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Trophic Transfer of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, Illinois, United States

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Abstract

In this study, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations were measured in great blue heron (GBHE) (Ardea herodias) chicks and eggs at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge (CONWR) in southern Illinois. In addition, biomagnification factors (BMFs) from gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) and their effects on reproductive effort were examined. Total PCBs (ΣPCBs) in chicks and shad were greater at the east end of Crab Orchard Lake (i.e., near the site of contamination) than the west end, but chick concentrations (4.1 to 10.1 mg/kg lipid weight) were lower than those typically associated with adverse effects. Chick BMFs based on shad from diet samples were greater than those based on shad collected from the lake. Furthermore, the two shad sources had dissimilar dioxin-like congener patterns and ΣPCBs, suggesting that there was variation in PCB load and composition and that the more contaminated shad were a small proportion of the actual heron chick diet. The number of eggs laid per nest was similar between colonies, suggesting no observable population level effects. Further study may be necessary to evaluate long-term effects on GBHEs at CONWR.

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Acknowledgments

Partial funding for the present research was supported by cooperative agreement 30181 from the United States Department of the Interior, Fish, and Wildlife Service. We thank J. You, H. Ju, and J. Belden for assistance with chemical analysis and numerous volunteers for assistance with field data collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fisheries and Illinois Aquaculture Center and Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, 62901, USA

    C. L. Straub, J. D. Maul & M. J. Lydy

  2. Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory and Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, 62901, USA

    C. L. Straub & R. S. Halbrook

  3. Upper Columbia Fish and Wildlife Office, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 11103 East Montgomery Drive, Spokane, Washington, 99206, USA

    B. Spears

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  1. C. L. Straub
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  2. J. D. Maul
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  3. R. S. Halbrook
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  4. B. Spears
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  5. M. J. Lydy
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Correspondence to M. J. Lydy.

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Straub, C.L., Maul, J.D., Halbrook, R.S. et al. Trophic Transfer of Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) at Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, Illinois, United States. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 52, 572–579 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-006-0200-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-006-0200-6

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