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.
Annual variation in polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposure in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) eggs and nestlings at Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) study sites
Synthesis of tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) data for Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) assessment at Wisconsin Areas of Concern
EROD activity, chromosomal damage, and oxidative stress in response to contaminants exposure in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) nestlings from Great Lakes Areas of Concern
Organic contamination in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) nestlings at United States and binational great Lakes Areas of Concern
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
Incubation stage and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congener patterns in an altricial and precocial bird species
Contaminant exposure of birds nesting in Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
Changes in polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposure in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) nesting along the Sheboygan River, WI, USA
Dredging and contaminant exposure to tree swallows nesting on the upper Mississippi River
Exposure and effects of perfluoroalkyl substances in tree swallows nesting in Minnesota and Wisconsin, USA
Adult tree swallow survival on the polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated Hudson River, New York, USA, between 2006 and 2010
Exposure and effects of perfluoroalkyl compounds on tree swallows nesting at Lake Johanna in east central Minnesota, USA
Tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) samples were collected at a reference lake and a nearby lake (Lake Johanna) in east central Minnesota, USA contaminated with perfluorinated carboxylic and sulfonic acids. Tissues were analyzed for a suite of 13 perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) to quantify exposure and to determine if there was an association between egg concentrations of PFCs and reproductive succ
- 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: 28Annual variation in polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposure in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) eggs and nestlings at Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) study sites
Tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) eggs and nestlings were collected from 16 sites across the Great Lakes to quantify normal annual variation in total polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposure and to validate the sample size choice in earlier work. A sample size of five eggs or five nestlings per site was adequate to quantify exposure to PCBs in tree swallows given the current exposure levels and vaAuthorsChristine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Paul Dummer, Diana R. Goldberg, J. Christian FransonSynthesis of tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) data for Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) assessment at Wisconsin Areas of Concern
Assessment of the “Bird or Animal Deformities or Reproductive Problems” Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) can be accomplished by (1) comparing tissue concentrations to established background and Lowest Observable Effect Level (LOEL) for reproductive effects, or (2) directly measuring reproductive success at Areas of Concern (AOCs) and statistically comparing those rates to minimally impacted referenAuthorsChristine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Paul DummerEROD activity, chromosomal damage, and oxidative stress in response to contaminants exposure in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) nestlings from Great Lakes Areas of Concern
Tree swallow, Tachycineta bicolor, nestlings were collected from 60 sites in the Great Lakes, which included multiple sites within 27 Areas of Concern (AOCs) and six sites not listed as AOCs from 2010 to 2014. Nestlings, approximately 12 days-of-age, were evaluated for ethoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase (EROD) activity, chromosomal damage, and six measures of oxidative stress. Data on each of these biomAuthorsThomas W. Custer, Christine M. Custer, Paul Dummer, Emilie Bigorgne, Elias Oziolor, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier, Sandra L. Schultz, Richard A. Erickson, Kevin Aagaard, Cole W. MatsonOrganic contamination in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) nestlings at United States and binational great Lakes Areas of Concern
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 dipheAuthorsThomas W. Custer, Christine M. Custer, Paul Dummer, Diana R. Goldberg, J. Christian Franson, Richard A. EricksonConcentrations and spatial patterns of organic contaminants in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) eggs at United States and binational Great Lakes Areas of Concern, 2010–2015
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 LakesAuthorsChristine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Paul Dummer, Diana R. Goldberg, J. Christian FransonIncubation stage and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congener patterns in an altricial and precocial bird species
The composition of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners was compared between non-incubated and embryonated eggs of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) and little terns (Sterna albifrons) to determine if measurable changes in PCB congeners occurred during the embryonic period. There was no indication of changes in PCB congener patterns over the incubation period in tree swallows in 1999 and 200AuthorsChristine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Stefan Thyen, Peter H. BeckerContaminant exposure of birds nesting in Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
In earlier studies, elevated concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) were reported in double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) eggs and tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) eggs and nestlings collected from lower Green Bay (WI, USA) in 1994 and 1995 and black-crowned night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) eggs collected in 1991. ComparablAuthorsThomas W. Custer, Paul M. Dummer, Christine M. Custer, J. Christian Franson, Michael JonesChanges in polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposure in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) nesting along the Sheboygan River, WI, USA
Exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) eggs on the Sheboygan River, Wisconsin in the 1990s was higher at sites downstream (geometric means = 3.33–8.69 μg/g wet wt.) of the putative PCB source in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin than it was above the source (1.24 μg/g) with the exposure declining as the distance downstream of the source increased. A similar patAuthorsChristine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Sean M. Strom, Kathleen A. Patnode, J. Christian FransonDredging and contaminant exposure to tree swallows nesting on the upper Mississippi River
n 2008 and 2009, dredge material from the Mississippi River in Pool 8 south of Brownsville, Minnesota was used to construct nearby islands. Chemical analysis of sediment in 2001 and 2002 in the area to be dredged indicated detectable concentrations of organic and inorganic contaminants. Tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), whose diet is mainly aquatic invertebrates, were used to evaluate contaminaAuthorsThomas W. Custer, Paul Dummer, Christine M. Custer, David WarburtonExposure and effects of perfluoroalkyl substances in tree swallows nesting in Minnesota and Wisconsin, USA
The exposure and effects of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were studied at eight locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin between 2007 and 2011 using tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Concentrations of PFASs were quantified as were reproductive success end points. The sample egg method was used wherein an egg sample is collected, and the hatching success of the remaining eggs in the nest is asseAuthorsChristine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Paul Dummer, Matthew A. Etterson, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Qian Wu, Kurunthachalam Kannan, Annette Trowbridge, Patrick C. McKannAdult tree swallow survival on the polychlorinated biphenyl-contaminated Hudson River, New York, USA, between 2006 and 2010
The upper Hudson River basin in east central New York, USA, is highly contaminated, primarily with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Reduced adult survival has been documented in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) at a similarly PCB-contaminated river system in western Massachusetts. The purpose of the present study was to assess whether adult survival of tree swallows was likewise affected in thAuthorsChristine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, James E. HinesExposure and effects of perfluoroalkyl compounds on tree swallows nesting at Lake Johanna in east central Minnesota, USA
Tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) samples were collected at a reference lake and a nearby lake (Lake Johanna) in east central Minnesota, USA contaminated with perfluorinated carboxylic and sulfonic acids. Tissues were analyzed for a suite of 13 perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) to quantify exposure and to determine if there was an association between egg concentrations of PFCs and reproductive succ
AuthorsChristine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Heiko L. Schoenfuss, Beth H. Poganski, Laura Solem