Risk evaluation for sludge-borne elements to wildlife food chains
Studies were conducted to evaluate the human and wildlife food chain risks from exposure to potentially toxic metals associated with recycling sludges to forest lands. The fate of 5 selected metals, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn, were determined in both field and laboratory food chains exposed to sludge-borne metals. Knowledge gained on the fate of the selected metals and existing knowledge of their toxicological properties were used to complete a risk assessment. Some metals, primarily Cd and Cr, did accumulate in wildlife forages during the first year after application but returned to background concentrations by the second growing season. Maximum metal concentrations were magnitudes less than doses suspected to elicit chronic toxicities in wildlife. Tissues collected from herbivorous and omnivorous small mammals showed no evidence of metal accumulation. Laboratory experiments support this observation. The soil macroinvertebrate-vertebrate insectivore food chain did appear as a potential pathway for metals to accumulate, as woodcock (Philohela minor) fed sludge-contaminated earthworms concentrated Cd in kidney and liver tissues. However, muscle tissues collected from the woodcock did not contain significant concentrations of the selected metals.
- Research Organization:
- Michigan State Univ., East Lansing (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5349617
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
CADMIUM
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
CHROMIUM
COPPER
FOOD CHAINS
CONTAMINATION
NICKEL
SEWAGE SLUDGE
GROUND DISPOSAL
RECYCLING
SOILS
ZINC
FORESTS
INSECTS
INVERTEBRATES
MAMMALS
RISK ASSESSMENT
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
TOXICITY
ANIMALS
ARTHROPODS
DISTRIBUTION
ELEMENTS
MANAGEMENT
METALS
SEWAGE
SLUDGES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
VERTEBRATES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
510200* - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology