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At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
USGS1989

Interrelationships among hydrologic-budget components of a northern Wisconsin seepage lake and implications for acid-deposition modeling

Components of the hydrologic budget for a northern Wisconsin seepage lake were analyzed by applying correlation and regression techniques to monthly data. Analyses for the 1981–83 water years revealed a statistically significant, direct relationship between storage change and precipitation-evaporation balance. Ground-water outflow was negatively correlated with ground-water inflow, and this relationship was influenced by similar relationships for both hydraulic gradients and cross-sectional areas in outflow versus inflow regions of the lake. Neither ground-water outflow nor inflow was significantly related to precipitation, evaporation, storage change, or lake stage; this may reflect a lag in response time of the ground-water system compared to the lake. The results (1) emphasize the complexity of factors that influence ground-water interactions with seepage lakes and (2) suggest the importance of completing detailed hydrologic studies of these systems before mechanistic models, such as those developed to predict effects of acid deposition, are applied.

Wisconsin↗
USGS1989

Recent increases in atmospheric deposition of mercury to North-Central Wisconsin lakes inferred from sediment analyses

Profiles of total mercury (Hg) concentrations in sediments were examined in 11 lakes in north-central Wisconsin having a broad range of pH (5.1 to 7.8) and alkalinity (-12 to 769 μeq/L). Mercury concentrations were greatest in the top 15 cm of the cores and were much lower in the deeper strata. The Hg content in the most enriched stratum of individual cores ranged from 0.09 to 0.24 μg/g dry weight, whereas concentrations in deep, precolonial strata ranged from 0.04 to 0.07 μg/g. Sediment enrichment factors varied from 0.8 to 2.8 and were not correlated with lake pH. The increase in the Hg content of recent sediments was attributed to increased atmospheric deposition of the metal. Eight of the 11 systems studied were low-alkalinity lakes that presumably received most (≥90%) of their hydrologic input from precipitation falling directly onto the lake surface. Thus, the sedimentary Hg in these lakes seems more likely linked to direct atmospheric deposition onto the lake surfaces than to influxes from the watershed. The data imply that a potentially significant fraction of the high Hg burdens measured in game fish in certain lakes in north-central Wisconsin originated from atmospheric sources.

Wisconsin↗
USGS1984

Accumulation of trace elements, pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls in sediments and the clam Corbicula manilensis of the Apalachicola River, Florida

A survey of trace element and synthetic organic compound concentrations in bottom materials was conducted on the Apalachicola River in northwest Florida in 1979–80 as part of the Apalachicola River Quality Assessment. Substances analyzed included trace elements (predominantly heavy metals), organochlorine insecticides, organophosphorus insecticides, chlorinated phenoxy-acid herbicides, and poly chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Three kinds of materials were surveyed: finegrained sediments, whole-body tissue of the Asiatic clam Corbicula manilensis , and bottom-load organic detritus. No hazardous levels of any of the substances were found. Concentrations in the finegrained sediments and clams were generally at least ten times lower than maximum limits considered safe for biota of aquatic systems. A comparison of trace-substance data from the Apalachicola River with data from Lake Seminole (upstream) and Apalachicola Bay (downstream) showed lower concentrations in riverine clams. Sediment concentrations in all parts of the system were comparable. Most trace substances in the Apalachicola River enter the river from the upstream part of the basin (the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers in Georgia and Alabama) and from nonpoint sources throughout the basin. There are no major point discharges along the Apalachicola. Trend analysis was limited by the scope of the study, but did not reveal any spatial or temporal trends in concentrations of any of the substances analyzed. Concentrations of organic compounds and most metals in Corbicula manilensis did not correlate with those in sediments.

Florida↗
USGS1984

Comparative toxicity of acephate in laboratory mice, white-footed mice, and meadow voles

The LD50 (95% confidence limits) of the organophosphorus insecticide acephate was estimated to be 351, 380, and 321 mg/kg (295–416, 280–516, and 266–388 mg/kg) for CD-1 laboratory mice ( Mus musculus ), white-footed mice ( Peromyscus leucopus noveboracensis ), and meadow voles ( Microtus pennsylvanicus ), respectively. In a second study, these species were provided mash containing 0, 25, 100, and 400 ppm acephate for five days. Brain and plasma cholinesterase activities were reduced in a dose-dependent manner to a similar extent in the three species (inhibition of brain acetyl-cholinesterase averaged for each species ranged from 13 to 22% at 25 ppm, 33 to 42% at 100 ppm, and 56 to 57% at 400 ppm). Mash intake, body or liver weight, plasma enzyme activities (alkaline phosphatase, alanine and aspartate aminotransferase), hepatic enzyme activities (aniline hydroxylase, 7-ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase, and glutathione S-transferase), and cytochrome content (P-450 and b 5 ) were not affected by acephate ingestion, although values differed among species. In a third experiment, mice and voles received 400 ppm acephate for 5 days followed by untreated food for up to 2 weeks. Mean inhibition of brain acetylcholin-esterase for the three species ranged from 47 to 58% on day 5, but by days 12 and 19, activity had recovered to 66 to 76% and 81 to 88% of concurrent control values. These findings indicate that CD-1 laboratory mice, white-footed mice, and meadow voles are equally sensitive to acephate when maintained under uniform laboratory conditions. Several factors ( e.g. , behavior, food preference, habitat) could affect routes and degree of exposure in the field, thereby rendering some species of wild rodents ecologically more vulnerable to organophosphorus insecticides.

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxico↗
USGS1984

Organochlorine pesticide, polychlorobiphenyl, and mercury residues in bald eagle eggs – 1969-79 – And their relationships to shell thinning and reproduction

Bald eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) eggs were collected in 14 States in 1969–79 and analyzed for organochlorine pesticides, polychlorobiphenyls, and mercury. Moderate shell thinning occurred in eggs from several areas. Eggs from the Chesapeake Bay area contained the highest residue levels of most organochlorines. DDE was detected in all eggs; other organochlorines were detected less frequently. Mercury levels were highest in eggs from Maine. Eight contaminants were significantly negatively correlated with shell thickness or reproduction at sampled breeding areas; DDE was most closely related to these factors. Production of young was near normal at breeding areas when DDE was ⩽3 ppm (wet weight); reproductive failure approached 100% for those breeding areas where DDE in eggs was >15 ppm. Five ppm DDE was associated with 10% shell thinning. The other contaminants that were associated with these factors were also highly correlated with DDE; their impact appeared minor in relation to those of DDE.

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxico↗
USGS1982

Effects of chronic exposure to simazine on the cladoceran, Daphnia pulex

The effects of chronic exposure to simazine, an s-triazine herbicide, on the cladoceran Daphnia pulex were evaluated under laboratory conditions. The daphnids were exposed to simazine concentrations corresponding to previously calculated 48-hr LC5 and LC20 values and the effects on survival, growth, reproduction, and behavior were monitored daily for 26 days. Survival of D. pulex in 20 mg/L simazine averaged 9.6±1.7 days. Most mortality in 4 mg/L occurred between days 21 and 25, and 65% of the daphnids were dead by day 25. Simazine interfered with molting, and growth was reduced in both concentrations tested. Reproductive maturation was delayed by about one molt cycle (3 days at 20°C) in D. pulex exposed to 4 mg/L simazine and was prevented in daphnids exposed to 20 mg/L. Numbers of live young and broods produced by daphnids in 4 mg/L were significantly lower than those produced by controls.

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxico↗
USGS1982

Response of common grackles to dietary concentrations of four organophosphate pesticides

Behavioral and physiological responses of common grackles to dietary concentrations of dicrotophos, fenitrothion, fenthion, and methyl parathion suggest mortality was largely due to pesticide-induced anorexia. Mortality was dose related, though consumption of treated diets was reduced such that birds on different geometrically arranged concentrations of the same pesticide ingested about the same amount of toxicant. Grackles that died lost an average of 28 to 36% of their initial body weight; visible fat was absent and muscle tissue was reduced on the sternum. Mortality of birds exposed to dicrotophos increased between May and August, although chemical intake remained relatively constant, and was associated with a natural decrease in fat and flesh condition in response to increased ambient temperatures and post-nuptial molt. Food consumption in songbirds exposed to organophosphates may be reduced significantly up to 12 hr after exposure ceases because of an unknown effect of these chemicals on their feeding behavior, but not repellency. The results caution against using median lethal dietary concentrations for other than ranking chemicals based on their relative toxicity, particularly in establishing safe environmental levels, and suggest that anorexia and physiological condition may be important factors in mortality of wild birds exposed to organophosphates.

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxico↗
USGS1983

Effects of dietary ABATE® on reproductive success, duckling survival, behavior, and clinical pathology in game-farm mallards

Forty-four pairs of game-farm mallards ( Anas platyrhynchos ) were fed ABATE ® 4E (temephos) to yield 0, 1, or 10 ppm ABATE ® beginning before the initiation of lay, and terminating when ducklings were 21 days of age. The mean interval between eggs laid was greater for hens fed 10 ppm ABATE ® than for controls. Clutch size, fertility, hatchability, nest attentiveness of incubating hens, and avoidance behavior of ducklings were not significantly affected by ABATE ® ingestion. The percentage survival of ducklings to 21 days of age was significantly lower in both treated groups than in controls, but brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was not inhibited in young which died before termination of the study. In 21-day-old ducklings, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity increased and plasma nonspecific cholinesterase (ChE) activity was inhibited by about 20% in both treatment groups, but there were no significant differences in brain AChE or plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities, or plasma uric acid concentration. Clinical chemistry values of adults were not affected. No ABATE ® , ABATE ® sulfoxide, or ABATE ® sulfone residues were found in eggs or tissue samples.

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxico↗
USGS1981

Uptake and depuration of petroleum hydrocarbons by crayfish

No differences were noted in the amount of naphthalene uptake (approximately 125 μ g) by individual crayfish exposed for 1, 2, or 4 hr at 25°C in open, non-aerated glass jars containing 14 C-naphthalene-5% of a water-soluble fraction (WSF) of No. 2 fuel oil. The cephalothorax, containing the hepatopancreas (a food absorption organ), showed greater uptake of naphthalene than the tail flesh or tail skeleton of individual crayfish exposed to the oil for 3 hr at 25°C. Crayfish exposed to the oil for 1, 2, or 4 hr and then placed in open, non-aerated containers of oil-free water lost most of the carbon-14 activity during the first 24 hr, with smaller losses occurring at 24 hr intervals up to and including 96 hr. Carbon-14 naphthalene in a 5% WSF of No. 2 fuel oil held in 12 open, non-aerated, oil-free, glass jars for 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 hr at 25°C showed little volatilization (P > 0.4).

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxico↗
USGS1983

Accumulation, sublethal effects, and safe concentration of a refined oil as evaluated with cutthroat trout

Cutthroat trout ( Salmo clarki ) were exposed for 90 days in the laboratory to a refined oil collected from the North Platte River at a seepage site below the American Oil Company refinery at Casper, Wyoming. Fish were exposed to five concentrations and a control, and seven biological responses (survival, growth, gill pathology, liver pathology, caudal fin erosion, caudal fin pathology and swimming performance) were correlated with water concentration and tissue accumulation of petroleum hydrocarbons. Fish in the highest water concentration, 183 μ g/L total oil, accumulated tissue concentrations of 4.6 μ g/g total naphthalenes and responded adversely to all seven biological measurements. Cutthroat trout in the lowest water concentration, 24 μ g/L total oil, had a mean tissue concentration of 1.2 μ g/g total naphthalenes, but their response was similar to that of the control fish to all seven biological responses. Fish exposed to 39 μ g/L water concentration accumulated tissue concentrations of 2.7 μ g/g and responded negatively to 2 of the 7 biological measurements. Therefore, the maximum safe limit for this oil and cutthroat trout is between 24 and 39 μ g/L.

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxico↗
USGS1983

Cholinesterase inhibition of birds inhabiting wheat fields treated with methyl parathion and toxaphene

Red-winged blackbirds ( Agelaius phoeniceus ) and dickcissels ( Spiza americana ) inhabiting wheat fields treated with 0.67 kg AI/ha methyl parathion and 1.35 kg AI/ha toxaphene showed brain cholinesterase (ChE) inhibition compared with birds inhabiting untreated fields. Maximum inhibition occurred about five days after insecticide application. ChE activities again approached “normal” 10 days after treatment. ChE inhibition for dickcissels and red-winged blackbirds differed significantly (p<0.05); maximum inhibition for the former species was 74%, and for the latter, 40%. These differences could not be explained by the diets of the two species, as they were similar.

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxico↗
USGS1990

Bioaccumulation of selenium in birds at Kesterson Reservoir, California

This study was conducted to determine selenium (Se) concentrations in tissues of birds collected during the 1983-1985 nesting seasons at Kesterson Reservoir (an area receiving high-Se irrigation drainage water), compare them with birds from reference sites within California's Central Valley, and relate them to food-chain Se concentrations at the study sites. Within years, Se in livers of adult birds collected early and late in the nesting season changed significantly at both Kesterson and the primary reference site (Volta Wildlife Area). These changes were related to the length of time birds had been present at the study sites and the associated accumulation (at Kesterson) or depuration (at Volta) of Se. All species showed significant location differences, which were greatest in species that occurred at Kesterson throughout the year or fed more consistently within the reservoir. There were few species differences in Se for birds at the reference sites (where food-chain Se levels were 'normal' [ < 2?g/g, dry wt]). At Kesterson (where bird foods generally contained >50 ?/g Se/g), species patterns varied by year, probably because of varying periods of residence and other factors. Se concentrations in kidneys and livers of American coots (Fulica americana) were significantly correlated (r = 0.9845); Se concentrations in breast muscles and livers of juvenile ducks (Anas spp.) also were correlated (r = 0.8280). Body weights of adult coots were negatively correlated with liver Se concentration. Late-season resident breeding birds or pre-fledging juvenile birds reared at a site usually provided the best indication of site-specific Se bioaccumulation.

California↗
USGS1983

The acute oral toxicity, repellency, and hazard potential of 998 chemicals to one or more species of wild and domestic birds

The acute oral toxicity, repellency, and hazard potential of 998 chemicals to one or more of 68 species of wild and domestic birds was determined by standardized testing procedures. Red winged blackbirds were the most sensitive of the bird species tested on a large number of chemicals, and an index based on redwing toxicity and repellency may provide an appropriate indication of the probability of acute avian poisoning episodes. Avian repellency and toxicity were not positively correlated ( i.e. toxicity varied independently with repellency).

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxico↗
USGS1983

Breeding success of barn owls (Tyto alba) fed low levels of DDE and dieldrin

The relative importance of two organochlorine pesticides in the recent reproductive failure of raptors was investigated. Captive barn owls were fed 3.0 ppm DDE and 0.5 ppm dieldrin; doses were given separately and in combination for two years. Breeding success was followed from the laying of eggs through natural incubation and rearing of young. DDE was associated with significant eggshell thinning, egg breakage, embryo mortality, and reduced production per pair. Dieldrin alone was associated with slight but significant eggshell thinning, but not with reduction of breeding success. Ecological implications of the results are discussed; it is suggested that DDE had a much more severe effect on reproduction in wild raptors than dieldrin, which contributed to their decline primarily through adult mortality.

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxico↗
USGS1983

Temporal accumulation of organochlorine pesticides in shorebirds wintering on the south Texas coast, 1979-80

Organochlorine pesticide residues were determined in 168 shorebirds of three species collected at approximate bimonthly intervals during the fall and winter months of 1979–80 near Port Mansfield on the south Texas coast. The study was conducted to determine if shorebirds wintering on mudflats at the outlets of agricultural drains in Texas accumulated pesticides during this period. The predominant Organochlorine residues detected in shorebirds were DDE, dieldrin, and toxaphene. Ninety-five % of the skinned carcasses analyzed contained detectable levels of DDE, 13% contained dieldrin, and 22% contained toxaphene. DDE significantly increased in all species of shorebirds from October to December, with potentially dangerous levels accumulating in some long-billed dowitchers ( Limnodromus scolopaceus ) and American avocets ( Recurvirostra americana ), but DDE residues seldom exceeded 0.5 ppm in carcasses of western sandpipers ( Calidris mauri ). After about two months on the study area, no further residue increases were documented. The high levels of DDE detected in a large proportion of the dowitchers, and to a lesser extent in the avocets, are near or within the range known to inhibit reproduction in some avian species. This study demonstrates that certain aquatic areas near agricultural lands on the south Texas coast may be potential threats to waterbirds eight years after the use of DDT was banned in the United States.

