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Organochlorine Chemical Residues in Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Eggs from Greater Washington, DC USA

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A Correction to this article was published on 03 July 2018

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Abstract

Northern Cardinal eggs from six neighborhoods near Washington DC were analyzed for organochlorine pesticides and PCBs. All compounds were detected more frequently and at higher concentrations in more heavily urbanized neighborhoods. DDT (mostly as p,pʹ-DDE) was detected in all neighborhoods. p,pʹ-DDT was typically 0.5‒16 ng/g (ww) in most suburban neighborhoods but was not detected (< 0.1 ng/g) in more rural areas; however, p,pʹ-DDT was 127‒1130 ng/g in eggs from two suburban Maryland nests and comprised 65.7% of total p,pʹ-DDT isomers in the most contaminated sample, indicating recent exposure to un-weathered DDT. Total chlordane (sum of 5 compounds) was 2‒70 ng/g; concentrations were greatest in older suburban neighborhoods. Total PCB (sum of detected congeners) was < 5‒21 ng/g. Congener patterns were similar in all neighborhoods and resembled those typical of weathered mixtures. Results indicate that wildlife remains exposed to low concentrations of legacy contaminants in suburban neighborhoods and that cardinal eggs can be used to monitor localized contamination.

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Change history

  • 03 July 2018

    The original version of this article contained a mistake. Author name in the text citation and reference in section should be Maldonado et al (2016), it was incorrectly spelled as Maldinado et al (2015).

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Acknowledgements

This study was jointly supported by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Smithsonian Institution, the latter through a Smithsonian Endowment Grant to S. Tan and C. Grim. Collections were in accordance with US Fish and Wildlife Service permits under the auspices of the Neighborhood Nestwatch, a citizen-science program operated through the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center at the National Zoo (http://www.sio.si.edu/Nestwatch), and were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. M. Hooper and D. Tillitt (USGS) reviewed all or parts of earlier versions of the paper. K. Feltz (USGS) prepared the samples for analysis, C. Chojnacki (USGS) prepared the map, and R. Tillitt (USGS) compiled the data for release. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for information purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. government.

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Author notes

  1. Shirlee Tan

    Present address: Public Health Seattle and King County, 401 5th Ave., Seattle, WA, 98104, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Columbia Environmental Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 4200 New Haven Road, Columbia, MO, 652011, USA

    Christopher J. Schmitt, Kathy R. Echols, Paul H. Peterman & Carl E. Orazio

  2. Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Front Royal, VA, USA

    K. Christiana Grim & Shirlee Tan

  3. Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, National Zoological Park, 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20008, USA

    Nora E. Diggs & Peter P. Marra

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  1. Christopher J. Schmitt
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Correspondence to Christopher J. Schmitt.

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Schmitt, C.J., Echols, K.R., Peterman, P.H. et al. Organochlorine Chemical Residues in Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Eggs from Greater Washington, DC USA. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 100, 741–747 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-018-2357-x

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