Lead contamination in American woodcock (Scolopax minor) from Wisconsin

• Published in: Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology Vol. 49; no. 3; pp. 396 - 402
• Main Authors: STROM, S. M, PATNODE, K. A, LANGENBERG, J. A, BODENSTEIN, B. L, SCHEUHAMMER, A. M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 01-10-2005; Berlin Springer Nature B.V; New York, NY
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Anthropogenic factors; Applied ecology; Aves; Biological and medical sciences; Blood levels; Bone and Bones - chemistry; Bones; Charadriiformes - metabolism; Chickens; Children & youth; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollutants - analysis; Environmental Pollutants - blood; Environmental Pollutants - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Lead; Lead - analysis; Lead - blood; Lead - metabolism; Lead content; Lead poisoning; Liver - chemistry; Porphobilinogen Synthase - metabolism; Scolopax minor; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; Waterfowl; Wildlife; Wisconsin; United States; North America; Wisconsin; America; USA, Wisconsin; Vertebrata; Pollution; Scolopax minor; Ecotoxicology; Lead; Environment; Aves; Contamination; Heavy metal; Scolopax rusticola
• ISSN: 0090-4341; 1432-0703
• DOI: 10.1007/s00244-005-7063-0

An initial survey of lead levels in American woodcock (Scolopax minor) from Wisconsin was conducted in 1998 using wing bones from hunter-donated woodcock. The results of this initial survey indicated that young-of-year woodcock were accumulating extremely high levels of lead in their bones. Similar collections were made (using steel shot) between 1999 and 2001. The combined results of this collection indicated that 43.4% of young-of-year woodcock (range 1.5-220.0 microg/g dry wt) and 70% of woodcock chicks (range 9.6-93.0 microg/g dry wt) had bone lead levels in the elevated range (>20 microg/g dry wt). Blood samples were collected from chicks at a site considered elevated based on bone lead results (Mead Wildlife Area) and a site considered background (Navarino Wildlife Area). These samples were analyzed for lead concentration and aminolevulinic acid dehydratase activity. The mean blood lead concentrations of woodcock chicks from both sites did not reach levels that are considered elevated in waterfowl (>0.200 microg/ml). However, blood lead concentrations of chicks from the Mead Wildlife Area were significantly higher than lead levels in chicks from Navarino Wildlife Area (p = 0.002). Although the ultimate sources of lead exposure for Wisconsin woodcock currently remain unidentified, anthropogenic sources cannot be ruled out. Our results indicate that elevated lead exposure in Wisconsin woodcock is common and begins shortly after hatch.