Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Blood Lead Concentrations in Waterfowl Utilizing Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

  • Published:
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Coeur d’Alene River Basin, Lake Coeur d’Alene, and the Spokane River contain elevated heavy metal concentrations in sediment and water from historical mining and ore processing operations in the Coeur d’Alene Basin. Lead poisoning has been identified as the cause of death in hundreds of waterfowl utilizing wetlands in the floodplain of the Coeur d’Alene River, but little was known about hazards to waterfowl from heavy metal contamination in shallow bays and wetlands of Lake Coeur d’Alene. We examined lake sediment and blood lead concentrations in waterfowl utilizing Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to evaluate potential lead contamination of waterfowl utilizing the lake. We collected 56 palustrine and 102 lacustrine sediment samples and 61 mallard and 8 wood duck blood samples. Mean lead concentrations from palustrine and lacustrine sediment samples ranged from 14 to 3508 mg/kg dry weight (dw) and from 19 to 5009 mg/kg (dw), respectively. Lead concentrations in palustrine and lacustrine sediment from several Lake Coeur d’Alene bays were higher than those in lake reference areas and were higher than Bunker Hill Superfund Site target cleanup levels and suggested site-specific toxicity thresholds for swans. Mean blood lead from mallard and wood ducks sampled from Lake Coeur d’Alene bays were within lead toxicity ranges for waterfowl associated with clinical and severe clinical lead poisoning. We also collected 19 Canada goose and 3 mallard fecal samples to evaluate exposure through sediment ingestion. Waterfowl using Lake Coeur d’Alene appear to be exposed to lead by ingesting contaminated lake sediment. Our model predicts a sediment lead effects range of 147–944 mg/kg (dw) and mortality effects level of 1652 mg/kg (dw) for mallards utilizing Lake Coeur d’Alene. The locations of Harrison Slough, Powderhorn Bay, and Cottonwood Bay at the mouth of the Coeur d’Alene River and Blackwell Island and Cougar Bay near the Spokane River outflow of Lake Coeur d’Alene were the areas of greatest concern for waterfowl exposure to lead contaminated sediment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Audet DJ, Creekmore LH, Sileo L, Snyder MR, Franson JC, Smith MR, Campbell JK, Meteyer CU, Locke LN, McDonald LL, McDonald TL, Strickland D, Deeds S (1999) Wildlife use and mortality investigation in the Coeur d’Alene Basin 1992–1997. United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Spokane, WA

    Google Scholar 

  • Avista Corporation (2005) Spokane River hydroelectric project, FERC No. 2545. Application for new license, major project-existing dam. Volume II. Applicant-prepared preliminary draft environmental assessment. Avista Corporation, Spokane, WA

  • Bellrose FC (1959) Lead poisoning as a mortality factor in waterfowl populations. Bull Ill Nat His Survey 27:235–288

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Beyer WN, Connor EE, Gerould S (1994) Estimates of soil ingested by wildlife. J Wild Manag 58:375–382

    Google Scholar 

  • Beyer WN, Blus LJ, Henny CJ, Audet DJ (1997) The role of sediment ingestion in exposing wood ducks to lead. Ecotoxicology 6:181–186

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beyer WN, Audet DJ, Morton A, Campbell JK, LeCaptain L (1998) Lead exposure of waterfowl ingesting Coeur d’Alene River Basin sediments. J Environ Qual 27:1533–1538

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Beyer WN, Audet DJ, Heinz GH, Hoffman DJ, Day D (2000) Relation of waterfowl poisoning to sediment lead concentrations in the Coeur d’Alene River Basin. Ecotoxicology 9:207–218

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Birkhead M (1983) Lead levels in the blood of mute swans Cygnus olor on the River Thames. J Zool 199:59–73

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blus LJ, Henny CJ, Hoffman DJ, Grove RA (1991) Lead toxicosis in tundra swans near a mining and smelting complex in northern Idaho. Arch Environ Contain Toxicol 21:549–555

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blus LJ, Henny CJ, Hoffman DJ, Grove RA (1995) Accumulation in and effects of lead and cadmium on waterfowl and passerines in northern Idaho. Environ Pollut 89:311–318

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blus LJ, Henny CJ, Hoffman DJ, Sileo L, Audet DJ (1999) Persistence of high lead concentrations and associated effects in tundra swans captured near a mining and smelting complex in northern Idaho. Ecotoxicology 8:125–132

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bub H (1991) Bird trapping and bird banding. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell JK, Audet DJ, Kern JW, Reyes M, McDonald LL (1999) Metal contamination of palustrine and lacustrine habitats in the Coeur d’Alene Basin. United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Spokane, WA

