Lead and cadmium accumulation in eggs and fledgling seabirds in the New York Bight
- Rutgers, The State Univ. of New Jersey, Piscataway (United States)
- UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ (United States)
The authors measured lead and cadmium concentrations in eggs and in the breast feathers of fledglings of common tern (Sterna hirundo), roseate tern (S. dougallii), Forster's tern (S. forsteri), black skimmer (Rynchops niger), and herring gull (Larus argentatus) nesting in mixed-species colonies in the New York Bight in 1989. Metal concentrations in fledgling feathers represent in part metals sequestered in the egg by females and accumulation from food brought back to chicks by parents, and thus may be a measure of local metal acquisition. There were significant interspecific differences in lead in eggs, and lead and cadmium in fledgling feathers. Herring gulls had the most lead in eggs, whereas the terns had the least. Cadmium concentrations were generally low in all examined eggs. Lead concentrations were high in fledgling feathers in some populations of all species. Cadmium was highest in fledgling terns, the roseate tern had the highest concentrations. For all species except herring gull, the feathers of fledglings had higher levels of metals than did eggs.
- OSTI ID:
- 6389961
- Journal Information:
- Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; (United States), Vol. 12:2; ISSN 0730-7268
- 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.
BIRDS
SENSITIVITY
CADMIUM
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
LEAD
NEW YORK BIGHT
WATER POLLUTION
AGE DEPENDENCE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
EGGS
FEATHERS
GENETIC VARIABILITY
ANIMALS
ATLANTIC OCEAN
BIOLOGICAL VARIABILITY
ELEMENTS
METALS
MID-ATLANTIC BIGHT
POLLUTION
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
VERTEBRATES
540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology