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POLYCHLORINATED BYPHENOLS AND P,P'-DDE IN TREE SWALLOW EGGS AND NESTLINGS FROM A SUPERFUND SITE
Citation:
Jayaraman, S, D M. Champlin, K J. Rocha, D E. Nacci, AND R J. Pruell. POLYCHLORINATED BYPHENOLS AND P,P'-DDE IN TREE SWALLOW EGGS AND NESTLINGS FROM A SUPERFUND SITE. Presented at Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Annual Meeting, Portland, OR, November 14-18, 2004.
Description:
This study assessed biologically available contaminant concentrations in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) eggs and nestlings from a marine Superfund site. Tree swallows are used widely to assess and monitor aquatic contamination due to their preference for nesting near water and marshes and their diet of aquatic insects. This species nests throughout the continental United States and migrates to Florida, Mexico, and Central America in winter. Nest boxes were sampled from New Bedford Harbor (NBH) in MA, a Superfund site highly contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and a reference site Fox Hill (FH), in Jamestown, RI. Eggs, nestlings and sediments were collected from both sites and analyzed for PCBs, including the toxic non- and mono-ortho substituted PCB congeners, and p, p'-DDE. Mean PCB concentrations reported on wet basis, in NBH eggs, nestlings, and sediment were 11150, 16800, and 5800 ng/g, respectively. Of the non-ortho PCBs, PCB 77 had the highest mean concentrations (93.8 and 130 ng/g), followed by PCB 126 (10.4 and 12.1 ng/g) for tree swallow eggs and nestlings, respectively. Average p, p'-DDE concentration in NBH tree swallow eggs, nestlings, and sediment were 526, 236, and 44.3 ng/g, respectively. At the reference site, the mean PCB concentrations in eggs and nestlings were 323 and 25.8 ng/g, respectively, and PCBs were below detection limit in sediment. Average p, p'-DDE concentrations in reference site tree swallow eggs and nestling were 488 and 29.9 ng/g, respectively and p, p'-DDE concentration (1.45ng/g) was close to detection limit in the reference site sediment. In summary, significantly higher PCB concentrations were found in tree swallow eggs and nestlings from a Superfund site. Presence of p, p'-DDE in tree swallow tissues combined with very low concentrations of p, p'-DDE in sediments from Superfund and reference sites suggests the possible p, p'-DDE exposure during over wintering or maternal influence.