Texas↗
USGS1990

Environmental contaminant concentrations in biota from the lower Savannah River, Georgia and South Carolina

Planned harbor expansion and industrial developments may adversely affect the economically important aquatic resources of the lower Savannah River, including those at the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. To establish the present level of chemical contamination in this system, we collected a total of 102 samples of nine species of fish and fiddler crabs (Uca pugilator) from eleven sites in the lower Savannah River and on the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, and analyzed them for concentrations of organochlorine chemicals, aliphatic and aromatic petroleum hydrocarbons, and 13 elemental contaminants: aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, selenium, and zinc. Residues of DDT (mainly as DDE),trans-nonachlor, dieldrin, Aroclor? 1260, mirex, and petroleum hydrocarbons were common in fish from the lower Savannah River, but concentrations were below those warranting environmental concern. In general, the concentrations of elemental contaminants also were low; however, arsenic, cadmium, and chromium concentrations were elevated in fish from river stations near the city of Savannah, and lead was elevated in samples from the National Wildlife Refuge. Contamination of the lower Savannah River by organic and elemental contaminants, as indicated by concentrations in fishes and fiddler crabs, did not appear to pose a hazard.

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxico↗
USGS1990

Fluoride accumulation and bone strength in wild black-crowned night-herons

Fluoride was measured in femurs of black-crowned night-herons ( Nycticorax nycticorax ) living adjacent to a phosphate processing complex near Pocatello, Idaho. Fluoride (ash wt.) in femurs ranged from 540 μg/g to 11,000 μg/g and increased (P=0.0001) with age, but with no difference (P=0.80) between sexes. Adult males (⩾4 years) contained 5,409 μg/g compared to 6,042 μg/g for adult females. The tibiotarsus (=tibiae in text) increased in diameter with age (P=0.015) in this study; fluoride was nearly related (P=0.065) to the increase. As the diameter increased with age, wall thickness decreased (P=0.011) suggesting excessive internal bone resorption, but fluoride concentrations were not implicated in the relationship (p= 0.64). The apparent increase in diameter and decrease in wall thickness may have partially neutralized each other's effects on strength. Although significantly higher concentrations of fluoride were present in adults than in Third Year herons, no significant change in bone strength (maximum load or modulus of rupture) was detected between the two age classes, but three of the four comparisons showed adults with less strength ( i.e. , a hint of diminished strength with age). The tibiae of Hatch Year birds were significantly weaker than documented in older age classes, but incomplete growth was thought responsible. The strong relationship between age and fluroide concentrations reduced our ability to separate a “fluoride effect” from an “age effect.” Other authors believed fluoride was responsible for an increase in bone diameter and the fluoride residues encountered in adults were within the range indicative of poisoning in cattle. In addition, the adult night-herons had about 1.6 times higher fluoride concentrations than owls which showed reduced reproductive success under laboratory conditions.

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxico↗
USGS1986

Reproduction of bobwhites fed different dietary concentrations of an organophosphate insecticide, methamidophos

Pairs of first-year breeding bobwhites were fed constant or variable concentrations of methamidophos for 15 days, or a control diet in a pair-fed design in which they were matched by body weights to pairs in the constant group. Treatments for the constant group were 5.0, 7.8, 12.3, 19.2, and 30.0 ppm for 5 pairs at each concentration. The number of pairs per concentration and peak concentrations for the variable pairs were identical to the constant dosages. Concentrations for the variable group were increased by a factor of four during two 3-day periods in order to reach the peak concentrations on days 7–9 after which they were decreased by 18% every 3 days to correspond to an environmental half-time of 10.5 days. Food consumption, egg production, hatchability of eggs under artificial incubation, and survival of hatched chicks for 2 weeks were recorded for each pair during 15-day treatment and 21-day posttreatment periods. Mortality was high in the highest constant dosage (2/10) and the associated pair-fed groups (3/10). Food consumption and egg production rates were negatively dose-related during the treatment period in the constant and variable groups. The laying rate of pair-fed hens was reduced to the same extent as in the constant group. Reproductive inhibition was not permanent and pairs resumed laying after a dose-related recovery interval. No dose-related effects on hatchability or chick survival were detected. Furthermore, there was no evidence of a pesticide effect on reproduction in addition to that exerted through pesticide-induced anorexia.

Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxico↗