Risk, mercury levels, and birds: relating adverse laboratory effects to field biomonitoring

Environmental Research
J Burger, M Gochfeld

Abstract

There is an abundance of field data on levels of mercury in a variety of organisms and there are a number of studies that demonstrate the adverse effects of mercury on laboratory animals, but few studies examine the relationship between the two. Thus it is often difficult to determine the ecological relevance of mercury concentrations found in nature, or to predict the ecosystem consequences of current levels. In this paper we review the levels in tissues that are associated with adverse effects in birds from laboratory studies and compare these with levels found in wild bird populations in the New York Bight to provide a basis for interpreting values in avian populations. We use feathers from fledgling birds which would have been fed on locally obtained food to eliminate the problem of where toxic burdens were acquired by more mobile adult birds. Laboratory studies indicate that in some species mercury levels of 1.5 ppm in eggs and/or 5 to 40 ppm in the feathers of birds are associated with adverse effects, including impaired reproduction. We report egg levels in birds that range as high as 3.8 ppm and feather levels that range as high as 10.3 ppm, although means are much lower. The levels in eggs of some wild birds in the New...Continue Reading

References

Jan 1, 1977·Poultry Science·M M El-BegearmiH E Ganther
May 1, 1975·Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology·G Heinz
Feb 1, 1986·Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology·K HondaR Tatsukawa
Feb 1, 1974·Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology·G S StoewsandD J Lisk
Apr 1, 1974·Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology·G Heinz
Jan 1, 1984·Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. C, Comparative Pharmacology and Toxicology·J A Serafin
Jan 1, 1982·Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology·J L MaedgenF W Weir
Aug 1, 1995·Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology·J Burger, M Gochfeld
Nov 1, 1994·Fundamental and Applied Toxicology : Official Journal of the Society of Toxicology·J Burger, M Gochfeld
Aug 1, 1994·Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology·P H BeckerR W Furness
Sep 1, 1993·Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology·J Burger, M Gochfeld
Feb 1, 1994·Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health·J Burger
Mar 1, 1991·Environmental Monitoring and Assessment·J Burger, M Gochfeld
Jan 1, 1988·Environmental Monitoring and Assessment·J Burger, M Gochfeld

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jan 25, 2013·Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology·Elzbieta KalisinskaAndrzej Jackowski
Jan 26, 2013·PloS One·Pierre BlévinYves Cherel
May 30, 2009·Ecological Applications : a Publication of the Ecological Society of America·Daniel W AndersonThomas M Cahill
Feb 8, 2011·Ecotoxicology·Rui LourençoVincenzo Penteriani
Jul 16, 2014·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Jozélia CorreiaZuleica Castilhos
Jan 24, 2016·Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology·Robin W TyserPaul M Dummer
Aug 26, 2011·Journal of Environmental Radioactivity·Dagmara I Strumińska-ParulskaJacek Fabisiak
Jul 31, 2007·The Science of the Total Environment·Jessica KojadinovicMatthieu Le Corre
Feb 27, 2013·Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry·Paloma Calábria CarvalhoAdalto Bianchini
Feb 2, 2015·Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology·Mitchell T CaudillDaniel A Cristol
Jul 13, 2014·Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology·Jinming LuoWenfeng Wang
Aug 4, 2005·The Science of the Total Environment·Roger F N Rothschild, Lawrence K Duffy
Sep 1, 2015·Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology·Capwell E Taylor, Daniel A Cristol
Jul 15, 2015·Environmental Pollution·Annett FingerCarol Scarpaci
Feb 5, 2015·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Agnieszka GrajewskaTomasz Brauze
Jan 17, 2012·Environmental Pollution·Joshua T AckermanMark P Herzog
Sep 19, 2008·Environmental Pollution·M Glória PereiraRichard F Shore
Apr 22, 2015·Environmental Monitoring and Assessment·Abdulreza MashroofehJoanna Burger
Dec 23, 2014·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Dagmara I Strumińska-Parulska, Bogdan Skwarzec
Nov 20, 2013·The Science of the Total Environment·Silvia EspínAntonio Juan García-Fernández
Mar 20, 2015·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Alexander L BondBrian A Branfireun
Nov 27, 2014·Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. Part a·Joanna Burger, Susan Elbin

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.