Mercury concentrations in blood and feathers of nestling Bald Eagles in coastal and inland Virginia
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摘要
Background:Mercury(Hg) and methylmercury are widely considered significant issues for wildlife,and in particular,piscivorous birds due to their widespread availability and neurotoxic properties.Whereas a substantial number of studies of Hg contamination of Bald Eagles(Haliaeetus leucocephalus) have been conducted throughout the east coast of the United States,little has been done that directly addresses Hg contamination in Bald Eagles in Virginia,particularly the inland population.Methods:We collected blood and feather samples from nestling Bald Eagles in the coastal plain,piedmont,and western regions of Virginia in an effort to determine which areas of the state were more likely to contain populations showing evidence of Hg toxicity.We analyzed the samples for total Hg using a Milestone DMA-80.Results:Samples collected from individuals located in the coastal region exhibited low concentrations of Hg compared to those further inland located on freshwater rivers and reservoirs.Samples collected from the inland population exhibited levels in some areas that are approaching what may be considered to be sub-lethal to avian health(blood:mean 0.324 mg/kg,SE = 0.13,range = 0.06-0.97 mg/kg;feather:mean = 8.433 mg/kg,SE = 0.3,range = 3.811-21.14 mg/kg).Conclusions:Even after accounting for known point-sources of Hg,the inland eagle population in Virginia is susceptible to concentrations of Hg that are significantly higher than their coastal counterparts.Moreover,several locations besides those currently known to be impacted by point-sources are exhibiting concentrations that are approaching a sub-lethal level.
Background:Mercury(Hg) and methylmercury are widely considered significant issues for wildlife,and in particular,piscivorous birds due to their widespread availability and neurotoxic properties.Whereas a substantial number of studies of Hg contamination of Bald Eagles(Haliaeetus leucocephalus) have been conducted throughout the east coast of the United States,little has been done that directly addresses Hg contamination in Bald Eagles in Virginia,particularly the inland population.Methods:We collected blood and feather samples from nestling Bald Eagles in the coastal plain,piedmont,and western regions of Virginia in an effort to determine which areas of the state were more likely to contain populations showing evidence of Hg toxicity.We analyzed the samples for total Hg using a Milestone DMA-80.Results:Samples collected from individuals located in the coastal region exhibited low concentrations of Hg compared to those further inland located on freshwater rivers and reservoirs.Samples collected from the inland population exhibited levels in some areas that are approaching what may be considered to be sub-lethal to avian health(blood:mean 0.324 mg/kg,SE = 0.13,range = 0.06-0.97 mg/kg;feather:mean = 8.433 mg/kg,SE = 0.3,range = 3.811-21.14 mg/kg).Conclusions:Even after accounting for known point-sources of Hg,the inland eagle population in Virginia is susceptible to concentrations of Hg that are significantly higher than their coastal counterparts.Moreover,several locations besides those currently known to be impacted by point-sources are exhibiting concentrations that are approaching a sub-lethal level.
Background:Mercury(Hg) and methylmercury are widely considered significant issues for wildlife,and in particular,piscivorous birds due to their widespread availability and neurotoxic properties.Whereas a substantial number of studies of Hg contamination of Bald Eagles(Haliaeetus leucocephalus) have been conducted throughout the east coast of the United States,little has been done that directly addresses Hg contamination in Bald Eagles in Virginia,particularly the inland population.Methods:We collected blood and feather samples from nestling Bald Eagles in the coastal plain,piedmont,and western regions of Virginia in an effort to determine which areas of the state were more likely to contain populations showing evidence of Hg toxicity.We analyzed the samples for total Hg using a Milestone DMA-80.Results:Samples collected from individuals located in the coastal region exhibited low concentrations of Hg compared to those further inland located on freshwater rivers and reservoirs.Samples collected from the inland population exhibited levels in some areas that are approaching what may be considered to be sub-lethal to avian health(blood:mean 0.324 mg/kg,SE = 0.13,range = 0.06-0.97 mg/kg;feather:mean = 8.433 mg/kg,SE = 0.3,range = 3.811-21.14 mg/kg).Conclusions:Even after accounting for known point-sources of Hg,the inland eagle population in Virginia is susceptible to concentrations of Hg that are significantly higher than their coastal counterparts.Moreover,several locations besides those currently known to be impacted by point-sources are exhibiting concentrations that are approaching a sub-lethal level.
引文
Abbott JM.Chesapeake Bay Bald Eagles.Delaware Conserv.1978;22:3-9.
