Arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, and selenium in migrating blue-winged teal (Anas discors L.)

The blue-winged teal (Anas discors L.), an abundant waterfowl species in North America, winters primarily in Mexico, Central America, and South America. Its transcontinental migratory behavior provides the opportunity to examine contaminant acquisition across a diverse biogeographic landscape that h...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology 2007-11, Vol.53 (4), p.662-666
Main Authors:	FEDYNICH, A. M, BALLARD, B. M, MCBRIDE, T. J, ESTRELLA, J. A, GARVON, J. M, HOOPER, M. J
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Age Factors Airports Anas discors Animal, plant and microbial ecology Animals Applied ecology Arsenic - analysis Biological and medical sciences Bird migration Birds Birds - metabolism Cadmium - analysis Copper - analysis Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution Emigration and Immigration Environmental Monitoring - methods Environmental Pollutants - analysis Environmental regulations Female Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology General aspects Lead - analysis Male Seasons Selenium - analysis Sex Characteristics
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Summary:	The blue-winged teal (Anas discors L.), an abundant waterfowl species in North America, winters primarily in Mexico, Central America, and South America. Its transcontinental migratory behavior provides the opportunity to examine contaminant acquisition across a diverse biogeographic landscape that has varied environmental regulations and wildlife laws. We determined concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and selenium (Se) in liver samples of blue-winged teal migrating through southern Texas during autumn 1998 (n = 47) and spring 1999 (n = 46). Concentrations for As (range 0.006 to 0.22 microg/g wet weight [ww]), Cd (range 0.007 to 8.14 microg/g ww), and Pb (range 0.012 to 1.79 microg/g ww) were at background levels for birds, whereas Cu (8.1 to 227.3 microg/g ww) and Se (0.36 to 5.07 microg/g ww) were increased in several individuals. All 24 hatch-year (HY) blue-winged teal had detectable levels of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Se, and eight had detectable levels of As. A seasonal effect was found for Cd, in which the mean Cd concentration in autumn was lower (p < 0.015) than in spring. Comparisons between autumn-collected HY and autumn-collected after-hatch-year (AHY) blue-winged teal found the mean concentration of Cd was higher (p < 0.001) in AHY birds. A seasonal effect occurred for Cu, in which the mean concentration was higher (p < 0.001) in autumn than in spring. Comparisons between seasons using only AHY blue-winged teal found that the mean concentration of Cu was higher (p < 0.001) in autumn than in spring. No sex effects (p > 0.05) were found for the five elements examined. Results indicated that blue-winged teal were acquiring all five elements; that HY blue-winged teal were exposed to these elements in North America; and that increased Se concentrations in 15% of the 93-bird sample were at levels known to cause impairment in birds.
ISSN:	0090-4341 1432-0703