Wildlife Toxicology Active
The team's long term goal is:
Examine the causes, fates, exposures, biological accumulation, and adverse effects (including sublethal effects) of environmental contaminants on animal (largely bird) populations.
Assessing contaminant exposure and effects at Areas of Concern across the Great Lakes
Resource-management and regulatory agencies face many complex problems associated with the contamination of our air, land, water, and biological resources by an array of chemicals originating from agricultural, industrial, municipal, and residential sources. Some contaminants are toxic and can cause stress, injury, or death in exposed organisms at levels present in the environment. Methylmercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) among others are of special concern because they readily accumulate in exposed organisms and can biomagnify to high concentrations in organisms near or at the top of food webs.
The pollution of aquatic and terrestrial environments with toxic contaminants can greatly diminish habitat suitability for biota. Many toxic contaminants do not dissolve readily in water, but instead adhere to small sediment particles. Consequently, the bottom sediments in many water bodies are contaminated with metals, PCBs, and other substances. Once toxic, sediments can remain so for years or decades, greatly hampering ecological recovery. Center studies examine patterns of contamination in terrestrial and aquatic environments, identify factors affecting biological uptake and exposure, assess biological effects, develop and test biological indicators of contaminant exposure, and facilitate the identification of remedial measures.
Browse more than 150,000 publications authored by our scientists over the past 100+ year history of the USGS. Publications available are: USGS-authored journal articles, series reports, book chapters, other government publications, and more.
Go to Publications Warehouse
Below are publications associated with this project.
Mercury and other element exposure in tree swallows nesting at low pH and neutral pH lakes in northern Wisconsin USA
Swallows as a sentinel species for contaminant exposure and effect studies
Patterns of organic contaminants in eggs of an insectivorous, an omnivorous, and a piscivorous bird nesting on the Hudson River, New York, USA
Effects of egg order on organic and inorganic element concentrations and egg characteristics in tree swallows, tachycineta bicolor
Polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, furans, and organochlorine pesticides in spotted sandpiper eggs from the upper Hudson River basin, New York
Exposure of insects and insectivorous birds to metals and other elements from abandoned mine tailings in three Summit County drainages, Colorado
PCBs and DDE in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) eggs and nestlings from an estuarine PCB superfund site, New Bedford Harbor, MA, U.S.A.
Corticosterone stress response in tree swallows nesting near polychlorinated biphenyl- and dioxin-contaminated rivers
Contaminant levels in eggs of American white pelicans, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, from Chase Lake, North Dakota
Relationships of cadmium, mercury, and selenium with nutrient reserves of female lesser scaup (Aythya affinis) during winter and spring migration
Mercury exposure and effects on cavity-nesting birds from the Carson River, Nevada
Water level management and contaminant exposure to tree swallows nesting on the Upper Mississippi River
- Overview
The team's long term goal is:
Examine the causes, fates, exposures, biological accumulation, and adverse effects (including sublethal effects) of environmental contaminants on animal (largely bird) populations.
Assessing contaminant exposure and effects at Areas of Concern across the Great Lakes
Resource-management and regulatory agencies face many complex problems associated with the contamination of our air, land, water, and biological resources by an array of chemicals originating from agricultural, industrial, municipal, and residential sources. Some contaminants are toxic and can cause stress, injury, or death in exposed organisms at levels present in the environment. Methylmercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) among others are of special concern because they readily accumulate in exposed organisms and can biomagnify to high concentrations in organisms near or at the top of food webs.
The pollution of aquatic and terrestrial environments with toxic contaminants can greatly diminish habitat suitability for biota. Many toxic contaminants do not dissolve readily in water, but instead adhere to small sediment particles. Consequently, the bottom sediments in many water bodies are contaminated with metals, PCBs, and other substances. Once toxic, sediments can remain so for years or decades, greatly hampering ecological recovery. Center studies examine patterns of contamination in terrestrial and aquatic environments, identify factors affecting biological uptake and exposure, assess biological effects, develop and test biological indicators of contaminant exposure, and facilitate the identification of remedial measures.
- Publications
Browse more than 150,000 publications authored by our scientists over the past 100+ year history of the USGS. Publications available are: USGS-authored journal articles, series reports, book chapters, other government publications, and more.
