Metal levels in feathers of 12 species of seabirds from Midway Atoll in the northern Pacific Ocean

Citation
J. Burger et M. Gochfeld, Metal levels in feathers of 12 species of seabirds from Midway Atoll in the northern Pacific Ocean, SCI TOTAL E, 257(1), 2000, pp. 37-52
Citations number
64
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Environment/Ecology
Journal title
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
ISSN journal
0048-9697 → ACNP
Volume
257
Issue
1
Year of publication
2000
Pages
37 - 52
Database
ISI
SICI code
0048-9697(20000720)257:1<37:MLIFO1>2.0.ZU;2-B
Abstract
Seabirds are excellent subjects for examination of heavy metals because the y are long-lived, feed at different distances from land, and exhibit differ ent trophic levels. In this paper we compare the levels of lead, cadmium, m ercury arsenic, chromium, manganese, selenium, and tin in the feathers of b irds nesting on Midway Atoll in the northern Pacific Ocean. We test the nul l hypothesis that there are no interspecific differences in the levels of m etals in the feathers of the adult black-footed albatross (Diomedea nigripe s), Laysan albatross (Diomedea immutabilis), red-footed booby (Sula sula), great frigatebird (Fregata minor), Bonin petrel (Pterodroma hypoleuca), Chr istmas shearwater (Puffinus nativitatis), red-tailed tropicbird (Phaethon r ubricauda), wedge-tailed shearwater (Puffinus pacificus), brown noddy (Anou s stolidus), sooty tern (Sterna fuscata), grey-backed tern (Sterna lunata), and white tern (Gygis alba), and young of some of these species. There wer e interspecific differences in the levels of all metals for adults. Christm as shearwater had the highest levels of lead, cadmium, selenium and mangane se, but the second lowest levels of mercury. In general, metal levels were the lowest in the smallest species (white tern), but were not the highest i n the largest species (black-footed albatross), except for manganese, arsen ic and mercury. There was a high variance in metal levels among adults for some species, but not for others. White tern adults were variable for lead, while Christmas shearwaters were variable for lead and cadmium. Compared t o the means for metals in other birds generally (after Burger, 1993), Chris tmas shearwaters had higher levels of lead, white terns, brown noddy, Chris tmas shearwater, frigatebirds and Laysan albatrosses had higher levels of c admium, and bonin petrel, wedge-tailed shearwater, tropicbirds, frigatebird s, red-footed boobies, and both albatrosses had higher levels of mercury. W hereas the means for lead and cadmium were below the known effects levels, some individuals had levels high enough to cause adverse effects in the bir ds. The mean values for mercury in Bonin petrel, red-tailed tropicbird, and black-footed albatross were higher than the levels known to cause adverse reproductive and behavioral effects. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rig hts reserved.