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Biomedical subjects

J E Elliott

Publications and source records attributed to J E Elliott.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Regulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase.

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) catalyses the formation of malonyl-CoA, an essential substrate for fatty acid synthesis in lipogenic tissues and a key regulatory molecule in muscle, brain and other tissues. ACC contributes importantly to the overall control of energy metabolism and has provided an important model to explore mechanisms of enzyme control and hormone action. Mammalian ACCs are multifunctional dimeric proteins (530-560 kDa) with the potential to further polymerize and engage in multiprotein complexes. The enzymatic properties of ACC are complex, especially considering the two active sites, essential catalytic biotin, the three-substrate reaction and effects of allosteric ligands. The expression of the two major isoforms and splice variants of mammalian ACC is tissue-specific and responsive to hormones and nutritional status. Key regulatory elements and cognate transcription factors are still being defined. ACC specific activity is also rapidly modulated, being increased in response to insulin and decreased following exposure of cells to catabolic hormones or environmental stress. The acute control of ACC activity is the product of integrated changes in substrate supply, allosteric ligands, the phosphorylation of multiple serine residues and interactions with other proteins. This review traces the path and implications of studies initiated with Dick Denton in Bristol in the late 1970s, through to current proteomic and other approaches that have been consistently challenging and immensely rewarding.

Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase↗
PubMed2005

Chlorinated hydrocarbon contaminants and stable isotope ratios in pelagic seabirds from the North Pacific Ocean.

Organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and stable isotopes of nitrogen (delta15N) and carbon (delta13C) were determined in livers of eight seabird species (Diomedea immutabilis, D. nigripes, Fulmarus glacialis, Puffinus bulleri, P. carneipes, P. griseus, P. tenuirostris, and Fratercula corniculata) collected opportunistically from an experimental fishery in the North Pacific Ocean. Concentrations of P, P'-DDE were found in all samples but were highly variable among species, ranging over >2 orders of magnitude from 1.23 mg/kg (wet weight) in D. nigripes to 0.008 mg/kg in P. tenuirostris, whereas total PCBs ranged from 1.14 to 0.020 mg/kg in those same two species. Residues of hexachlorobenzene, trans-nonachlor, photo-mirex, mirex, beta-hexachlorocyclohexane, oxychlordane, and heptachlor expoxide were quantified at lower concentrations in all samples. There were significant positive regressions of lipid-normalized concentrations of DDE (r2 = 0.526), total PCBs (r2 = 0.566), CB-153 (r2 = 0.565), and mirex (r2 = 0.586) on the hepatic delta15N signature, indicating that trophic level accounted for approximately 50% of the variability in those contaminants among species. In some species, e.g., P. bulleri, concentrations were lower than expected based on delta15N, which was attributed to a dietary switch before sampling and therefore lack of concordance in the time scales integrated by hepatic chlorinated hydrocarbon concentrations compared with delta15N.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Effects of azinphos-methyl on cholinergic responses and general health in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) after previous treatment with p,p'-DDE.

Although organochlorine (OC) pesticides were replaced with organophosphates (OPs) in the early 1970s, they continue to persist in orchard environments today. Extensive research has been conducted to determine the effects of currently used OPs on cholinesterase (ChE) activity; however, although OCs continue to be prevalent in areas of previous use, few studies have looked at the toxicity of a combination of residual OC compounds with currently used OP pesticides. The focus of our study was to determine the effects of azinphos-methyl (a common OP used in apple orchards today) on ChE activity and general health in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) previously exposed to p,p'-DDE (a commonly detected metabolite of DDT). The main results of our study were as follows: (1) azinphos-methyl alone caused a dose-dependent inhibition of plasma and brain ChE activity; (2) p,p'-DDE in combination with azinphos-methyl did not change azinphos-methyl inhibition of ChE activity; and (3) there were suggestions of immunostimulation in birds dosed 1 year previously to p,p'-DDE and of anemia when p,p'-DDE was combined with azinphos-methyl; however, there was no dose-response for these parameters in birds subsequently dosed with p,p'-DDE.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Assessing breeding potential of peregrine falcons based on chlorinated hydrocarbon concentrations in prey.

Peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) now breed successfully in most areas of North America from which they were previously extirpated. The loss during the mid-part of the last century of many of the world's peregrine populations was largely a consequence of impaired reproduction caused by the effects of DDE on eggshell quality and embryo hatchability. Population recovery has been attributed to re-introduction efforts, coupled with regulatory restrictions on the use of organochlorine pesticides. Peregrines have not returned to breed in some areas, such as the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. That region has been extensively planted in fruit orchards which were treated annually with DDT during the early 1950s to the 1970s. Ongoing contamination of avian species, including potential peregrine prey, inhabiting orchards has been documented. In response to an initiative to release peregrines around the city of Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley, we collected potential peregrine prey species and analyzed whole bodies for chlorinated hydrocarbon residues. We used a simple bioaccumulation model to predict concentrations of DDE in peregrine eggs using concentrations in prey and estimates of dietary makeup as input. Peregrines would be expected to breed successfully only if they fed on a diet primarily of doves. Feeding on as little as 10% of other species such as starlings, robins, gulls and magpies would produce DDE concentrations in peregrine eggs greater than the threshold of 15 mg/kg. We also estimated the critical concentration of DDE in total prey to be about 0.5 mg/kg, one half of the previous most conservative criterion for peregrine prey. Concentrations of dieldrin and PCBs in peregrine prey are less than suggested critical levels.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Mercury in fish from the Pinchi Lake Region, British Columbia, Canada.

Water, surface sediments, and <40 cm rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and northern pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus oregonensis) were collected from Pinchi Lake, British Columbia, and from several nearby reference lakes. Hg concentrations in sediment samples from Pinchi L. were highly elevated compared to sediments from reference lakes, especially in sites adjacent to and downstream of a former Hg mine. In both fish species examined, Hg concentration was positively related to age and/or fork length. In northern pikeminnow, Hg concentrations were also positively related to trophic level (deltaN). Hg concentrations in both fish species were highest in Pinchi L., and were higher in pikeminnow than in rainbow trout of similar size. Average Hg concentrations in small rainbow trout from all lakes, including Pinchi L., were lower than dietary levels reported to cause reproductive impairment in common loons (Gavia immer); however, Hg levels in small pikeminnow from Pinchi L. were sufficiently high to be of concern. The risk for Hg toxicity in the study area is greatest for animals that consume larger piscivorous fish such as larger northern pikeminnow or lake trout, which are known from previous studies to contain higher Hg concentrations.

Aging↗
PubMed2003

Mercury residues in livers of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) found dead or dying in British Columbia, Canada (1987-1994).

Postmortem examinations were conducted on 82 bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) found dead or dying in British Columbia, Canada, from 1987 to 1994. As part of the examination, livers were analyzed for total mercury (Hg) content, as well as methylmercury (meHg) and selenium (Se) in selected individuals. In total, 67 eagles were classed as having low Hg exposure [total Hg liver residues ranging from 0.5 to 17.2 mg/kg dry weight (dw)]. Fourteen eagles were moderately exposed (liver residues ranging from 19.2 to 36.8 mg/kg Hg dw). One eagle was judged to have died of Hg poisoning, with a total liver Hg content of 130.3 mg/kg dw, of which approximately 77% was meHg. The poisoned eagle and most of the exposed eagles were found in locations where effluent from pulp and paper processing plants is discharged along the British Columbia coast. In total, 6% of eagles examined died as a result of acute metal toxicosis (one from Hg poisoning, four from lead poisoning), in comparison to 72% dying from trauma (electrocution, vehicle/power line collision, eagle attack, trap, gunshot, drowning, and asphyxiation) and 11% from disease. The cause of death was undetermined in the remaining 11% of eagles.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Reproductive success and chlorinated hydrocarbon contamination of resident great blue herons (Ardea herodias) from coastal British Columbia, Canada, 1977 to 2000.

