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Exposure to and biomarker responses from legacy and emerging contaminants along three drainages in the Milwaukee Estuary, Wisconsin, USA

February 20, 2024

Legacy contaminants and contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) were assessed in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) tissue and diet samples from three drainages in the Milwaukee estuary, Wisconsin, USA, to understand exposures and possible biomarker responses. Two remote Wisconsin lakes were assessed for comparative purposes. Bioaccumulative classes of contaminants, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, while at higher concentrations than the reference lakes, did not vary significantly among sites or among the three drainages. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were assessed in diet and sediment and were from primarily pyrogenic sources. Ten biomarkers were assessed relative to contaminant exposure. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were elevated above reference conditions at all Milwaukee sites but did not correlate with any measured biomarker responses. Only one site, Cedarburg, just downstream from a Superfund site, had elevated PCBs compared to other sites in the Milwaukee estuary. Few non-organochlorine insecticides or herbicides were detected in tree swallow liver tissue, except for the atrazine metabolite desethylatrazine. Few pharmaceuticals and personal care products were detected in liver tissue except for N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide, iopamidol, and two antibiotics. The present study is one of the most comprehensive assessments to date, along with the previously published Maumee River data, on the exposure and effects of a wide variety of CECs in birds. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;00:1–22. © 2024 SETAC. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.

Publication Year 2024
Title Exposure to and biomarker responses from legacy and emerging contaminants along three drainages in the Milwaukee Estuary, Wisconsin, USA
DOI 10.1002/etc.5822
Authors Christine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Paul Dummer, Sandra L. Schultz, Natalie K. Karouna-Renier, Chi Yen Tseng, Cole W. Matson
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
Index ID 70252145
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
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