Lead exposure in passerines inhabiting lead‐contaminated floodplains in the Coeur D'Alene River Basin, Idaho, USA

Johnson, Gregory D.; Audet, Daniel J.; Kern, John W.; LeCaptain, Leonard J.; Strickland, M. Dale; Hoffman, David J.; McDonald, Lyman L.

doi:10.1002/etc.5620180617

Cited by 11 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…A total of 9% of song sparrows and 70% of robins from the severely contaminated sites had blood Pb concentrations above the clinical poisoning threshold. Inhibition of ALAD activity in red blood cells of these species demonstrates the severity of the exposure in the basin and corroborates an earlier finding of 51% inhibition in song sparrows and 75% inhibition in robins in 1995 (Johnson et al 1999). Elevated hepatic Pb concentrations (Tables 2 and 4) further confirm that Pb in the basin is hazardous to ground-feeding songbirds.…”

Section: Effects On Songbirdssupporting

confidence: 87%

“…Blus et al (1995) found that nestlings of 7 American robins collected in the basin had blood Pb concentrations ranging from 0.27 to 0.87 mg/kg wet weight. Audet (1997) found elevated blood and hepatic Pb concentrations and inhibited blood ALAD activity in a small sample of song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) and American robins, and Johnson et al (1999) documented elevated hepatic Pb concentrations and inhibited ALAD activity in song sparrows. Because of the suggested risk to songbirds (USEPA 2001(USEPA , 2002 and because of the importance of the basin as wildlife habitat, we sampled ground-feeding songbirds throughout the basin to determine if they were exposed to toxic concentrations of Pb and to find the pathway of exposure.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Lead exposure and poisoning of songbirds using the Coeur d'Alene River Basin, Idaho, USA

Hansen

Audet

Spears

et al. 2011

Integr Environ Assess Manag

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Previous studies have found widespread Pb poisoning of waterfowl in the Coeur d'Alene River Basin in northern Idaho, USA, which has been contaminated by mining and smelting activities. We studied the exposure of ground-feeding songbirds to Pb, sampling 204 American robins (Turdus migratorius), song sparrows (Melospiza melodia), and Swainson's thrushes (Catharus ustulatus) throughout the basin. These songbirds had mean blood Pb concentrations (mg/kg, dry weight) of less than 0.19 at a reference area (25 mg Pb/kg soil), 1.09 at moderately contaminated sites (170 to 1300 mg Pb/kg soil), and 2.06 at highly contaminated sites (2000 to 5000 mg Pb/kg soil). Based on guidelines for evaluating blood Pb in birds, 6% of robins from the highly contaminated sites had background concentrations, 24% were subclinically poisoned, 52% were clinically poisoned, and 18% were severely clinically poisoned with Pb. Blood Pb concentrations were lower in song sparrows than in robins and lowest in Swainson's thrushes. More than half of the robins and song sparrows from all contaminated sites and more than half of the Swainson's thrushes from highly contaminated sites showed at least 50% inhibition of the activity of the enzyme δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD), commonly used as a measure of exposure to Pb. The highest hepatic Pb concentration of 61 mg/kg (dry weight) was detected in a song sparrow. Using Al as a marker for soil in songbird ingesta, we estimated average soil ingestion rates as 20% in robins, 17% in song sparrows, and 0.7% in Swainson's thrushes. Soil Pb in ingesta accounted for almost all of the songbirds' exposure to Pb. Based on these results, it is recommended that ecological risk assessments of ground-feeding songbirds at contaminated sites include soil ingestion as a pathway of exposure to Pb.

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Section: Effects On Songbirdssupporting

confidence: 87%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lead exposure and poisoning of songbirds using the Coeur d'Alene River Basin, Idaho, USA

Hansen

Audet

Spears

et al. 2011

Integr Environ Assess Manag

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“…The American robin, song sparrow, and Swainson's thrush were selected as representative ground-feeding songbirds because they are relatively abundant in the basin, previous data for these species had been collected (Blus et al 1995;Audet et al 1999;Johnson et al 1999), and the basin-wide ERA concluded that these 3 species were at relatively high risk. These songbirds spend much of the spring and early summer feeding on invertebrates in and on the ground.…”

Section: Ecological Conceptual Site Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a result, migratory birds have been exposed to and adversely affected by Pb in multiple habitats in the basin (Blus et al 1995;Audet et al 1999;Johnson et al 1999;Beyer et al 2000). Tundra swans (Cygnus columbianus), Canada geese (Branta canadensis), mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), and other waterfowl have often been found dead in the basin from the toxic effects of ingesting Pb-contaminated sediment Beyer et al 2000;Sileo et al 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A second study found elevated blood and liver Pb concentrations as well as inhibited blood delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) activity in song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) and American robin (Audet 1997), but insufficient numbers of samples were collected to determine doseresponse relationships between soil Pb concentrations and either Pb accumulation or adverse effects. Johnson et al (1999) documented elevated liver Pb concentrations in song sparrow and inhibited ALAD activity in song sparrow and American robin, but again, sample size precluded the evaluation of the relationship between soil Pb concentrations and adverse effects.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assessment of risks to ground-feeding songbirds from lead in the Coeur d'Alene Basin, Idaho, USA

Sample¹,

Hansen

Dailey

et al. 2011

Integr Environ Assess Manag

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Previous assessment of ecological risks within the Coeur d'Alene River Basin identified Pb as a key risk driver for ground-feeding songbirds. Because this conclusion was based almost exclusively on literature data, its strength was determined to range from low to moderate. With the support of the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the US Fish and Wildlife Service collected site-specific data to address the uncertainty associated with Pb risks to songbirds. These data, plus those from the previous Coeur d'Alene Basin ecological risk assessment, were integrated, and risks to ground-feeding songbirds were reevaluated. These site-specific data were also used to develop updated preliminary remedial goals (PRGs) for Pb in soils that would be protective of songbirds. Available data included site-specific Pb concentrations in blood, liver, and ingesta from 3 songbird species (American robin, song sparrow, and Swainson's thrush), colocated soil data, and soil data from other locations in the basin. Semi-log regression models based on the association between soil Pb and tissue Pb concentrations were applied to measured soil concentrations from the previous risk assessment to estimate Pb exposures in riparian and adjacent upland habitats throughout the Coeur d'Alene Basin. Measured and estimated tissue or dietary exposure was tabulated for 3 areas plus the reference, and then compared to multiple effects measures. As many as 6 exposure-effect metrics were available for assessing risk in any one area. Analyses of site-specific tissue- and diet-based exposure data indicate that exposure of ground-feeding songbirds to Pb in the Coeur d'Alene Basin is sufficient to result in adverse effects. Because this conclusion is based on multiple exposure-effect metrics that include site-specific data, the strength of this conclusion is high. Ecological PRGs were developed by integrating the site-specific regression models with tissue and dietary effect levels to create exposure models, which were solved for the soil concentration that produced an exposure estimate equal to the effect level (i.e., the ecological PRG). The lowest PRG obtained for any species' exposure-effect measure combination was 490 mg/kg for subclinical effects due to Pb in the blood of American robins; the highest was 7200 mg/kg for severe clinical effects due to Pb in the blood of song sparrows. Because the lowest ground-feeding songbird PRG was comparable to multiple cleanup goals developed for the basin (i.e., soil invertebrates, wildlife populations, and human health), in addition to the site-specific cleanup level of 530 mg Pb/kg sediment for the protection of waterfowl (USEPA 2002) the USEPA has made a risk-management determination that a site-specific Pb cleanup level of 530 mg/kg in soil would be protective of songbirds in the Coeur d'Alene Basin.

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Aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity in American dippers (Cinclus mexicanus) from a metal‐impacted stream

Strom

Ramsdell

Archuleta

2002

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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Blood samples collected from adult and nestling American dippers (Cinclus mexicanus) along the Arkansas River (CO, USA), a stream impacted by discharges from historical mining operations, and a reference stream were analyzed for lead concentration and delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) activity. Median ALAD activities of adult and nestling dippers from the Arkansas River were found to be significantly different from median ALAD activities of reference adults and nestlings (p = 0.002 and p = 0.028). Median ALAD activity for adult dippers from the Arkansas River was more than 50% lower relative to reference adults and activity approached a level close to 50% lower in nestlings from the same site. Median blood lead concentrations from adult (range 15.4-386.0 ppb) and nestling (range 12.1-323.0 ppb) dippers from the Arkansas River were found to be significantly different from median blood lead concentrations of reference adult (range 4.2-29.6 ppb) and nestling (range 4.2-8.2 ppb) dippers (p < 0.001 and p = 0.011). The median hematocrit level in adult dippers did not vary between sites (p = 0.73), whereas the median hematocrit level of nestling dippers from the reference site was significantly lower compared to Arkansas River nestlings (p = 0.042). Blood lead concentration in both adult and nestling dippers was found to be significantly correlated with invertebrate lead concentration (r = 0.81, p < 0.001 and r = 0.62, p = 0.01, respectively). Highly significant negative correlations were observed between blood lead concentration and ALAD activity in both adult and nestling dippers (r = -0.86, p < 0.001 and r = -0.84, p < 0.001, respectively). This study suggests that dippers (both adults and nestlings) from the Arkansas River have significantly lower ALAD activity and significantly higher blood lead concentrations compared to reference values. The measurement of ALAD activity may be a sensitive and accurate biomarker for environmental lead exposure in dippers.

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Lead exposure in passerines inhabiting lead‐contaminated floodplains in the Coeur D'Alene River Basin, Idaho, USA

Cited by 11 publications

References 20 publications

Lead exposure and poisoning of songbirds using the Coeur d'Alene River Basin, Idaho, USA

Lead exposure and poisoning of songbirds using the Coeur d'Alene River Basin, Idaho, USA

Assessment of risks to ground-feeding songbirds from lead in the Coeur d'Alene Basin, Idaho, USA

Aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity in American dippers (Cinclus mexicanus) from a metal‐impacted stream

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