, mirex, heptachlor, and chlordane, were at or below background or adverse effect concentrations. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:3071-3092. Published 2016 Wiley Periodicals Inc on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Custer
- Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, US Geological Survey, La Crosse, Wisconsin
| | - Thomas W Custer
- Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, US Geological Survey, La Crosse, Wisconsin
| | - Paul M Dummer
- Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, US Geological Survey, La Crosse, Wisconsin
| | - Diana Goldberg
- National Wildlife Health Center, US Geological Survey, Madison, Wisconsin
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14
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Godwin CM, Smits JEG, Barclay RMR. Metals and metalloids in nestling tree swallows and their dietary items near oilsands mine operations in Northern Alberta. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 562:714-723. [PMID: 27110982 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.04.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2015] [Revised: 04/09/2016] [Accepted: 04/10/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) nesting near oilsands development in northern Alberta are potentially exposed to elevated levels of metals. The objective of this study was to determine whether levels of metals and metalloid elements in dietary items and tissues of nestling tree swallows inhabiting areas near oilsands mine operations were higher compared to those of reference sites. We hypothesized that if there was increased, industry-related exposure to metals, it would be via the diet. We identified the invertebrate prey in the stomach contents of nestlings. We also collected invertebrates using Malaise traps near nest boxes, and analyzed those taxa found in the nestling diet to understand potential variability in metal exposure. For most elements, we found no significant differences in concentrations in the liver, kidney, or stomach contents between sites near to and far from oilsands operations. Concentrations of five elements were positively correlated among tissues and stomach contents. For invertebrates collected from Malaise traps, location differences occurred in some absolute elemental concentrations, which were most often highest at reference sites away from mining operations. We found no evidence that nestling tree swallows accumulated metals approaching toxic levels. Tree swallows consumed relatively high quantities of terrestrial insects, possibly limiting exposure to water borne, food-web-related contaminants. We suggest that annual variability associated with elemental exposure and dietary levels of elements be considered when interpreting concentrations in bird tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Godwin
- University of Calgary, Department of Biological Sciences, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
| | - Judit E G Smits
- University of Calgary, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
| | - Robert M R Barclay
- University of Calgary, Department of Biological Sciences, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
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15
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Nybom I, Abel S, Waissi G, Väänänen K, Mäenpää K, Leppänen MT, Kukkonen JVK, Akkanen J. Effects of Activated Carbon on PCB Bioaccumulation and Biological Responses of Chironomus riparius in Full Life Cycle Test. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2016; 50:5252-60. [PMID: 27100921 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b00991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The nonbiting midge Chironomus riparius was used to study the remediation potential and secondary effects of activated carbon (AC, ø 63-200 μm) in PCB contaminated sediments. AC amendments efficiently reduced PCB bioavailability determined by Chironomus riparius bioaccumulation tests and passive samplers. PCBs were shown to transfer from larvae to adults. Lower PCB concentrations were observed in adult midges emerging from AC amended compared to unamended sediments. Increased reproduction, survival, larval growth and gut wall microvilli length were observed with low AC dose (0.5% sediment dw) compared to unamended sediment, indicating an improved success of larvae in the sediment with low organic carbon content. On the other hand, higher AC doses (2.5% sediment dw) caused adverse effects on emergence and larval development. In addition, morphological changes in the gut wall microvilli layer were observed. This study showed that the secondary effects of AC amendments are dependent on the dose and the sediment characteristics. Metamorphic species, such as C. riparius, may act as a vector for organic pollutants from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems and according to this study the AC amendments may reduce this transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inna Nybom
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland (UEF) , P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland
| | - Sebastian Abel
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland (UEF) , P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland
| | - Greta Waissi
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland (UEF) , P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland
| | - Kristiina Väänänen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland (UEF) , P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland
| | - Kimmo Mäenpää
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland (UEF) , P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland
| | - Matti T Leppänen
- Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Ecotoxicology and Risk Assessment Group, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, FI-40014, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Jussi V K Kukkonen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä , P.O. Box 35, FI-40014, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Jarkko Akkanen
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland (UEF) , P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland
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16
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Bonier F. A meta-analysis of relationships between polychlorinated biphenyl exposure and performance across studies of free-ranging tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:150634. [PMID: 27152205 PMCID: PMC4852628 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.150634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Accepted: 03/24/2016] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Habitats worldwide are increasingly being degraded by human activities, with environmental pollution representing a significant threat to species and ecosystems. The presence of persistent organic chemicals, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), has generated concern. Captive experiments and field studies have reported some evidence for detrimental effects of PCB exposure, but also significant variation across studies and species. Here, I use a meta-analytical approach to combine findings across 10 studies investigating effects of PCBs on performance (e.g. reproductive success, offspring growth) in free-ranging tree swallows, a common bioindicator species that accumulates high levels of PCBs at some contaminated sites. Contrary to predictions, five complementary analyses revealed no significant negative association between PCB exposure and performance in tree swallows. In fact, in one analysis, increased PCB exposure was associated with improved reproductive success. Possible explanations for these findings include several limitations of field studies, variation in the toxicity of different PCB congener mixtures found across sites included in the analysis, and variation in the degree of tolerance of PCB exposure among species (with high tolerance found in tree swallows). At this point, the available evidence from field studies does not demonstrate negative impacts of PCB exposure on tree swallow performance.
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17
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Gerig BS, Chaloner DT, Janetski DJ, Rediske RR, O'Keefe JP, Moerke AH, Lamberti GA. Congener Patterns of Persistent Organic Pollutants Establish the Extent of Contaminant Biotransport by Pacific Salmon in the Great Lakes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2016; 50:554-563. [PMID: 26641658 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b05091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In the Great Lakes, introduced Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) can transport persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), to new environments during their spawning migrations. To explore the nature and extent of POP biotransport by salmon, we compared 58 PCB and 6 PBDE congeners found in spawning salmon directly to those in resident stream fish. We hypothesized that stream fish exposed to salmon spawners would have congener patterns similar to those of salmon, the presumed contaminant source. Using permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) and nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), we found that POP congener patterns of Pacific salmon varied among regions in the Great Lakes basin (i.e., Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, or Lake Superior), tissue type (whole fish or eggs), and contaminant type (PCB or PBDE). For stream-resident fish, POP congener pattern was influenced by the presence of salmon, location (i.e., Great Lakes Basin), and species identity (i.e., brook trout [Salvelinus fontinalis] or mottled sculpin [Cottus bairdii]). Similarity in congener patterns indicated that salmon are a source of POPs to brook trout in stream reaches receiving salmon spawners from Lake Michigan and Lake Huron but not from Lake Superior. Congener patterns of mottled sculpin differed from those of brook trout and salmon, suggesting that brook trout and mottled sculpin either use salmon tissue to differing degrees, acquire POPs from different dietary sources, or bioaccumulate or metabolize POPs differently. Overall, our analyses identified the important role of salmon in contaminant biotransport but also demonstrated that the extent of salmon-mediated POP transfer and uptake in Great Lakes tributaries is location- and species-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon S Gerig
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - Dominic T Chaloner
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
| | - David J Janetski
- Department of Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania , Indiana, Pennsylvania 15705, United States
| | - Richard R Rediske
- Annis Water Resources Institute, Grand Valley State University , Muskegon, Michigan 49441, United States
| | - James P O'Keefe
- Annis Water Resources Institute, Grand Valley State University , Muskegon, Michigan 49441, United States
| | - Ashley H Moerke
- School of Biological Sciences, Lake Superior State University , Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan 49783, United States
| | - Gary A Lamberti
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame , Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, United States
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18
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Walls SJ, Meyer CB, Iannuzzi J, Schlekat TH. Effects of coal fly ash on tree swallow reproduction in Watts Bar Reservoir, Tennessee. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2015; 11:56-66. [PMID: 25345977 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.1585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Revised: 05/05/2014] [Accepted: 08/18/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Coal-fly ash was released in unprecedented amounts (4.1 × 10(6) m(3) ) into the Emory River from the Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston Fossil Plant on Watts Bar Reservoir in Tennessee. Tree swallows were exposed to ash-related constituents at the ash release via their diet of emergent aquatic insects, whose larval forms can accumulate constituents from submerged river sediments. Reproduction of tree swallow colonies was assessed over a 2-year period by evaluating whether 1) ash constituent concentrations were elevated in egg, eggshell, and nestling tissues at colonies near ash-impacted river reaches compared to reference colonies, 2) production of fledglings per nesting female was significantly lower in ash-impacted colonies versus reference colonies, and 3) ash constituent concentrations or diet concentrations were correlated with nest productivity measures (clutch size, hatching success, and nestling survival, and fledglings produced per nest). Of the 26 ash constituents evaluated, 4 (Se, Sr, Cu, and Hg) were significantly elevated in tissues potentially from the ash, and 3 (Se, Sr, and Cu) in tissues or in swallow diet items were weakly correlated to at least one nest-productivity measure or egg weight. Tree swallow hatching success was significantly reduced by 12%, but fledgling production per nest was unaffected due to larger clutch sizes in the impacted than reference colonies. Bioconcentration from the ash to insects in the diet to tree swallow eggs appears to be low. Overall, adverse impacts of the ash on tree swallow reproduction were not observed, but monitoring is continuing to further ensure Se from the residual ash does not adversely affect tree swallow reproduction over time. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2015;11:56-66. © 2014 SETAC.
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19
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Alberts JM, Sullivan SMP, Kautza A. Riparian swallows as integrators of landscape change in a multiuse river system: implications for aquatic-to-terrestrial transfers of contaminants. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2013; 463-464:42-50. [PMID: 23792246 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.05.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2013] [Revised: 05/12/2013] [Accepted: 05/13/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Recent research has highlighted the transfer of contaminants from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems via predation of aquatic emergent insects by riparian consumers. The influence of adjacent land use and land cover (LULC) on aquatic-to-terrestrial contaminant transfer, however, has received limited attention. From 2010 to 2012, at 11 river reaches in the Scioto River basin (OH, USA), we investigated the relationships between LULC and selenium (Se) and mercury (Hg) concentrations in four species of riparian swallows. Hg concentrations in swallows were significantly higher at rural reaches than at urban reaches (t=-3.58, P<0.001, df=30), whereas Se concentrations were positively associated with adjacent land cover characterized by mature tree cover (R(2)=0.49, P=0.006). To an extent, these relationships appear to be mediated by swallow reliance on aquatic emergent insects. For example, tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) at urban reaches exhibited a higher proportion of aquatic prey in their diet, fed at a higher trophic level, and exhibited elevated Se levels. We also found that both Se and Hg concentrations in adult swallows were significantly higher than those observed in nestlings at both urban and rural reaches (Se: t=-2.83, P=0.033, df=3; Hg: t=-3.22, P=0.024, df=3). Collectively, our results indicate that riparian swallows integrate contaminant exposure in linked aquatic-terrestrial systems and that LULC may strongly regulate aquatic contaminant flux to terrestrial consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy M Alberts
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, 2600 Clifton Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45221, United States.
