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

Abstract

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 appearmore » to be at levels causing negligible risks to local bird populations.« less

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1]
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  1. Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1496747
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-16-24852
Journal ID: ISSN 2152-2197
Grant/Contract Number:  
89233218CNA000001
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Environmental Protection
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 09; Journal Issue: 09; Journal ID: ISSN 2152-2197
Publisher:
Scientific Research Publishing, Inc.
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Environmental Protection; Ash-Throated Flycatcher; Biomonitoring; Metals; Western Bluebird

Citation Formats

Gaukler, Shannon Marie, Hathcock, Charles Dean, and Fair, Jeanne Marie. Inorganic Elements in Eggs of Two Cavity-Nesting Passerine Species at and around Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.4236/jep.2018.99058.
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Gaukler, Shannon Marie, Hathcock, Charles Dean, & Fair, Jeanne Marie. Inorganic Elements in Eggs of Two Cavity-Nesting Passerine Species at and around Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico. United States. https://doi.org/10.4236/jep.2018.99058
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Gaukler, Shannon Marie, Hathcock, Charles Dean, and Fair, Jeanne Marie. Tue . "Inorganic Elements in Eggs of Two Cavity-Nesting Passerine Species at and around Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico". United States. https://doi.org/10.4236/jep.2018.99058. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1496747.
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@article{osti_1496747,
title = {Inorganic Elements in Eggs of Two Cavity-Nesting Passerine Species at and around Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico},
author = {Gaukler, Shannon Marie and Hathcock, Charles Dean and Fair, Jeanne Marie},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {10.4236/jep.2018.99058},
journal = {Journal of Environmental Protection},
number = 09,
volume = 09,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Aug 14 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Tue Aug 14 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}
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Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.4236/jep.2018.99058
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Figures / Tables:

Figure 1 Figure 1: Study region showing where western bluebird and ash-throated eggs that underwent analysis for inorganic elements were collected. Weighted geometric means were used to represent composite samples (i.e., eggs collected from multiple nestboxes). The study area includes locations within and around current and historic boundaries of Los Alamos Nationalmore » Laboratory, including both canyons of interest; the non-industrial reference site consists of the cemetery and golf course located upgradient of Los Alamos National Laboratory in the Los Alamos townsite. Samples were collected between 1997 and 2012. Figure was created using ArcGIS 10.3.1 (ESRI, Redlands, California).« less
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    Works referencing / citing this record:

    Long‐term variation in environmental conditions influences host–parasite fitness
    journal, June 2019

    • Musgrave, Karen; Bartlow, Andrew W.; Fair, Jeanne M.
    • Ecology and Evolution, Vol. 9, Issue 13
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    Long‐term variation in environmental conditions influences host–parasite fitness
    journal, June 2019

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    • Ecology and Evolution, Vol. 9, Issue 13
    • DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5321
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