Go to Publications Warehouse
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 28Mercury and other element exposure in tree swallows nesting at low pH and neutral pH lakes in northern Wisconsin USA
The primary objective of this study was to determine whether tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) demonstrate similar responses to lake pH and mercury (Hg) contamination in northern Wisconsin as do common loons (Gavia immer). Similar to common loons, Hg concentrations in the blood of tree swallow nestlings were higher, Hg concentrations in eggs tended to be higher, and egg size tended to be smallerAuthorsThomas W. Custer, Christine M. Custer, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Paul M. Dummer, Ronald Rossmann, Kevin P. Kenow, Michael W. MeyerSwallows as a sentinel species for contaminant exposure and effect studies
Tree swallows are an important model species to study the effects of contaminants in wild bird populations and have been used extensively in studies across North America. The advantages of swallows compared to other avian species are detailed. Three case histories are provided where swallows have been successfully used in Natural Resource Damage and Ecological Risk Assessments. The final two sectiAuthorsChristine M. CusterPatterns of organic contaminants in eggs of an insectivorous, an omnivorous, and a piscivorous bird nesting on the Hudson River, New York, USA
Belted kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon), spotted sandpiper (Actitus macularia), and tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) eggs were collected in 2004 from the upper Hudson River, New York, USA. This area is one of the most polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)‐contaminated locations in North America. Multivariate analyses indicated among species differences in the concentration and composition of PCB congeners, pAuthorsChristine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Paul DummerEffects of egg order on organic and inorganic element concentrations and egg characteristics in tree swallows, tachycineta bicolor
The laying order of tree swallow eggs was identified from the Housatonic River, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, USA, and eggs were chemically analyzed individually to document possible effects of laying order on organic contaminant and inorganic element concentrations. Effects of laying order on other parameters such as egg weight, size, and lipid and moisture content also were assessed. Some effAuthorsChristine M. Custer, Brian R. Gray, Thomas W. CusterPolychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, furans, and organochlorine pesticides in spotted sandpiper eggs from the upper Hudson River basin, New York
In 2004, spotted sandpipers (Actitis macularia) were studied on the Hudson River near Fort Edward south to New Baltimore, NY and on two river drainages that flow into the Hudson River. Concentrations of 28 organochlorine pesticides, 160 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, and 17 dioxin and furan (PCDD-F) congeners were quantified in eggs collected on and off the Hudson River. The pattern ofAuthorsThomas W. Custer, Christine M. Custer, Brian R. GrayExposure of insects and insectivorous birds to metals and other elements from abandoned mine tailings in three Summit County drainages, Colorado
Concentrations of 31 metals, metalloids, and other elements were measured in insects and insectivorous bird tissues from three drainages with different geochemistry and mining histories in Summit Co., Colorado, in 2003, 2004, and 2005. In insect samples, all 25 elements that were analyzed in all years increased in both Snake and Deer Creeks in the mining impacted areas compared to areas above andAuthorsChristine M. Custer, Chi Yang, James G. Crock, Valerie I. Shearn-Bochsler, Kathleen S. Smith, Philip L. HagemanPCBs and DDE in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) eggs and nestlings from an estuarine PCB superfund site, New Bedford Harbor, MA, U.S.A.
While breeding tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) have been used as biomonitors for freshwater sites, we report the first use of this species to assess contaminant bioaccumulation from estuarine breeding grounds into these aerial insectivores. Eggs and nestlings were collected from nest boxes in a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contaminated estuary, the New Bedford Harbor Superfund site (NBH, MasAuthorsSaro Jayaraman, Diane E. Nacci, Denise M. Champlin, Richard J. Pruell, Kenneth J. Rocha, Christine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Mark CantwellCorticosterone stress response in tree swallows nesting near polychlorinated biphenyl- and dioxin-contaminated rivers
We assayed baseline and stress-induced corticosterone concentrations from adult female and nestling tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, from New England, USA, sites with different levels of contamination with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Corticosterone was compared over 2 years from a highly contaminated PCB site along the Housatonic River (BerksAuthorsM.D. Franceschini, Christine M. Custer, T. W. Custer, J.M. Reed, L.M. RomeroContaminant levels in eggs of American white pelicans, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, from Chase Lake, North Dakota
American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) are colonial nesters, making them susceptible to site-specific mortality factors. One of the largest known breeding colonies is at Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge in North Dakota. In 2004, this colony suffered total reproductive failure. In 2005, we collected abandoned eggs from this colony to test for environmental contaminants. Nine eggs weAuthorsPamela J. Pietz, Marsha A. Sovada, Christine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Kevin M. JohnsonRelationships of cadmium, mercury, and selenium with nutrient reserves of female lesser scaup (Aythya affinis) during winter and spring migration
Trace elements may have important effects on body condition of ducks during spring migration, because individuals are experiencing energetically costly events (e.g., migration, nutrient reserve accumulation, pair formation, feather molt, and ovarian follicle development). We examined relationships among hepatic cadmium, mercury, and selenium concentrations (microg/g dry wt) and nutrient reserves (AuthorsM.J. Anteau, A. D. Afton, Christine M. Custer, T. W. CusterMercury exposure and effects on cavity-nesting birds from the Carson River, Nevada
Mercury (Hg) concentrations were 15-40 times higher in the eggs and livers of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) and house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) that nested along the Carson River at and below Dayton, Nevada than in the same species above the mining-impacted areas. Hg contamination was mainly the result of processing mills in the 1800s that used Hg to separate gold and silver from ore. The exAuthorsChristine M. Custer, T. W. Custer, E. F. HillWater level management and contaminant exposure to tree swallows nesting on the Upper Mississippi River
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted a water drawdown on Navigation Pool 8 of the Upper Mississippi River during the summers of 2001 and 2002 to increase aquatic vegetation production and thereby improve fish and wildlife habitat. Flooding of previously dried wetlands, however, may increase the rate of mercury methylation and make mercury more available to terrestrial vertebrates that feedAuthorsT. W. Custer, P.M. Dummer, Christine M. Custer, A.U. Li, D. Warburton, M. J. Melancon, D. J. Hoffman, C. W. Matson, J. W. Bickham