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20
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Otter RR, Hayden M, Mathews T, Fortner A, Bailey FC. The use of tetragnathid spiders as bioindicators of metal exposure at a coal ash spill site. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2013; 32:2065-2068. [PMID: 23686551 DOI: 10.1002/etc.2277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2013] [Revised: 02/03/2013] [Accepted: 05/06/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
On 22 December 2008, a dike containing coal fly ash from the Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston Fossil Fuel Plant (TN, USA) failed, resulting in the largest coal ash spill in US history. The present study was designed to determine sediment metal concentrations at multiple site locations and to determine whether site-specific bioaccumulation of metals existed in tetragnathid spiders. Selenium and nickel were the only 2 metals to exceed the US Environmental Protection Agency sediment screening levels. Selenium concentrations in spiders were significantly higher at ash-affected sites than in those from reference sites. The ratio of methylmercury to total mercury in spiders was found to be similar to that in other organisms (65-75%), which highlights the potential use of tetragnathid spiders as an indicator species for tracing contaminant transfer between the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan R Otter
- Department of Biology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, USA.
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21
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Carro T, Dean K, Ottinger MA. Effects of an environmentally relevant polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixture on embryonic survival and cardiac development in the domestic chicken. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2013; 32:1325-1331. [PMID: 23418095 DOI: 10.1002/etc.2178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2012] [Revised: 07/20/2012] [Accepted: 01/09/2013] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
A 58-congener polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mixture based on contaminant analysis of spotted sandpiper eggs collected along the upper Hudson River, New York, USA, in 2004 was used to study in ovo PCB effects on cardiac development in the domestic chicken. Fertile eggs were injected prior to incubation with the following doses of the PCB mixture: untreated, sham, 0, 0.03, 0.08, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, and 2.06 µg PCBs/g egg weight (toxic equivalent quotient [TEQ] range of 0.004-0.266 ng/g). In addition, there were untreated and sham-control groups. Embryonic development was monitored throughout incubation and chicks were necropsied at hatch. Hatchability followed a dose-dependent curve with significant (p < 0.05) mortality above the 0.5 µg PCBs/g egg weight treatment compared with controls. The median lethal dose (LD50) of this PCB mixture in hatchling chicks was estimated as 0.4 µg/g egg weight (0.052 ng TEQ/g egg wt) based on the lethality curve. Cardiac arrhythmia was observed at embryonic day 14 of development in embryos treated at concentrations of 0.5 µg/g egg weight and above. Histological analysis was utilized to characterize any cardiac abnormalities. Cardiomyopathies increased across treatments in a dose-dependent manner compared with control groups. Identified abnormalities included the absence of the trabeculated layer of the ventricular wall, ventricular dilation, thinning of the ventricular walls, malformation of the septal wall, and most commonly, absence of the compact layer of the ventricular wall. Chick heart width, depth, total area, compact layer depth, septal width, chamber area, and ventricular wall dimensions did not differ across treatments. The present study supports prior reports of adverse developmental effects of PCBs on cardiovascular systems in birds. Although the eggs hatched, measured cardiomyopathies suggest potential deleterious long-term impacts on individual health and fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany Carro
- Department of Animal and Avian Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA.
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22
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Grasman KA, Echols KR, May TM, Peterman PH, Gale RW, Orazio CE. Immunological and reproductive health assessment in herring gulls and black-crowned night herons in the Hudson-Raritan Estuary. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2013; 32:548-561. [PMID: 23212976 DOI: 10.1002/etc.2089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2011] [Revised: 11/17/2011] [Accepted: 09/26/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown inexplicable declines in breeding waterbirds within western New York/New Jersey Harbor between 1996 and 2002 and elevated polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) eggs. The present study assessed associations between immune function, prefledgling survival, and selected organochlorine compounds and metals in herring gulls (Larus argentatus) and black-crowned night herons (Nycticorax nycticorax) in lower New York Harbor during 2003. In pipping gull embryos, lymphoid cells were counted in the thymus and bursa of Fabricius (sites of T and B lymphocyte maturation, respectively). The phytohemagglutinin (PHA) skin response assessed T cell function in gull and heron chicks. Lymphocyte proliferation was measured in vitro in adult and prefledgling gulls. Reference data came from the Great Lakes and Bay of Fundy. Survival of prefledgling gulls was poor, with only 0.68 and 0.5 chicks per nest surviving to three and four weeks after hatch, respectively. Developing lymphoid cells were reduced 51% in the thymus and 42% in the bursa of gull embryos from New York Harbor. In vitro lymphocyte assays demonstrated reduced spontaneous proliferation, reduced T cell mitogen-induced proliferation, and increased B cell mitogen-induced proliferation in gull chicks from New York Harbor. The PHA skin response was suppressed 70 to 80% in gull and heron chicks. Strong negative correlations (r = -0.95 to -0.98) between the PHA response and dioxins and PCBs in gull livers was strong evidence suggesting that these chemicals contribute significantly to immunosuppression in New York Harbor waterbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith A Grasman
- Department of Biology, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.