Ackerman JT,Eagles-Smith CA,Takekawa JY,Bluso JD,Adelsbach TL.Mercury concentrations in blood and feathers of prebreeding Forster’s Terns in relation to space use of San Francisco Bay California,USA habitats.Environ Toxicol Chem.2007;27:897-908.
Berlin M,Zalups RK,Fowler BA.Mercury.In:Nordberg GF,Fowler BA,Nordberg M,Friberg LT,editors.Handbook on the toxicology of metals.3rd ed.Amsterdam:Elsevier;2007.p.675-729.
Bowerman WW,Evans ED,Geisy JP,Postupalsky S.Using feathers to assess risk of mercury and selenium to bald eagle reproduction in the Great Lakes region.Arch Environ Contam Toxicol.1994;27:294-8.
Buehler DA,Mersmann TJ,Fraser JD.Differences in distribution of breeding,nonbreeding,and migrant Bald Eagles on the northern Chesapeake Bay.Condor.1991;93:399-408.
Buehler DA.Bald eagle distribution,abundance,roost use,and response to human activity on the northern Chesapeake Bay,Maryland.PhD Thesis.Blacksburg:Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University;1990.
Cristol DA,Mojica EK,Varian-Ramos CW,Watts BD.Molted feathers indicate low mercury in Bald Eagles of the Chesapeake Bay,USA.Ecol Indic.2012;18:20-4.
Condon AM,Cristol DA.Feather growth influences blood mercury level of young songbirds.Environ Toxicol Chem.2009;28:395-401.
Desorbo CR,Evers DC.Evaluating exposure of Maine’s Bald Eagle population to mercury:assessing impacts on productivity and spatial exposure patterns.Unpublished Report.BRI 2007-02.Gorham:BioDiversity Research Institute;2007.
DeSorbo CR,Evers DC,Nye PE,Loukmas JJ.Assessing mercury exposure and spatial patterns in adult and nestling bald eagles in New York State,with an emphasis on the Catskill Region.Report BRI 2008-06 Submitted to The Nature Conservancy,Albany,New York.Gorham:BioDiversity Research Institute;2008.
Desorbo CR,Todd CS,Mierzykowski SE,Evers DC,Hanson B.Assessment of mercury in Maine’s interior bald eagle population.USFWS.Spec.Proj.Rep.FY07-MEFO-3-EC.Old Town:Maine Field Office;2009.
Echols BS,Currie RJ,Cherry DS.An investigation of total mercury in sediments and interstitial water in the North Fork Holsten River below Saltville,VA,USA.Hum Ecol Risk Assess.2009;15:968-84.
Evers DC,Burgess N,Champoux L,Hoskins B,Major A,Goodale W,Taylor R,Poppenga R,Daigle T.Patterns and interpretation of mercury exposure in freshwater avian communities in northeastern North America.Ecotoxicology.2005;14:193-221.
Hopkins BC,Willson JD,Hopkins WA.Mercury exposure is associated with negative effects on turtle reproduction.Environ Sci Technol.2013;47:2416-22.
Jackson AK,Evers DC,Etterson MA,Condon AM,Folsom SB,Detweiler J,Schmerfeld J,Cristol DA.Modeling the effect of mercury exposure on the reproductive success of a free-living terrestrial songbird,the Carolina Wren(Thyrothorus ludovicianus).Auk.2011;128:1-11.
Jagoe C,Bryan AL,Brant HA,Murphy TM,Brisbin IL.Mercury in bald eagle nestlings from South Carolina,USA.J Wildl Dis.2002;38:706-12.
Kamman NC,Burgess NM,Driscoll CT,Simonin HA,Goodale W,Linehan J,Estabrook R,Hutcheson M,Major A,Scheuhammer AM,Scruton DA.Mercury in freshwater fish of northeast North America-a geographic perspective based on fish tissue monitoring databases.Ecotoxicology.2005;14:163-80.
Kramar DE,Goodale W,Kennedy L,Carstensen LW,Kaur T.Relating land cover characteristics and Common Loon mercury levels using geographic information systems.Ecotoxicology.2005;14:253-62.
Maserti BE,Ferrara R.Mercury in soils,plants and atmosphere near a chloralkali complex.Water Air Soil Pollut.1991;56:15-20.
Miller CL,Mason RP,Gilmour CC,Heyes A.Influence of dissolved organic matter on the complexation of mercury under sulfidic conditions.Environ Toxicol Chem.2007;26:624-33.
Scheuhammer AM.The chronic toxicity of aluminum,cadmium,mercury,and lead in birds:a review.Environ Pollut.1987;46:263-95.
Thompson DR.Mercury in birds and terrestrial animals.In:Beyer WN,Heinz GH,Redmon-Norwood AW,editors.Environmental contaminants in wildlife:interpreting tissue concentrations.Clemson:Lewis Publisher;1996.p.341-55.
US Environmental Protection Agency.Method 7473:mercury in solids and solutions by thermal decomposition,amalgamation and atomic absorption spectrometry.United States Environmental Protection Agency;2000.
Watts BD,Byrd MA.Virginia bald eagle nest and productivity survey:year 2011report.Center for Conservation Biology Technical Report Series,CCBTR-11-11.Williamsburg:College of William and Mary and Virginia Commonwealth University;2011.
Welch LJ.Contaminant burdens and reproductive rates of Bald Eagles in Maine.MS thesis.Orono:University of Maine;1994.
Wiemeyer SN,Lamont TG,Bunck CM,Sindelar CR,Gramlich FJ,Fraser JD,Byrd MA.Organochlorine pesticide,PCB,and Mercury residues in bald eagle eggs,1969-1979,and their relationships to shell thinning and reproduction.Arch Environ Contam Toxicol.1984;13:529-49.
Wiener JG,Krabbenhoft DP,Heinz GH,Scheuhammer AM.Ecotoxicology of mercury.In:Hoffman DJ,Rattner BA,Burton Jr GA,Cairns Jr J,editors.Handbook of ecotoxicology.2nd ed.Boca Raton:CRC Press;2003.p.409-63.
Wolfe MF,Schwarzbach S,Sulaiman RA.Effects of mercury on wildlife:a comprehensive review.Environ Toxicol Chem.1998;17:146-60.
Wood PB,White JH,Steffer A,Wood JM,Facemire CF,Percival HF.Mercury concentrations in tissues of Florida Bald Eagles.J Wildl Manag.1996;60:178-85.
Yates D,Evers DC,Savoy L.Developing a mercury exposure profile for mink and river otter in Maine.Report BRI 2004-09 submitted to Maine Department of Environmental Protection and Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.Gorham,Maine:BioDiversity Research Institute;2004.
Yates D,Mayack D,Munney K,Evers DC,Taylor RJ,Kaur T,Major A.Mercury levels in mink and river otter in northeastern North America.Ecotoxicology.2005;14:263-74.
Ackerman JT,Eagles-Smith CA,Takekawa JY,Bluso JD,Adelsbach TL.Mercury concentrations in blood and feathers of prebreeding Forster’s Terns in relation to space use of San Francisco Bay California,USA habitats.Environ Toxicol Chem.2007;27:897-908.
Berlin M,Zalups RK,Fowler BA.Mercury.In:Nordberg GF,Fowler BA,Nordberg M,Friberg LT,editors.Handbook on the toxicology of metals.3rd ed.Amsterdam:Elsevier;2007.p.675-729.
Bowerman WW,Evans ED,Geisy JP,Postupalsky S.Using feathers to assess risk of mercury and selenium to bald eagle reproduction in the Great Lakes region.Arch Environ Contam Toxicol.1994;27:294-8.
Buehler DA,Mersmann TJ,Fraser JD.Differences in distribution of breeding,nonbreeding,and migrant Bald Eagles on the northern Chesapeake Bay.Condor.1991;93:399-408.
Buehler DA.Bald eagle distribution,abundance,roost use,and response to human activity on the northern Chesapeake Bay,Maryland.PhD Thesis.Blacksburg:Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University;1990.
Cristol DA,Mojica EK,Varian-Ramos CW,Watts BD.Molted feathers indicate low mercury in Bald Eagles of the Chesapeake Bay,USA.Ecol Indic.2012;18:20-4.
Condon AM,Cristol DA.Feather growth influences blood mercury level of young songbirds.Environ Toxicol Chem.2009;28:395-401.
Desorbo CR,Evers DC.Evaluating exposure of Maine’s Bald Eagle population to mercury:assessing impacts on productivity and spatial exposure patterns.Unpublished Report.BRI 2007-02.Gorham:BioDiversity Research Institute;2007.
DeSorbo CR,Evers DC,Nye PE,Loukmas JJ.Assessing mercury exposure and spatial patterns in adult and nestling bald eagles in New York State,with an emphasis on the Catskill Region.Report BRI 2008-06 Submitted to The Nature Conservancy,Albany,New York.Gorham:BioDiversity Research Institute;2008.
Desorbo CR,Todd CS,Mierzykowski SE,Evers DC,Hanson B.Assessment of mercury in Maine’s interior bald eagle population.USFWS.Spec.Proj.Rep.FY07-MEFO-3-EC.Old Town:Maine Field Office;2009.
Echols BS,Currie RJ,Cherry DS.An investigation of total mercury in sediments and interstitial water in the North Fork Holsten River below Saltville,VA,USA.Hum Ecol Risk Assess.2009;15:968-84.
Evers DC,Burgess N,Champoux L,Hoskins B,Major A,Goodale W,Taylor R,Poppenga R,Daigle T.Patterns and interpretation of mercury exposure in freshwater avian communities in northeastern North America.Ecotoxicology.2005;14:193-221.
Hopkins BC,Willson JD,Hopkins WA.Mercury exposure is associated with negative effects on turtle reproduction.Environ Sci Technol.2013;47:2416-22.
Jackson AK,Evers DC,Etterson MA,Condon AM,Folsom SB,Detweiler J,Schmerfeld J,Cristol DA.Modeling the effect of mercury exposure on the reproductive success of a free-living terrestrial songbird,the Carolina Wren(Thyrothorus ludovicianus).Auk.2011;128:1-11.
Jagoe C,Bryan AL,Brant HA,Murphy TM,Brisbin IL.Mercury in bald eagle nestlings from South Carolina,USA.J Wildl Dis.2002;38:706-12.
Kamman NC,Burgess NM,Driscoll CT,Simonin HA,Goodale W,Linehan J,Estabrook R,Hutcheson M,Major A,Scheuhammer AM,Scruton DA.Mercury in freshwater fish of northeast North America-a geographic perspective based on fish tissue monitoring databases.Ecotoxicology.2005;14:163-80.
Kramar DE,Goodale W,Kennedy L,Carstensen LW,Kaur T.Relating land cover characteristics and Common Loon mercury levels using geographic information systems.Ecotoxicology.2005;14:253-62.
Maserti BE,Ferrara R.Mercury in soils,plants and atmosphere near a chloralkali complex.Water Air Soil Pollut.1991;56:15-20.
Miller CL,Mason RP,Gilmour CC,Heyes A.Influence of dissolved organic matter on the complexation of mercury under sulfidic conditions.Environ Toxicol Chem.2007;26:624-33.
Scheuhammer AM.The chronic toxicity of aluminum,cadmium,mercury,and lead in birds:a review.Environ Pollut.1987;46:263-95.
Thompson DR.Mercury in birds and terrestrial animals.In:Beyer WN,Heinz GH,Redmon-Norwood AW,editors.Environmental contaminants in wildlife:interpreting tissue concentrations.Clemson:Lewis Publisher;1996.p.341-55.
US Environmental Protection Agency.Method 7473:mercury in solids and solutions by thermal decomposition,amalgamation and atomic absorption spectrometry.United States Environmental Protection Agency;2000.
Watts BD,Byrd MA.Virginia bald eagle nest and productivity survey:year 2011report.Center for Conservation Biology Technical Report Series,CCBTR-11-11.Williamsburg:College of William and Mary and Virginia Commonwealth University;2011.
Welch LJ.Contaminant burdens and reproductive rates of Bald Eagles in Maine.MS thesis.Orono:University of Maine;1994.
Wiemeyer SN,Lamont TG,Bunck CM,Sindelar CR,Gramlich FJ,Fraser JD,Byrd MA.Organochlorine pesticide,PCB,and Mercury residues in bald eagle eggs,1969-1979,and their relationships to shell thinning and reproduction.Arch Environ Contam Toxicol.1984;13:529-49.
Wiener JG,Krabbenhoft DP,Heinz GH,Scheuhammer AM.Ecotoxicology of mercury.In:Hoffman DJ,Rattner BA,Burton Jr GA,Cairns Jr J,editors.Handbook of ecotoxicology.2nd ed.Boca Raton:CRC Press;2003.p.409-63.
Wolfe MF,Schwarzbach S,Sulaiman RA.Effects of mercury on wildlife:a comprehensive review.Environ Toxicol Chem.1998;17:146-60.
Wood PB,White JH,Steffer A,Wood JM,Facemire CF,Percival HF.Mercury concentrations in tissues of Florida Bald Eagles.J Wildl Manag.1996;60:178-85.
Yates D,Evers DC,Savoy L.Developing a mercury exposure profile for mink and river otter in Maine.Report BRI 2004-09 submitted to Maine Department of Environmental Protection and Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.Gorham,Maine:BioDiversity Research Institute;2004.
Yates D,Mayack D,Munney K,Evers DC,Taylor RJ,Kaur T,Major A.Mercury levels in mink and river otter in northeastern North America.Ecotoxicology.2005;14:263-74.