Lead poisoning in waterfowl at Rice Lake, Illinois

Journal Article · Tue Apr 01 04:00:00 EDT 1975 · J. Wildl. Dis.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/3799902· OSTI ID:5193103

Anderson, W L

About 1500 waterfowl died during an outbreak of lead poisoning at Rice Lake, Illinois, during the spring of 1972. The lesser scaup (Aythya affinis) made up 75 percent of 394 birds found dead or dying. Of 96 scaups examined, 75 percent had at least 1 lead pellet in the gizzard and 36 percent had more than 10. The scaups had lost, on the average, 30-35 percent of their body weights before dying. Concentrations of lead in scaups averaged 46 +/- 4 ppm in liver, 66 +/- 8 ppm in kidney, and 40 +/- 5 ppm in wing bones (radius and ulna). Concentrations in wing bones were approximately twice as great in immature scaups as in adults. Positive correlations existed between (1) the number of pellets in the gizzard and body weight, (2) the number of pellets in the gizzard and ppm of lead in kidney, (3) the number of pellets in the gizzard and ppm of lead in wing bones, and (4) ppm of lead in liver and ppm of lead in wing bones.

• Research Organization: Illinois Natural History Survey, Urbana
• OSTI ID: 5193103
• Journal Information: J. Wildl. Dis.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Wildl. Dis.; (United States) Vol. 39:2; ISSN JWIDA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560305* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Vertebrates-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMAL TISSUES
ANIMALS
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIRDS
BODY
BONE TISSUES
CONNECTIVE TISSUE
DATA
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
ELEMENTS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FEDERAL REGION V
FOWL
GLANDS
ILLINOIS
INFORMATION
INJURIES
KIDNEYS
LEAD
LIVER
METALS
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANS
TISSUES
USA
VERTEBRATES