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Sullivan SMP, Rodewald AD. In a state of flux: the energetic pathways that move contaminants from aquatic to terrestrial environments. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2012; 31:1175-1183. [PMID: 22605620 DOI: 10.1002/etc.1842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- S Mažeika P Sullivan
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
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24
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Fredricks TB, Zwiernik MJ, Seston RM, Coefield SJ, Glaspie CN, Tazelaar DL, Kay DP, Newsted JL, Giesy JP. Reproductive success of three passerine species exposed to dioxin-like compounds near Midland, Michigan, USA. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2012; 21:1145-54. [PMID: 22392542 PMCID: PMC3325409 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-012-0869-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/08/2012] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Nests of three passerine birds, house wren (HOWR), tree swallow (TRES), and eastern bluebird (EABL) were monitored daily (2005-2007) at study areas (SAs) downstream of Midland, Michigan where soil and sediment concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) were significantly greater than the regional background concentrations and upstream reference areas (RAs). Similarly, TRES research conducted at sites contaminated with dioxin-like compounds indicated that concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and PCDFs, expressed as ΣPCDD/DFs and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents observed in the diet and eggs of these three species would be predicted to cause significant effects on reproduction. However, site-specific reproductive parameters including hatching success and fledging success at downstream SAs were similar to or greater than those at upstream RAs. Specifically, hatching success was not significantly different among years, species, locations, or between early and late nesting attempts. Of all initiated clutches, 66% (n = 427), 73% (n = 245), and 64% (n = 122) successfully fledged at least one nestling for HOWR, TRES, and EABL, respectively. Overall reproductive performance was similar between SAs and RAs. The reason for these unexpected results is consistent with the fact that there are species-specific and congener-specific differences in sensitivities to the effects of aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy B Fredricks
- Department of Zoology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
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Fredricks TB, Zwiernik MJ, Seston RM, Coefield SJ, Tazelaar DL, Roark SA, Kay DP, Newsted JL, Giesy JP. Effects on tree swallows exposed to dioxin-like compounds associated with the Tittabawassee River and floodplain near Midland, Michigan, USA. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2011; 30:1354-1365. [PMID: 21360578 DOI: 10.1002/etc.511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2010] [Revised: 09/23/2010] [Accepted: 01/02/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Concentrations of dioxin-like compounds, primarily polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), in soils and sediments downstream of Midland, Michigan (USA) were greater than upstream sites and prompted a site-specific hazard assessment of tree swallows breeding in the associated floodplains. Potential for adverse population-level effects from site-specific contaminant exposures were evaluated at study areas (SAs) along the Tittabawassee and Saginaw rivers downstream of Midland. The site-specific multiple lines of evidence approach to hazard assessment included endpoints for dietary- and tissue-based exposures, and population productivity measurements for tree swallows ([TS]; Tachycineta bicolor) measured during the 2005, 2006, and 2007 breeding seasons. Exposure to dioxin-like compounds in TS eggs were some of the greatest recorded and were similar among all upstream and downstream study sites. Conversely, concentrations in nestlings from SAs were significantly greater compared to reference areas (RAs). The pattern of relative concentrations of PCDD/DFs in eggs and nestlings at RAs was dominated by dioxin congeners, whereas at SAs it was dominated by furan congeners. No statistically significant differences were noted in exposure to PCDD/DFs or in population-level responses when compared among locations, and total clutch failures were rare. Hatching success and fledging success were weakly negatively correlated with concentrations of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents (TEQs) in individual eggs and nestlings, respectively. On-site concentrations of TEQs in floodplain soils were some of the greatest ever reported in the environment, and several lines of evidence indicate potential population-level effects on TS overall reproductive productivity.
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Raikow DF, Walters DM, Fritz KM, Mills MA. The distance that contaminated aquatic subsidies extend into lake riparian zones. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2011; 21:983-990. [PMID: 21639060 DOI: 10.1890/09-1504.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Consumption of emergent aquatic insects by terrestrial invertebrates is a poorly resolved, but potentially important, mechanism of contaminant flux across ecosystem borders leading to contaminant exposure in terrestrial invertivores. We characterized the spatial extent and magnitude of contaminant transfer from aquatic sediments to terrestrial invertebrate predators by examining riparian araneid spiders, terrestrial insects, and emergent aquatic insects for stable isotopes and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs, sum of 141 congeners) at Lake Hartwell, (Clemson, South Carolina, USA). PCB concentrations in aquatic insects were orders of magnitude higher than in terrestrial insects. Aquatic insect consumption by spiders (as indicated by delta13C and delta15N), PCB concentrations in spiders, and aquatic prey availability were greatest at the shoreline and declined inland, while terrestrial prey availability was invariant with distance. These patterns indicate PCB transfer to spiders through consumption of emergent aquatic insects extending to a distance of 5 m inland. Measurable, but much lower, PCBs were present in insect predators dominated by social wasps up to 30 m inland. These results illustrate the importance of emergent insects as vectors of contaminant transfer from lake sediments to riparian food webs, and that spiders are key predators in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- David F Raikow
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Exposure Research Laboratory, Ecological Exposure Research Division, 26 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268, USA.
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Fredricks TB, Giesy JP, Coefield SJ, Seston RM, Haswell MM, Tazelaar DL, Bradley PW, Moore JN, Roark SA, Zwiernik MJ. Dietary exposure of three passerine species to PCDD/DFs from the Chippewa, Tittabawassee, and Saginaw River floodplains, Midland, Michigan, USA. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2011; 172:91-112. [PMID: 20145996 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-010-1319-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2009] [Accepted: 01/15/2010] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Dietary exposure of house wrens (Troglodytes aedon), tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), and eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) to polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) near Midland, Michigan (USA) was evaluated based on site-specific data, including concentrations of residues in bolus samples and individual invertebrate orders and dietary compositions by study species. Site-specific dietary compositions for the three species were similar to those reported in the literature, but differed in their relative proportions of some dietary items. Oligocheata (non-depurated) and Brachycera (Diptera) contained the greatest average concentrations of ΣPCDD/DFs of the major site-specific dietary items collected via food web-based sampling. Average ingestion values of ΣPCDD/DFs from site-specific bolus-based and food web-based dietary concentrations for nestlings at study areas (SAs) were 6- to 20-fold and 2- to 9-fold greater than at proximally located reference areas (RAs), respectively. Average ingestion values of total 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents (TEQ(WHO - Avian)) from site-specific bolus-based and food web-based dietary concentrations for nestlings at SAs were 31- to 121-fold and 9- to 64-fold greater than at proximally located RAs, respectively. Estimates of ΣPCDD/DFs and TEQ(WHO - Avian) tissue concentrations based on nestling dietary exposures were greater than those measured. Plausible explanations include nestling metabolism of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran and assimilation rates of less than the 70% assumed to occur over the nestling growth period. Profiles of the relative concentrations of individual PCDD/DF congeners in samples of invertebrates and bolus at SAs on the Tittabawassee River downstream of the source of contamination were dominated by 1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9-octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (22% to 44%) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (18% to 50%).
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy B Fredricks
- Department of Zoology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
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Fredricks TB, Giesy JP, Coefield SJ, Seston RM, Tazelaar DL, Roark SA, Kay DP, Newsted JL, Zwiernik MJ. Multiple Lines of Evidence Risk Assessment of Terrestrial Passerines Exposed to PCDFs and PCDDs in the Tittabawassee River Floodplain, Midland, Michigan, USA. HUMAN AND ECOLOGICAL RISK ASSESSMENT : HERA 2011; 17:159-186. [PMID: 21804755 PMCID: PMC3144481 DOI: 10.1080/10807039.2011.538632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2009] [Accepted: 03/03/2010] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
A site-specific multiple lines of evidence risk assessment was conducted for house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) and eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) along the Tittabawassee River downstream of Midland, Michigan, where concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) in flood-plain soils and sediments are greater compared to upstream areas and some of the greatest anywhere in the world. Lines of evidence supporting the population-level assessment endpoints included site-specific dietary- and tissue-based exposure assessments and population productivity measurements during breeding seasons 2005-2007. While a hazard assessment based on site-specific diets suggested that populations residing in the downstream floodplain had the potential to be affected, concentrations in eggs compared to appropriate toxicity reference values (TRVs) did not predict a potential for population-level effects. There were no significant effects on reproductive success of either species. The most probable cause of the apparent difference between the dietary- and tissue-based exposure assessments was that the dietary-based TRVs were overly conservative based on intraperitoneal injections in the ring-necked pheasant. Agreement between the risk assessment based on concentrations of PCDFs and PCDDs in eggs and reproductive performance in both species supports the conclusion of a small potential for population-level effects at this site.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John P. Giesy
- Department of Zoology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Department of Veterinary Biomedical Sciences and Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology & Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, SAR, China
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Sarah J. Coefield
- Department of Zoology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Rita M. Seston
- Department of Zoology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Dustin L. Tazelaar
- Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | | | | | | | - Matthew J. Zwiernik
- Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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Fredricks TB, Zwiernik MJ, Seston RM, Coefield SJ, Plautz SC, Tazelaar DL, Shotwell MS, Bradley PW, Kay DP, Giesy JP. Passerine exposure to primarily PCDFs and PCDDs in the river floodplains near Midland, Michigan, USA. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2010; 58:1048-64. [PMID: 19894014 PMCID: PMC2860562 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-009-9416-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2009] [Accepted: 10/13/2009] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
House wren (Troglodytes aedon), tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), and eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) tissues collected in study areas (SAs) downstream of Midland, Michigan (USA) contained concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) greater than in upstream reference areas (RAs) in the region. The sum of concentrations of PCDD/DFs (SigmaPCDD/DFs) in eggs of house wrens and eastern bluebirds from SAs were 4- to 22-fold greater compared to those from RAs, whereas concentrations in tree swallow eggs were similar among areas. Mean concentrations of SigmaPCDD/DFs and sum 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents (SigmaTEQs(WHO-Avian)), based on 1998 WHO avian toxic equivalency factors, in house wren and eastern bluebird eggs ranged from 860 (430) to 1500 (910) ng/kg wet weight (ww) and 470 (150) to 1100 (510) ng/kg ww, respectively, at the most contaminated study areas along the Tittabawassee River, whereas mean concentrations in tree swallow eggs ranged from 280 (100) to 760 (280) ng/kg ww among all locations. Concentrations of SigmaPCDD/DFs in nestlings of all studied species at SAs were 3- to 50-fold greater compared to RAs. Mean house wren, tree swallow, and eastern bluebird nestling concentrations of SigmaPCDD/DFs and SigmaTEQs(WHO-Avian) ranged from 350 (140) to 610 (300) ng/kg ww, 360 (240) to 1100 (860) ng/kg ww, and 330 (100) to 1200 (690) ng/kg ww, respectively, at SAs along the Tittabawassee River. Concentrations of SigmaTEQs(WHO-Avian) were positively correlated with SigmaPCDD/DF concentrations in both eggs and nestlings of all species studied. Profiles of relative concentrations of individual congeners were dominated by furan congeners (69-84%), primarily 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran and 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran, for all species at SAs on the Tittabawassee and Saginaw rivers but were dominated by dioxin congeners at upstream RAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy B Fredricks
- Department of Zoology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
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Walters DM, Mills MA, Fritz KM, Raikow DF. Spider-mediated flux of PCBs from contaminated sediments to terrestrial ecosystems and potential risks to arachnivorous birds. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2010; 44:2849-2856. [PMID: 20025228 DOI: 10.1021/es9023139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
We investigated aquatic insect utilization and PCB exposure in riparian spiders at the Lake Hartwell Superfund site (Clemson, SC). We sampled sediments, adult chironomids, terrestrial insects, riparian spiders (Tetragnathidae, Araneidae, and Mecynogea lemniscata), and upland spiders (Araneidae) along a sediment contamination gradient. Stable isotopes (delta(13)C, delta(15)N) indicated that riparian spiders primarily consumed aquatic insects whereas upland spiders consumed terrestrial insects. PCBs in chironomids (mean 1240 ng/g among sites) were 2 orders of magnitude higher than terrestrial insects (15.2 ng/g), similar to differences between riparian (820-2012 ng/g) and upland spiders (30 ng/g). Riparian spider PCBs were positively correlated with sediment concentrations for all taxa (r(2) = 0.44-0.87). We calculated spider-based wildlife values (WVs, the minimum spider PCB concentrations causing physiologically significant doses in consumers) to assess exposure risks for arachnivorous birds. Spider concentrations exceeded WVs for most birds at heavily contaminated sites and were approximately 14-fold higher for the most sensitive species (chickadee nestlings, Poecile spp.). Spiders are abundant and ubiquitous in riparian habitats, where they depend on aquatic insect prey. These traits, along with the high degree of spatial correlation between spider and sediment concentrations we observed, suggest that they are model indicator species for monitoring contaminated sediment sites and assessing risks associated with contaminant flux into terrestrial ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Walters
- National Exposure Research Laboratory and National Risk Management Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 26 West Martin Luther King Boulevard, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268, USA
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Kelly SM, Eisenreich KM, Baker JE, Rowe CL. Accumulation and maternal transfer of polychlorinated biphenyls in snapping turtles of the upper Hudson River, New York, USA. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2008; 27:2565-2574. [PMID: 18699700 DOI: 10.1897/08-098.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2008] [Accepted: 06/19/2008] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
We conducted field studies over three years to assess body burdens and maternal transfer of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) as well as indices of sexual dimorphism in snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) of the upper Hudson River (NY, USA.) We collected adult turtles in areas known to be contaminated with PCBs and in nearby reference areas for measurement of body size, precloacal length, and penis size. We analyzed PCB concentrations in eggs collected over three years and in whole blood from adults in one year. Total PCB concentrations (mean +/- standard error) in eggs were 2,800 +/- 520 and 59 +/- 5 ng/g wet weight in the contaminated area and the reference area, respectively. Eggs from the contaminated area were significantly enriched in tri-, penta-, and hepta-PCBs relative to the reference area. Blood from adults in the contaminated area averaged 475 +/- 200 and 125 +/- 34 ng/g wet weight for males and females, respectively. In the reference area, blood PCB concentrations were 7 +/- 3 and 4 +/- 1 ng/g wet weight for males and females, respectively. Significant positive relationships were found between carapace length and blood PCB concentration for both sexes in the contaminated area; however, only a marginal relationship was found between female carapace length and concentration of PCBs in their eggs. Our results suggest that PCB contamination of the upper Hudson River presents risks of establishing high body burdens and of maternal transfer of PCBs to eggs, although our measures of gross morphology revealed no discernable expression of abnormal sexual development or reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon M Kelly
- University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, One Williams Street, P.O. Box 38, Solomons, Maryland 20688, USA
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Walters DM, Fritz KM, Otter RR. The dark side of subsidies: adult stream insects export organic contaminants to riparian predators. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2008; 18:1835-1841. [PMID: 19263881 DOI: 10.1890/08-0354.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic insects provide a critical energy subsidy to riparian food webs, yet their role as vectors of contaminants to terrestrial ecosystems is poorly understood. We investigated relationships between aquatic resource utilization and contaminant exposure for a riparian invertivore assemblage (spiders and herptiles) along a stream contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Stable carbon (delta13C) and nitrogen (delta15N) isotopes indicated that aquatic insect utilization varied among predators, with progressive enrichment of delta13C and depletion of delta15N as predators shifted from aquatic to terrestrial prey. PCB concentrations significantly increased along these isotopic gradients; delta13C and delta15N explained 65% and 15% of the variance in predator sigmaPCBs, respectively. PCBs in predators were high, exceeding 2000 ng/g wet mass (the human-health advisory prohibiting any consumption of fish tissue) in three species. Greater consideration should be given to streams as lateral exporters rather than simply as longitudinal conduits for contaminants. Persistent contaminants are underutilized for addressing landscape-level questions in subsidy research, but our results demonstrate they are an ideal in situ tracer of stream-derived energy because they label stream organic matter and invertebrates over large distances. Likewise, riparian predators such as tetragnathid spiders have great potential as biological monitors of stream condition and as an assessment tool for risk management of contaminated aquatic sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M Walters
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Exposure Research Laboratory, 26 W. Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45268, USA.
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Augspurger TP, Echols KR, Peterman PH, May TW, Orazio CE, Tillitt DE, Di Giulio RT. Accumulation of environmental contaminants in wood duck (Aix sponsa) eggs, with emphasis on polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2008; 55:670-82. [PMID: 18726540 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-008-9199-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2008] [Accepted: 07/05/2008] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
We measured polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides, and mercury in wood duck (Aix sponsa) eggs collected near a North Carolina (USA) bleached kraft paper mill. Samples were taken a decade after the mill stopped using molecular chlorine. Using avian toxic equivalency factors, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin toxicity equivalent (TEQ) concentrations were 1-30 pg/g fresh wet weight in eggs (n = 48) collected near the mill in 2002-2005 and were significantly higher than those from a reference site (<1 pg/g) 25 km away. Geometric mean wood duck egg TEQs (6 pg/g) were one-fifth those measured at this site prior to the cessation of molecular chlorine bleaching. Concentrations of mercury in wood duck eggs from nests of the Roanoke River sites ranged from 0.01 to 0.14 microg/g (geometric mean, 0.04 microg/g) and were significantly higher than those from the reference site, where concentrations did not exceed 0.04 microg/g (geometric mean, 0.02 mug/g). All concentrations were lower than those associated with adverse effects in birds. The congener profiles, lack of contamination in reference site eggs, and decline in contaminant concentrations after process changes at the mill provide strong evidence that mill discharges influenced contamination of local wood duck eggs. Collectively, the results indicate that the wood duck is an effective sentinel of the spatial and temporal extent of PCDD, PCDF, and mercury contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- T P Augspurger
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 551-F Pylon Drive, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA.
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Tsipoura N, Burger J, Feltes R, Yacabucci J, Mizrahi D, Jeitner C, Gochfeld M. Metal concentrations in three species of passerine birds breeding in the Hackensack Meadowlands of New Jersey. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2008; 107:218-228. [PMID: 18191831 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2007.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2007] [Revised: 11/07/2007] [Accepted: 11/19/2007] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The New Jersey Meadowlands is an important natural area, a diverse mosaic of wetland habitats positioned within the heavily urbanized NY City Metropolitan area and the NY/NJ Harbor. Persistent contaminants may pose threats to wildlife inhabiting these habitats, affecting reproduction, egg hatchability, nestling survivorship, and neurobehavioral development. Metals of concern in the Meadowlands include arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and mercury. These metals were analyzed in feathers and blood of three passerine birds breeding in wetland habitats, including red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus), marsh wrens (Cistothorus palustris), and tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor), as well as eggs of the first two species. These widespread species are abundant in wetland habitats across the Meadowlands District, and eat insects and other invertebrates. Lead levels were low in eggs, higher in feathers and very elevated in blood in all species compared to those that have been reported for other bird species. Lead levels were especially high in blood of marsh wren (mean of 0.8 ppm) and swallow (mean of 0.94 ppm, wet weight). Levels of lead in the blood for all three species sampled were higher than the negative impact threshold of 0.4 ppm. Mercury levels, while below the levels considered biologically harmful, were higher in eggs (mean of 0.2, wet weight) and feathers (3.2 ppm, dry weight) of marsh wren from Meadowlands than those seen in other passerines, and even some fish-eating birds. Furthermore, unhatched wren eggs had higher mercury levels (0.3 ppm, wet weight) than eggs randomly selected before hatch (0.18 ppm, wet weight). Blood tissue levels of mercury were low in all three species (mean of less than 0.035 ppm, wet weight). Chromium levels were relatively high in eggs and in blood, but lower in feathers when compared to those reported in the literature. Cadmium and arsenic levels were generally low for all tissues and in all species studied compared to those measured in other studies. Finally, all metal levels for tree swallow tissues in our study were much lower than those reported previously for this species in the Meadowlands District.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nellie Tsipoura
- New Jersey Audubon Society, 11 Hardscrabble Road, Bernardsville, NJ 07924, USA
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Van den Steen E, Jaspers VLB, Covaci A, Dauwe T, Pinxten R, Neels H, Eens M. Variation, levels and profiles of organochlorines and brominated flame retardants in great tit (Parus major) eggs from different types of sampling locations in Flanders (Belgium). ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2008; 34:155-61. [PMID: 17765970 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2007.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2007] [Revised: 07/20/2007] [Accepted: 07/20/2007] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Small-scale geographical variation in the occurrence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) was investigated using the eggs of a terrestrial residential songbird species, the great tit (Parus major). In addition, we investigated the influence of the type of sampling location on the presence of these pollutants. To achieve this, 10 different sampling locations in Flanders (Belgium) were classified into 3 groups based on the extent of urbanisation, industrialisation and agriculture. The higher variance among sampling locations for the levels and profiles of PCBs and OCPs, suggests that local contamination sources are more important for the PCBs and OCPs compared to the PBDEs. Levels of PCBs and PBDEs were significantly higher in the industrialised sampling locations compared to the other locations. Sum PCB and sum PBDE levels reached up to 6050 and 79 ng/g lipid weight, respectively. PCBs and PBDEs were highly positively correlated for all groups, suggesting similar exposure pathways and/or mechanisms of accumulation. Significantly higher levels of OCPs (sum OCPs up to 2683 ng/g lipid weight) were detected in the rural sampling locations situated in a residential area. This suggests that local historical usage of OCPs by inhabitants may be an important source of contamination in Flanders. Contamination profiles differed also among the sampling locations. The rural sampling locations had a higher contribution of lower brominated BDE congeners, whereas the industrialised locations had a higher contribution of higher brominated congeners. The differences in contamination profiles among the sampling locations are probably due to differences in exposure. In conclusion, our results showed that the characteristics of a sampling location influence both the levels and profiles of PCBs, OCPs and PBDEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evi Van den Steen
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
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Papp Z, Bortolotti GR, Sebastian M, Smits JEG. PCB congener profiles in nestling tree swallows and their insect prey. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2007; 52:257-63. [PMID: 17165104 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-006-0037-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2006] [Accepted: 08/01/2006] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) are widely used as indicators of local polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination in North America. Although determining total PCB residues in tissues is useful in environmental monitoring, analysis of PCB congener profiles may reveal sources of contamination and thus prove to be a more refined tool to track contaminants through the food web. To show how differences in PCB congener patterns in birds can be linked to the PCB patterns in their prey, we evaluated PCB congeners in tissues of tree swallow nestlings and their insect prey using principal component analysis and Euclidean similarities. The PC1 scores for PCB residues in nestlings fell between those of the Hexagenia (Ephemeroptera, mayflies) and Chironomidae (Diptera, midges), the two major prey groups of the nestlings. The congener pattern was not related to the location of nest boxes within the study area. However, Hexagenia insects and the nestlings that consumed them were richer in less chlorinated congeners and had higher PC1 scores than Chironomidae insect. In concordance, congener pattern of nestlings that hatched earlier and consumed more mayflies was more similar than that of other nestling to the pattern of nestings texagenia as calculated by Euclidean similarities. We point to the importance of understanding the seasonal availability of specific types of insect prey and their PCB congener pattern before these data are applied in models of trophic transfer of individual PCB congeners within a food web.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsuzsanna Papp
