The Challenge: The Department of the Interior (DOI) and the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration are trustees for a wide variety natural resources that belong to all Americans. Additional natural resources are overseen by Native American tribes, states, and other federal agencies. Migratory birds are an example of a trust species for DOI, under the US Fish and Wildlife Service. When wild birds have been injured by pollution, DOI may sue the party responsible for direct injury to birds, or for loss of habitat. The recovered damages are usually spent in restoring or buying habitat; in some instances funds are spent to benefit wildlife populations directly. Consequently, biologists from the USGS and the Fish and Wildlife Service have been studying various sites contaminated from mining and smelting of zinc, lead and other metals to determine if birds have been injured. Data on such injuries provide the basis for possible litigation and provide benchmarks for restoration activities.
The Science: Lead and zinc in mining tailings and other waste products of processing ore have often been spread on land or dumped in rivers, creating toxic hazards to wildlife. In the Coeur d’Alene River Basin in northern Idaho, thousands of waterfowl, especially tundra swans, have been poisoned by ingesting lead found in contaminated sediment as they feed in the wetlands. Current work is demonstrating that ground-feeding songbirds such as robins are also being poisoned along the Coeur d’Alene River. The robins ingest lead as they feed on soil invertebrates. The Tri-State Mining District in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, one of the world’s largest sources of zinc and lead, is known for its piles huge of “chat” (waste rock left over from processing ore) that can be seen from miles away. Songbirds living close to the piles show evidence of lead poisoning, and waterfowl in the adjacent waters have been diagnosed with zinc poisoning.
The Future: The restoration program provides impressive benefits to wildlife. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been recovered from the principal parties responsible for the damage at the mining sites discussed. This money, at no cost to the taxpayers, will be judiciously invested to purchase habitat for wildlife and to restore injured lands.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Biomarker responses of Peromyscus leucopus exposed to lead and cadmium in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District
Bioaccessibility tests accurately estimate bioavailability of lead to quail
Toxic exposure of songbirds to lead in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
The Challenge: The Department of the Interior (DOI) and the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration are trustees for a wide variety natural resources that belong to all Americans. Additional natural resources are overseen by Native American tribes, states, and other federal agencies. Migratory birds are an example of a trust species for DOI, under the US Fish and Wildlife Service. When wild birds have been injured by pollution, DOI may sue the party responsible for direct injury to birds, or for loss of habitat. The recovered damages are usually spent in restoring or buying habitat; in some instances funds are spent to benefit wildlife populations directly. Consequently, biologists from the USGS and the Fish and Wildlife Service have been studying various sites contaminated from mining and smelting of zinc, lead and other metals to determine if birds have been injured. Data on such injuries provide the basis for possible litigation and provide benchmarks for restoration activities.
The Science: Lead and zinc in mining tailings and other waste products of processing ore have often been spread on land or dumped in rivers, creating toxic hazards to wildlife. In the Coeur d’Alene River Basin in northern Idaho, thousands of waterfowl, especially tundra swans, have been poisoned by ingesting lead found in contaminated sediment as they feed in the wetlands. Current work is demonstrating that ground-feeding songbirds such as robins are also being poisoned along the Coeur d’Alene River. The robins ingest lead as they feed on soil invertebrates. The Tri-State Mining District in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, one of the world’s largest sources of zinc and lead, is known for its piles huge of “chat” (waste rock left over from processing ore) that can be seen from miles away. Songbirds living close to the piles show evidence of lead poisoning, and waterfowl in the adjacent waters have been diagnosed with zinc poisoning.
The Future: The restoration program provides impressive benefits to wildlife. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been recovered from the principal parties responsible for the damage at the mining sites discussed. This money, at no cost to the taxpayers, will be judiciously invested to purchase habitat for wildlife and to restore injured lands.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Biomarker responses of Peromyscus leucopus exposed to lead and cadmium in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District
Biomarker responses and histopathological lesions have been documented in laboratory mammals exposed to elevated concentrations of lead and cadmium. The exposure of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) to these metals and the potential associated toxic effects were examined at three contaminated sites in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District and at a reference site in MO, USA. Mice from tBioaccessibility tests accurately estimate bioavailability of lead to quail
Hazards of soil-borne Pb to wild birds may be more accurately quantified if the bioavailability of that Pb is known. To better understand the bioavailability of Pb to birds, we measured blood Pb concentrations in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) fed diets containing Pb-contaminated soils. Relative bioavailabilities were expressed by comparison with blood Pb concentrations in quail fed a Pb acetaToxic exposure of songbirds to lead in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District
Mining and smelting in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District has caused widespread contamination of soils with lead (Pb) and other metals. Soils from three study sites sampled in the district contained from approximately 1,000–3,200 mg Pb/kg. Analyses of earthworms [33–4,600 mg Pb/kg dry weight (dw)] collected in the district showed likely high Pb exposure of songbirds preying on soil organi - Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.