    Google Scholar 

  • Carney SM, Geis AD (1960) Mallard age and sex determination from wings. J Wild manag 24:372–381

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, GM (2003) Occurrence and transport of cadmium, lead, and zinc in the Spokane River Basin, Idaho and Washington, water years 1999–2001. Water-Resources Investigations Report 02-4183. US Geological Survey, Boise, ID

  • Cook RS, Trainer DO (1966) Experimental lead poisoning in Canada Geese. J Wild manag 30:1–8

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ford, KL (1994) Risk management criteria for metals at BLM mining sites. BLM Technical Note 390

  • Heinz HG, Hoffman DJ, Sileo L, Audet DJ, LeCaptain LJ (1999) Toxicity of lead-contaminated sediment to mallards. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 36:323–333

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Henny CJ, Blus LJ, Hoffman DJ, Sileo L, Audet DJ, Snyder MR (2000) Field evaluation of lead effects on Canada geese and mallards in the Coeur d’Alene River Basin, Idaho. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 39:97–112

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoffman DJ, Heinz GH, Sileo L, Audet DJ, Campbell JK, LeCaptain LJ (2000) Developmental toxicity of lead-contaminated sediment to mallard ducklings. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 39:221–232

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hopper RM, Funk HD (1970) Reliability of the mallard wing age-determination technique for field use. J Wild Manag 34:333–339

    Google Scholar 

  • Horowitz AJ, Elrick KA, Cook RB (1992) Effect of mining-related activities on the sediment–trace element geochemistry of Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA—part 1: Surface sediments. US. Geological Survey open-file report 92-109. US Geological Survey, Doraville, GA

  • LeMaster R (1986) Waterfowl identification: The LeMaster method. Contemporary Books, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • Pain DJ (1996) Lead in waterfowl In: Beyer WN, Heinz GH, Redmond-Norwood AW (eds) Environmental contaminants in wildlife: Interpreting tissue concentrations. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, FL, pp 251–264

    Google Scholar 

  • Scheuhammer AM (1989) Monitoring wild bird populations for lead exposure. J Wild manag 53:759–765

    Google Scholar 

  • Sileo L, Creekmore LH, Audet DJ, Snyder MR, Meteyer CU, Franson JC, Locke LN, Smith MR, Finley DL (2001) Lead poisoning of waterfowl by contaminated sediment in the Coeur d’Alene River. Arch Environ Contain Toxicol 41:364–368

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Spray CJ, Milne H (1988) The incidence of lead poisoning among whooper and mute swans Cygnus cygnus and C. olor in Scotland. Biol Conserv 44:265–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • StatSoft, Inc. (2000). STATISTICA for Windows. Statsoft Inc., Tulsa, OK

    Google Scholar 

  • USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) (2002) The Bunker Hill Mining and Metallurgical Complex, Operable Unit 3, Record of Decision. Environmental Protection Agency, Seattle, WA

  • USFWS (United States Fish and Wildlife Service) (1986) Use of lead shot for hunting migratory birds in the United States. Final environmental impact statement. FES 86-16. US Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, DC

  • USFWS (United States Fish and Wildlife Service) (2004a) National wetlands inventory. US Fish and Wildlife Service, St. Petersburg, FL

    Google Scholar 

  • USFWS (United States Fish and Wildlife Service) (2004) Coeur d’Alene Lake environmental monitoring plan biological investigations quality assurance plan. US Fish and Wildlife Service, Spokane, WA

    Google Scholar 

  • US Fish and Wildlife Service and Canadian Wildlife Service (1977) North American bird Banding manual. Vol. II. United Stated Department of the Interior, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Zar JH (1999) Biostatistical analysis, 4th Ed. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by a Clean Water Act grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency administered by Idaho Department of Environmental Quality as part of the Coeur d’Alene Lake Environmental Monitoring Plan. Julie Campbell, Kate Healy, Roy Brazzle, Mark Snyder, Greg Gaston, and Gary Cooper of the US Fish and Wildlife Upper Columbia Fish and Wildlife Office contributed significantly toward data collection. Dr. W. Nelson Beyer and two anonymous reviewers provided valuable input in improving the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Upper Columbia Fish and Wildlife Office, 11103 E. Montgomery Drive, Spokane, WA, 99206, USA

    Brian L. Spears, James A. Hansen & Daniel J. Audet

Authors
  1. Brian L. Spears
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. James A. Hansen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Daniel J. Audet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brian L. Spears.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Spears, B.L., Hansen, J.A. & Audet, D.J. Blood Lead Concentrations in Waterfowl Utilizing Lake Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 52, 121–128 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-006-0061-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-006-0061-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation