DDE, selenium, mercury, and white-faced IBIS reproduction at Carson Lake, Nevada

Journal Article · Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989 · Journal of Wildlife Management; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/3809606· OSTI ID:7005322

Henny, C J ^[1]; Herron, G B ^[2]

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1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Corvallis, OR (USA)
2. Nevada Department of Wildlife, Reno (USA)

We studied organochlorine, mercury (Hg), and selenium (Se) contamination in white-faced ibis (Plegadis chihi) nesting at Carson Lake, Nevada, in 1985 and 1986. Dichloro diphenyl dichloroethylene (DDE) was related to fewer young produced/nesting attempt, fewer young produced/successful nest and eggshell thinning. As DDE in eggs increase to >4ppm (wet wt), and especially >8ppm, productivity decreased significantly and the incidence of cracked eggs increased. Assuming that 4 ppm DDE is the critical residue level, 40% of the nesting population in 1985 and 1986 was adversely impacted by DDE, with a net loss of 20% of the poplation's expected production (to about 10 days old). Most eggs containing exceptionally high DDE levels (8-29 ppm) also had substantial amounts of dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane (DDT), which implies recently-used DDT as the source. No evidence of breeding ground DDE-DDT contamination was found. The white-faced ibis winter in Mexico, and mostly in the interior agricultural region. Concentration of DDE-DDT in ibis eggs, unlike most other wading bird species from the Great Basin, did not decline during the last decade. Other organochlorine contaminants were generally low and detected in {le}33% of the eggs. Selenium and Hg were accumulated by ibis on the Nevada breeding grounds, but concentrations in eggs did not reach levels sufficient to impact the production of 7-10 day old young. Potential Se and especially Hg accumulation during the remainder of the summer was high, but actual effects on growing young and adults remain unknown.

• OSTI ID: 7005322
• Journal Information: Journal of Wildlife Management; (USA), Vol. 53:4; ISSN 0022-541X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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