Abstract
Mallard ducks were fed diets containing various levels of technical DDT or chemically purep,p'-DDT, or dieldrin. Either technical DDT orp,p'-DDT at 20 ppm or greater, or dieldrin at 10 ppm caused a statistically significant reduction in eggshell thickness, weight, and calcium. Shells of eggs from ducks fed 40 ppm ofp,p'-DDT were about 20% thinner than those from control ducks, and shells of eggs from ducks fed 10 ppm of dieldrin were about 6% thinner than those from controls. The reduction in eggshell thickness was linear with increasing dose of DDT to 40 ppm, and with increasing dose of dieldrin through all levels studies. Eggshell thinning occurred regardless of whether the diets containing DDT were fed underad libitum or controlled conditions. DDT fed at 200 ppm was lethal to the ducks. Neither DDT nor dieldrin affected weight of the eggs or rate of egg production.
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Published with the approval of the Director of the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station as Journal Article No. 462.
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Davison, K.L., Sell, J.L. DDT thins shells of eggs from mallard ducks maintained onad libitum or controlled-feeding regimens. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 2, 222–232 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01956171
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01956171