An evaluation of the effects of persistent environmental contaminants on the reproductive success of Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) in Indiana

Baker, Stephanie D.; Sepúlveda, Marı́a S.

doi:10.1007/s10646-008-0281-2

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Species at the top of the food web are generally considered to be the most likely to experience greater exposure to dioxin-like compounds [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. However, higher trophic status species generally also have larger foraging ranges that can include offsite locations, potentially limiting site-specific exposures during the breeding season.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects on tree swallows exposed to dioxin‐like compounds associated with the Tittabawassee River and floodplain near Midland, Michigan, USA

Fredricks

Zwiernik

Seston

et al. 2011

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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Concentrations of dioxin-like compounds, primarily polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), in soils and sediments downstream of Midland, Michigan (USA) were greater than upstream sites and prompted a site-specific hazard assessment of tree swallows breeding in the associated floodplains. Potential for adverse population-level effects from site-specific contaminant exposures were evaluated at study areas (SAs) along the Tittabawassee and Saginaw rivers downstream of Midland. The site-specific multiple lines of evidence approach to hazard assessment included endpoints for dietary- and tissue-based exposures, and population productivity measurements for tree swallows ([TS]; Tachycineta bicolor) measured during the 2005, 2006, and 2007 breeding seasons. Exposure to dioxin-like compounds in TS eggs were some of the greatest recorded and were similar among all upstream and downstream study sites. Conversely, concentrations in nestlings from SAs were significantly greater compared to reference areas (RAs). The pattern of relative concentrations of PCDD/DFs in eggs and nestlings at RAs was dominated by dioxin congeners, whereas at SAs it was dominated by furan congeners. No statistically significant differences were noted in exposure to PCDD/DFs or in population-level responses when compared among locations, and total clutch failures were rare. Hatching success and fledging success were weakly negatively correlated with concentrations of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents (TEQs) in individual eggs and nestlings, respectively. On-site concentrations of TEQs in floodplain soils were some of the greatest ever reported in the environment, and several lines of evidence indicate potential population-level effects on TS overall reproductive productivity.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects on tree swallows exposed to dioxin‐like compounds associated with the Tittabawassee River and floodplain near Midland, Michigan, USA

Fredricks

Zwiernik

Seston

et al. 2011

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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“…High levels of POPs such as DDTs can result in breeding failures and a negative effect on reproductive success (Baker and Sepu'lveda 2009;Harris et al 2003) particularly in Ardeid species (De Luca-Abbott et al 2001). POPs have a variety of acute and chronic pathological, neurotoxic effects and can disrupt the endocrine and immune systems (Yamashita et al 1993), causing interference with transport of calcium resulting in eggshell thinning (Connell et al 2003), and may cause genetic mutations resulting in internal and external malformations (Burger et al 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Organochlorine residual concentrations in cattle egret from the Punjab Province, Pakistan

Malik

Rauf

Mohammad

et al. 2010

Environ Monit Assess

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In this study, residual concentration of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the sediments, prey, and eggs of Bubulcus ibis were measured from three breeding heronries from the Punjab province of Pakistan. Pattern of contamination in eggs followed the order: DDTs>HCHs>heptachlor>aldrin. Overall, pesticide residual concentrations were greater in eggs of cattle egrets collected from heronry on the River Ravi. Among HCHs, γ-HCH was more prevalent in eggs, whereas DDTs followed the order: DDD>DDE>p,p'-DDT>o,p'-DDT. Eggshell thinning was detected which showed negative relationship with residual concentration of DDE. In prey samples, residual concentration of POPs followed the order: DDTs>HCHs>dicofol>heptachlor; however, contamination pattern in sediments followed a slightly different order: DDTs>heptachlor>dicofol>HCHs>dieldrin>aldrin. Concentration of β-HCH was more prevalent in sediments and comparatively greater concentrations of POPs were measured in sediments collected from the River Ravi. Dicofol was found for the very first time in the biological samples from Pakistan, and its concentration was measured as relatively high in eggs from heronry from the River Chenab. Residual concentrations measured in eggs were below the levels that could affect egret populations. Biomagnification of the total OCPs through the food chain was evident in three breeding heronries. The concentration of DDE measured in eggs of the cattle egret suggests the need for monitoring this contaminant in other bird species at different trophic levels.

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“…Whole carcasses were analyzed for chemical burdens at the University of Florida Analytical Toxicology Core Laboratory (ATCL). Methods for the analysis of PCB 126, phenanthrene and toxaphene are described in detail in Baker and Sepúlveda (2009). Cadmium levels were determined via inductively coupled plasma–atomic emission spectroscopy in accordance with USEPA Method 6010 (USEPA, 2000).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcriptional response of hepatic largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) mRNA upon exposure to environmental contaminants

Sanchez

Carter

Hammers

et al. 2011

J of Applied Toxicology

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Microarrays enable gene transcript expression changes in near-whole genomes to be assessed in response to environmental stimuli. We utilized oligonucleotide microarrays and subsequent gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to assess patterns of gene expression changes in male largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) hepatic tissues after a 96 h exposure to common environmental contaminants. Fish were exposed to atrazine, cadmium chloride, PCB 126, phenanthrene and toxaphene via intraperitoneal injection with target body burdens of 3.0, 0.00067, 2.5, 50 and 100 µg g(-1), respectively. This was conducted in an effort to identify potential biomarkers of exposure. The expressions of 4, 126, 118, 137 and 58 mRNA transcripts were significantly (P ≤ 0.001, fold change ≥2×) affected by exposure to atrazine, cadmium chloride, PCB 126, phenanthrene and toxaphene exposures, respectively. GSEA revealed that none, four, five, five and three biological function gene ontology categories were significantly influenced by exposure to these chemicals, respectively. We observed that cadmium chloride elicited ethanol metabolism responses, and along with PCB 126 and phenanthrene affected transcripts associated with protein biosynthesis. PCB 126, phenanthrene and toxaphene also influenced one-carbon compound metabolism while PCB 126 and phenanthrene affected mRNA transcription and mRNA export from the nucleus and may have induced an antiestrogenic response. Atrazine was found to alter the expression of few hepatic transcripts. This work has highlighted several biological processes of interest that may be helpful in the development of gene transcript biomarkers of chemical exposure in fish.

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An evaluation of the effects of persistent environmental contaminants on the reproductive success of Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) in Indiana

Cited by 10 publications

References 25 publications

Effects on tree swallows exposed to dioxin‐like compounds associated with the Tittabawassee River and floodplain near Midland, Michigan, USA

Effects on tree swallows exposed to dioxin‐like compounds associated with the Tittabawassee River and floodplain near Midland, Michigan, USA

Organochlorine residual concentrations in cattle egret from the Punjab Province, Pakistan

Transcriptional response of hepatic largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) mRNA upon exposure to environmental contaminants

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