Impacts of aerial application of insecticides on forest birds

Ecological Legacy of DDT Archived in Lake Sediments from Eastern Canada

Historic forest management practices led to widespread aerial application of insecticides, such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), to North American conifer forests during ∼1950-1970. Lake basins thus may provide an important archive of inputs and aquatic responses to these organochlorines. We use dated sediment cores from five study lakes in multiple watersheds in New Brunswick (NB), Canada, to provide a regional paleo-ecotoxicological perspective on this potential legacy stressor in remote lake ecosystems. Peak sedimentary levels of p, p'- and o, p'-DDT (ΣDDT) and breakdown products ΣDDE (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene) and ΣDDD (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane) generally occurred during the 1970s to 1980s. Sediments exceeded probable effect levels (PELs) by ∼450 times at the most impacted lake. Modern sediments in all study lakes still contained levels of DDT-related compounds that exceed PELs. For the first time, we show that aerial applications of DDT to eastern Canadian forests likely resulted in large shifts to primary consumers within several lake food webs, principally through lake-specific impacts on zooplankton community composition. Modern pelagic zooplankton communities are now much different compared to communities present before DDT use, suggesting that a regional organochlorine legacy may exist in the modern food webs of many remote NB lakes.

Contaminant exposure in terrestrial vertebrates

Here we review mechanisms and factors influencing contaminant exposure among terrestrial vertebrate wildlife. There exists a complex mixture of biotic and abiotic factors that dictate potential for contaminant exposure among terrestrial and semi-terrestrial vertebrates. Chemical fate and transport in the environment determine contaminant bioaccessibility. Species-specific natural history characteristics and behavioral traits then play significant roles in the likelihood that exposure pathways, from source to receptor, are complete. Detailed knowledge of natural history traits of receptors considered in conjunction with the knowledge of contaminant behavior and distribution on a site are critical when assessing and quantifying exposure. We review limitations in our understanding of elements of exposure and the unique aspects of exposure associated with terrestrial and semi-terrestrial taxa. We provide insight on taxa-specific traits that contribute, or limit exposure to, transport phenomenon that influence exposure throughout terrestrial systems, novel contaminants, bioavailability, exposure data analysis, and uncertainty associated with exposure in wildlife risk assessments. Lastly, we identify areas related to exposure among terrestrial and semi-terrestrial organisms that warrant additional research.

Impact of insecticides on the American robin (Turdus migratorius) in a suburban environment

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of diazinon and acephate applications to ornamental trees on the breeding behaviour and productivity of the American robin and to measure the effect of repeated chlorpyrifos spraying on robin productivity. No cases of adult or juvenile mortality were recorded, and nestling production was not affected. Plasma cholinesterase (ChE) activity in females exposed to diazinon or acephate was significantly lower than that in controls. However, there were no pronounced changes in parental care. The absence of a significant impact on behaviour despite the marked change in plasma ChE levels may have been due to one of several factors, i.e. (1) the insecticide had not reached the brain 18 to 24 h after spraying, and (2) exposure was insufficient to produce behavioural changes. The use of diazinon and acephate on ornamental trees should not be harmful to robins. There was a negative correlation between nest productivity and the number of lawns surrounding the nest treated with chlorpyrifos once or more in the preceding 2 years. The decline in earthworm numbers and their reduced biomass due to repeated chlorpyrifos use may account for the lower productivity recorded during the nesting season.