Cm. Custer et al., REPRODUCTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION IN TREE SWALLOWS NESTINGIN THE FOX RIVER DRAINAGE AND GREEN-BAY, WISCONSIN, USA, Environmental toxicology and chemistry, 17(9), 1998, pp. 1786-1798
Concentration, accumulation, and effects of polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs) on reproduction in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) were stu
died at four sites in the Fox River drainage and in Green Bay, Lake Mi
chigan, Wisconsin, USA, in 1994 and 1995. Total PCBs in eggs and newly
hatched young (mean = 3.01 mu g/g wet weight, years and sites combine
d) and 12-d-old nestlings (mean = 2.34 mu g/g wet weight) at two conta
minated sites (Kidney Island and Arrowhead) were higher than concentra
tions at two reference sites (Lake Poygan and High Cliff State Park, y
ears and sites combined, pippers mean = 0.26 mu g/g, nestlings mean =
0.01 mu g/g). Concentrations of 11l PCB congeners were also higher at
contaminated compared to reference sites. Poly chlorinated biphenyls (
PCBs) accumulated in nestlings at a higher rate (1.34-6.69 mu g/d) at
contaminated sites compared to reference locations (0.06-0.42 mu g/d).
Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) was the only other organochlor
ine found in all samples. concentrations for all samples averaged less
than or equal to 0.20 mu g/g wet weight. Total PCBs and p,p'-DDE conc
entrations did not differ among clutches where all eggs hatched, some
eggs hatched, and no eggs hatched.