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Concentrations of Heavy Metals in American Woodcock Harvested in Connecticut

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Abstract

The American woodcock is an important migratory species to both consumptive and nonconsumptive users throughout the species range. Woodcock populations have been declining steadily since surveys began in 1968. Laboratory and field studies have demonstrated several adverse effects associated with metals in other species, which has led to their inclusion as potential contributing factors to the woodcock population decline. We investigated the concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), and selenium (Se) in pectoral muscle (n = 100), livers (n = 108), and kidneys (n = 104) and Pb in wing bones (n = 53) from woodcock harvested in Connecticut. Cd concentrations were elevated in 99% of woodcock livers and kidneys; 30% of kidneys were above 100 μg/g dry weight, a Cd level of reported adverse tissue and reproductive effects in other species. Hg and Cr concentrations were below current biologically significant thresholds. Asc, Pb, and Se in soft tissues were associated with lead shot use in collection. Se in 24% of livers was above 10 μg/g dry weight, the reported threshold for avian health. Wing-bone Pb was elevated above 20 μg/g in 61% of adults and 23% of juveniles examined. Our findings indicate that woodcock are being exposed to potentially damaging levels of at least two metals with known effects in other species.

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported through the generosity of an anonymous private benefactor and the Wildlife Conservation Research Center in the University of Connecticut’s Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, whom we thank for the opportunity to conduct this research. We also thank Chris Perkins, Robin Smith, and Deb Lent for their technical assistance. Dr. Sylvain De Guise, Dr. David Schroeder, Dr. Margaret Rubega, and Dr. John Clausen provided patience and invaluable assistance in manuscript preparation. We also thank Dr. George Haas for his comments on early drafts of this manuscript. The authors thank the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection’s Wildlife Division for granting permit requests and suggestions on woodcock location throughout the state. Woodcock donations from volunteer hunters were vital to the success of this project and we sincerely thank each one for their participation.

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Correspondence to Brian J. Hiller.

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Hiller, B.J., Barclay, J.S. Concentrations of Heavy Metals in American Woodcock Harvested in Connecticut. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 60, 156–164 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-010-9525-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-010-9525-2

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