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PCBs and DDE in Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) Eggs and Nestlings from an Estuarine PCB Superfund Site, New Bedford Harbor, MA, U.S.A.
Citation:
JAYARAMAN, S., D. E. NACCI, D. M. CHAMPLIN, R. J. PRUELL, K. J. ROCHA, C. M. Custer, AND T. W. Custer. PCBs and DDE in Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) Eggs and Nestlings from an Estuarine PCB Superfund Site, New Bedford Harbor, MA, U.S.A. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Indianapolis, IN, 43(21):8387-8392, (2009).
Impact/Purpose:
The adverse effects of Polychlorinated (PCBs) and DDE have been reported on avian species. The prominent adverse effects include reproductive failures, embryonic deformities and immunosuppresion. Studies such as ours help evaluate the ecosystems and to provide information needed to protect nature, wildlife and save as many endangered and threatened species as possible.
Description:
While breeding tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) have been used as biomonitors for freshwater sites, we report the first use of this species to assess the transfer of breeding ground contaminants from an estuarine system. Eggs and nestlings were collected from nest boxes located in an urban estuary highly contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and a nearby, undeveloped salt marsh. Biota (eggs and nestlings) and sediment samples were compared for PCBs and dichlorodiphenyl-dichloroethylene (DDE), the pesticide metabolite of dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane (DDT), and reported on a wet weight basis. Sediments from the New Bedford Harbor Superfund site (NBH, Massachusetts, USA), averaged 36,500 ng/g PCBs while those from the Fox Hill marsh (FH, Jamestown, Rhode Island, USA) site were below detection limits (< 1 ng/g). Consistent with differences between breeding grounds, PCB concentrations in NBH tree swallow eggs and nestlings were high (11200 and 16800 ng/g, respectively) in comparison to FH eggs and nestlings (323 and 26 ng/g, respectively). PCB homologue and congener patterns were similar in sediment and tree swallow samples from NBH, and differed from tree swallows at FH. NBH and FH eggs had similar concentrations of DDE, probably reflecting maternal acquisition outside of the breeding grounds, while relatively high concentrations of DDE in NBH nestlings mirrored relatively DDE-enriched NBH sediments. The results show that tree swallows are useful indicators of contamination at non-breeding sites and breeding sites.