Inorganic Elements in Eggs of Two Cavity-Nesting Passerine Species at and around Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico

Gaukler, Shannon Marie; Hathcock, Charles Dean; Fair, Jeanne Marie

doi:10.4236/jep.2018.99058

Title: Inorganic Elements in Eggs of Two Cavity-Nesting Passerine Species at and around Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico

Journal Article · Tue Aug 14 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Journal of Environmental Protection

DOI:https://doi.org/10.4236/jep.2018.99058· OSTI ID:1496747

^[1]; Hathcock, Charles Dean ^[1];

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Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) was established in 1943 as part of the Manhattan Project to build nuclear weapons, and currently operates as a national research laboratory. As part of an ongoing assessment of site-related ecological risk at LANL, western bluebird (Sialia mexicana) and ash-throated flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens) eggs were collected from 1997 to 2012 and analyzed for 18 inorganic elements. Concentrations of many inorganic elements in eggs were below reporting limits. Between species comparisons revealed that western bluebird eggs had higher levels of barium while ash-throated flycatcher eggs had higher levels of mercury. No statistically significant differences were observed in concentrations of inorganic elements in western bluebird eggs collected from the study area (which consists of areas within the current and historic LANL boundary) and from a non-industrial reference site; nor were any statistically significant differences observed between two canyons of interest, known to have received effluents and storm water runoff from LANL facilities, and the non-industrial reference site. Inorganic element levels detected in western bluebirds were typically within the range measured in eggs of other passerine in the published literature. Furthermore, these data suggest that concentrations of inorganic elements in passerine eggs collected from the study area appear to be at levels causing negligible risks to local bird populations.

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Research Organization:: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: 89233218CNA000001

OSTI ID:: 1496747

Report Number(s):: LA-UR-16-24852

Journal Information:: Journal of Environmental Protection, Vol. 09, Issue 09; ISSN 2152-2197

Publisher:: Scientific Research Publishing, Inc.Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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