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
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Lundstedt-Enkel K, Asplund L, Nylund K, Bignert A, Tysklind M, Olsson M, Orberg J. Multivariate data analysis of organochlorines and brominated flame retardants in Baltic Sea guillemot (Uria aalge) egg and muscle. CHEMOSPHERE 2006; 65:1591-9. [PMID: 16674995 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2006.03.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2005] [Revised: 03/13/2006] [Accepted: 03/18/2006] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Concentrations of organochlorines (OCs) and brominated flame-retardants (BFRs) were determined in guillemot (Uria aalge) eggs from the island of Stora Karlsö in the Baltic Sea where 10 eggs/year were collected in the years 2000, 2001 and 2002. The dominating contaminant in egg was p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE) with a geometric mean (GM) concentration of 18200 ng/g lipid weight (lw). The GM concentration in egg of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) of 140 ng/glw, was significantly higher than that of polybrominated diphenyl ether (summation operatorPBDE) of 77 ng/glw. For the evaluation of the data multivariate data analysis techniques namely principal components analysis (PCA), partial least squares regression (PLS), soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA classification), and PLS discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), were used. We investigated whether the eggs' biological characteristics co-varied with egg concentrations of OCs and BFRs, and found e.g., significant negative correlations between egg weight and concentrations of HCB and p,p'-DDE. A PLS model with analyzed BFRs as the Y matrix and OCs as the X matrix could, with varying accuracy, calculate the concentrations of BFRs in the individual egg from their concentrations of OCs (e.g., R(2)Y of 0.89 for BDE47, and of 0.50 for HBCD). Lastly, we compared the contaminant concentrations in the eggs to those in previously analyzed pectoral muscles from adult guillemots from Stora Karlsö, from the year 2000. A PLS-DA model, showed that some of the contaminants (e.g., HBCD and CB28) had significantly higher concentrations in egg than in muscle, although 7 of the 14 contaminants showed no difference in concentrations between the two matrices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Lundstedt-Enkel
- Environmental Toxicology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, SE-752 36, Sweden.
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Dauwe T, Jaspers VLB, Covaci A, Eens M. Accumulation of organochlorines and brominated flame retardants in the eggs and nestlings of great tits, Parus major. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2006; 40:5297-303. [PMID: 16999102 DOI: 10.1021/es060747a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Insectivorous birds may be very useful sentinels for local point-source contamination with persistent pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). Eggs have been used extensively to monitor lipophilic contaminants, as females can pass contaminants stored in their body tissues into their eggs. Concentrations and profiles in eggs therefore relate to contamination in the female. Because nestlings are raised on food items collected locally, it is expected that the body burden in nestlings would reflect their diet and local pollution levels better than eggs. In this study we compared the accumulation and the profile of PCBs, PBDEs, and OCPs in great tit (Parus major) eggs, nestlings (5-, 10-, and 15-days old), and their food in two study sites. Our results showed that concentrations in great tit eggs were 4 to 6 times higher than those in nestlings. Concentrations in nestling great tits corresponded with concentrations predicted by a bioenergetics-based model. Most of the persistent organic pollutants in 15-day old nestlings were still from maternal origin. The profile of these persistent pollutants in eggs and nestlings also gradually changed during development. With increasing age, the proportion of the most persistent compounds decreased. This study shows that most of the persistent pollutants in fully grown nestlings may still be from maternal origin. For nestlings to be suitable as indicators of local contamination, most of the POPs they accumulate should originate from dietary sources rather than from maternal transfer via the egg. Nestling birds may therefore not be good sentinels for local contamination with persistent pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Dauwe
- Department of Biology and Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Antwerp, Belgium.
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Nichols JW, Echols KR, Tillitt DE, Secord AL, McCarty JP. Bioenergetics-based modeling of individual PCB congeners in nestling tree swallows from two contaminated sites on the upper Hudson River, New York. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2004; 38:6234-6239. [PMID: 15597876 DOI: 10.1021/es0497734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
A bioenergetics-based model was used to simulate the accumulation of total PCBs and 20 PCB congeners by nestling tree swallows at two contaminated sites on the Upper Hudson River, New York. PCB concentrations in birds were calculated as the sum of inherited residues and those acquired through consumption of contaminated insects. Close agreement between simulations and measured residues in 5-, 10-, and 15-day-old nestlings was obtained when PCB concentrations in the diet were set equal to those in food boli taken from adult birds. These simulations were further optimized by fitting the value of a dietary assimilation efficiency constant. Fitted constants for both sites were similar and averaged about 0.7. An evaluation of model performance for individual congeners provided no evidence of metabolic biotransformation. The results of this study are consistent with a companion effort in which principal components analysis was used to compare PCB congener patterns in insects and in tree swallow eggs, nestlings, and adults. Together, these studies establish a quantitative linkage between nestling tree swallows and the insects that they consume and provide strong support for the use of nestling swallows as a biomonitoring species for exposure assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W Nichols
- US Environmental Protection Agency, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Mid-Continent Ecology Division, Duluth, Minnesota 55804, USA.
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