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Organochlorine and Metal Residues in Eggs of Wading Birds at the Salton Sea, 2004
Completed
Historically waterbird eggs collected at Salton Sea had some of the highest concentrations of DDE and other organochlorine (OC) pesticides reported in North America. Also, with plans to lower the Salton Sea water level by about 25 feet over the next decade, concern has been voiced about increasing concentrations of selenium in the system, and therefore, possibly contributing to higher selenium concentrations in waterbird eggs. Therefore, in 2004 as series of eggs were scheduled to be collected to evaluate present OC concentrations and to compare them with concentrations reported in the 1980s and early 1990s. Also, selenium concentrations were to be evaluated in the same eggs. These values would be compared with concentrations reported in the 1980s and early 1990s, but also would provide more recent baseline values for comparisons with samples collected during the next decade when water levels in the sea are lower. Species of interest include: Great Egret, Black-crowned Night-heron, Black-necked Stilt and American Avocet.
A sample egg will be collected from each clutch of random nests of the species of interest during early incubation and the nests marked. Eggs will be refrigerated soon after collection and prepared for chemical analysis. Shells thickness will be measured to the nearest 0.01 mm. after the shells have dried at room temperature for at least 6 months. The contents of the collected eggs and any dietary items regurgitated from the birds will be placed in chemically cleaned jars, frozen and shipped for chemical analysis.
Henny, C.J., Anderson, T., Crayon, J., 2008, Organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, metals, and trace elements in waterbird eggs, Salton Sea, California, 2004: Hydrobiologia, v. 604, p. 137-149. [Highlight] [FullText] Catalog No: 1661
Waterbird eggs, Salton Sea - 2004
Henny, Charles J. - Research Zoologist
Phone: 541-757-4840
Email: charles_j_henny@usgs.gov
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