Over the period 1977-2000, eggs of Pacific great blue heron (Ardea herodias fannini) were collected from 23 colonies along the southern coast of British Columbia, Canada, and analyzed for persistent organochlorine (OC) pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Concentrations of OC pesticides in eggs declined sharply in the late 1970s, after which there were minimal changes. The sums of PCB congeners were not reduced appreciably during the 1980s and 1990s, but Aroclor 1260 concentrations suggested a sharp decline in PCB contamination of eggs in the late 1970s, similar to that shown for OC pesticides. Eggs collected along or near the Fraser River delta showed higher levels of most pesticides compared to other monitored colonies. Although the delta lands support a long-standing agricultural economy, the primary factors influencing OC levels in the delta colonies were thought to be driven by estuarine processes. We suggest two possible influencing factors were: 1) a greater rate of bioaccumulation in the estuary due to the deposition of particulates collected over a vast area encompassed by the Fraser River watershed; or 2) a higher rate of biomagnification in the estuary due to species differences at lower trophic levels of the heron food chain. Eggs from urban colonies contained higher levels of PCBs. The congener pattern was not clearly different from that observed in less contaminated eggs from rural and pulp mill-influenced colonies, except that colonies in Vancouver had greater proportions of PCB-66, suggesting a local source of Aroclor 1242. Productivity in the coastal heron colonies was highly variable over the period of study, with 71% of recorded colony-wide reproductive failures occurring in colonies near pulp mills. However, the predominant factors influencing reproductive success were probably disturbance by humans and bald eagles, combined with loss and degradation of nesting habitat, and not sublethal toxicity.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Metal and metallothionein concentrations in Scoter (Melanitta spp.) from the Pacific northwest of Canada, 1989-1994.

Eighty-six surf ( Melanitta perspicillata) and nine white winged (M. fusca) scoters were collected from 1989-1994 at 11 locations in British Columbia and the Yukon. Their kidney and liver tissues were analyzed for cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and metallothionein (MT) concentrations. Individual kidney Cd values ranged from 2.4 microg/g dry weight (DW) in birds from northern Vancouver Island to 390.2 microg/g (DW) in birds from the Queen Charlotte Islands, which is in the range of values potentially associated with kidney damage. Birds from the Queen Charlotte Islands also had high kidney Zn concentrations, which were significantly higher than values in birds from Naniamo and Westham Island on the south coast of BC. Cd values were significantly (p < 0.001) correlated with both Zn and MT concentrations in kidney tissue (r = 0.66 and 0.62, respectively). Male surf scoters had significantly higher kidney Cd and Zn levels than females, with mean Cd values of 47.3 and 19.7 microg/g DW (p < 0.002) for males and females, respectively. Mean Zn values were 120.8 and 108.0 microg/g DW (p < 0.05) for males and females, respectively. However, no sex differences were observed for either Cu or MT concentrations in kidney tissue. Individual MT values ranged from 2.7 to 416.8 microg/g wet weight (WW). Individual kidney Cu values ranged from 15.1 to 48.4 microg/g DW for both sexes. Kidney and liver Cd concentrations were significantly correlated (r = 0.90, p < 0.05) with kidney levels almost always higher than liver values. Although Cd accumulation by the Skidegate scoters was high, comparable tissue Cd values have been documented in other seabirds collected from the same general area, indicating elevated Cd concentrations in marine food chains around the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii) region of the Pacific coast.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Primary cyclization in the polymerization of bis-GMA and TEGDMA: a modeling approach to understanding the cure of dental resins.

An optimal dental restorative polymeric material would have a homogeneous cross-linking density giving it consistent mechanical strength throughout the material. When multifunctional monomers are polymerized, a pendant double bond can react intramolecularly with the radical on its propagating chain to form a loop, which results in a primary cyclization reaction. Primary cyclization does not contribute to overall network structure, causes microgel formation, and leads to heterogeneity in the polymer. Knowledge of how cure conditions control the degree of primary cyclization and cross-linking in the polymer is important in developing better dental materials. To gain more understanding about the evolving polymer network, the photopolymerization of a typical dental resin (75/25 wt% bis-GMA/TEGDMA) is modeled using a first principals approach. The overall polymerization rate behavior of 75/25 wt% bis-GMA/TEGDMA is predicted using experimentally obtained propagation and termination kinetic rate constants. The effect of chain stiffness and light intensity on the polymerization kinetics is also explored. Furthermore, the model predicts the extent of cross-linking and primary cyclization in the growing polymer network. At 45% conversion, the fraction of bis-GMA and TEGDMA pendant double bonds created that have cycled is 11 and 33%, respectively. The model shows that using a stiff monomer, like bis-GMA, in dental resins diminishes the extent of cyclization and increases the cross-linking density of the polymer. Therefore, better mechanical properties are obtained than if more flexible monomers were used.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2001

The effect of cure rate on the mechanical properties of dental resins.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the effect of cure rate on the mechanical properties of a common dimethacrylate dental resin formulation (75/25 wt% bis-GMA/TEGDMA). METHODS: The polymerization rate and final conversion of the exact specimens subsequently used for mechanical testing were monitored by near-infrared (near-IR) spectroscopy. The glass transition temperature (T(g)) and modulus, as a function of temperature, were determined by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Iniferter initiating systems were used to create partially cured networks that did not contain any trapped radicals. By the elimination of trapped radicals from the system, the formed networks can be characterized as a function of both temperature and double bond conversion without inducing additional thermal cure during testing. RESULTS: Copolymer specimens were cured with UV and visible light initiating systems, UV light intensities that varied by over four orders of magnitude, and cure temperatures that differed by 60 degrees C. Even though the polymerization rates for these resins were vastly different, similar T(g) and modulus were measured for specimens cured to the same final double bond conversion. SIGNIFICANCE: This study shows that highly cross-linked dimethacrylate systems, such as bis-GMA/TEGDMA, exhibit similar network structure and properties as a function of double bond conversion, regardless of the method or rate of cure.

Bisphenol A-Glycidyl Methacrylate↗
PubMed2001

Exposure of California quail to organophosphorus insecticides in apple orchards in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia.

We studied the exposure and effect of the organophosphate insecticides azinphos-methyl and diazinon on adult California quail (Callipepla californica) in an apple orchard in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. Cholinesterase activity was measured in plasma samples (n = 65) collected from 54 individuals either prior to spraying, immediately (< 24 hours) or 10 days after three spray events. Mean plasma cholinesterase levels declined significantly (P < 0.05, n = 12) to 61% of pre-spray mean activity (controls) immediately following the first spray event, but by ten days had recovered to 86% of mean control activity. Subsequent spray events caused no significant declines in mean plasma cholinesterase activity. Four of the 26 quail sampled within 24 h of a spray event exhibited plasma-ChE inhibition exceeding 50% inhibition. Radio-tagged quail (n = 25) were monitored throughout the breeding season to determine use of orchards and detect changes in use patterns resulting from the spraying of insecticides. Use of orchards by quail varied over the summer, with the highest use occurring in May, declining to very low use by July. Quail exhibited a diurnal pattern, roosting in sparsely forested uplands at night, travelling to orchard areas to feed early each morning and returning to roosts at dusk. Orchard use by quail differed during spray events compared to non-spray times. During the three hour period immediately after spraying (0530-0800), 14-20% of observed quail were in the orchard, after which use declined to < 4%, and returned to 12% by the next day. During non-spray times, 3-13% of radio-tagged the quail were observed in orchard habitat, with the heaviest use (13%) occurring later in the day (0830-1700 h). Seven radio-tagged quail were predated during the study period. However, no deaths could be attributed to insecticide poisoning as carcasses were not in suitable condition for testing. It was concluded that adult quail using orchard habitat early in the summer may be acutely poisoned by anti-cholinesterase insecticides, but the risk of exposure declined over the summer.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2001

Assessment of biological effects of chlorinated hydrocarbons in osprey chicks.

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) eggs were collected during 1995 and 1996 at seven sites along the Fraser and Columbia River systems of British Columbia, Canada, and Washington and Oregon, USA. Fifty-four eggs were placed into a laboratory incubator. Thirty-eight of the hatched chicks were sacrificed within 24 h. Hatching success did not differ among sites and therefore between treatment and reference areas. Residual yolk sacs of eggs collected downstream of the large bleached-kraft pulp mill at Castlegar contained greater mean concentrations of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD, 2,930 ng/kg lipid) compared with reference sites such as the Nechako River, an upper tributary of the Fraser system (33.7 ng/kg). Total polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in yolk sacs were also higher at Castlegar and in samples from the Columbia River downstream of Portland, Oregon, compared with those from the Nechako River. Concentrations of measured chemicals, including TCDD toxic equivalents (TEQs), total PCBs, p,p'-dichlorodiphenylethylene (p,p'-DDE), and other organochlorines were not different in eggs that failed to hatch compared with calculated whole-egg values for hatched eggs. There were significant biochemical responses; a hepatic cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) cross-reactive protein was detected in all samples tested and correlated positively with ethoxyresorufin o-deethylase (EROD) activity and yolk sac concentrations of TEQs and total PCBs. Tissue concentrations of vitamin A compounds varied among sites and correlated positively with yolk sac concentrations of TEQs and PCBs. Morphological, histological, and other physiological parameters, including chick growth, edema, deformities, and hepatic and renal porphyrin concentrations, neither varied among sites nor showed concentration-related effects.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Monitoring temporal and spatial trends in polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in eggs of great blue heron (Ardea herodias) on the coast of British Columbia, Canada, 1983-1998.

Eggs from 21 resident great blue heron (Ardea herodias) rookeries were monitored from 1983 to 1998 along the coast of British Columbia, Canada, for contamination with polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and biphenyls (PCBs). Dominant congeners (1,2,3,7,8-PnCDD, 1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDD, 2,3,7,8-TCDD, 2,3,7,8-TCDF, 1,2,3,7,8,9-HxCDD and 2,3,4,7,8-PnCDF) fell markedly in the early 1990s after pulp mills changed from molecular chlorine bleaching to alternative bleaching technologies, and the use of chlorophenolic wood preservatives and anti-sapstains was severely restricted. Strong positive linear regressions between prey fish and heron egg contaminant levels suggested that local dietary uptake was an important route of exposure for herons. Toxic equivalent concentrations (TEQs) sufficient to produce embryotoxicity in great blue heron chicks were measured in eggs from 1985 to 1991 at some colonies. Despite reduction in PCDD/Fs, estimated TEQs remained elevated throughout the 1980s at some urban colonies due to contributions from PCBs.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Morphological and pathological effects of cadmium ingestion on Pekin ducks exposed to saline.

This study examined the effects of simultaneous exposure to saline and cadmium (Cd) on organ mass and histology of a bird with salt glands, the Pekin duck, Anas platyrhynchos. Three mixed-sex groups, each containing 6 birds, ate duck pellets containing 0, 50, or 300 microg Cd/g, respectively, for 4 1/2 mo and drank 300 mM NaCl. Only females on the high-Cd diet lost body mass. Ingestion of Cd reduced heart mass in females. There was increased mass of Harderian and salt glands in both sexes. Mass of kidneys and liver increased only in males, and the gut mass (also length) increased more in males. Cadmium ingestion also induced (1) inflammation of renal interstitium and degenerative tubular changes, (2) marked degenerative changes in testes, (3) increased heart water content, (4) decreased cytoplasmic volume of liver cells, (5) reduced proportion of basophilic granular cells in chromaffin tissue of the adrenal glands, and (6) in the ileum, increased heterophilia in the lamina propria and, only in females, the apoptosis to mitosis ratio in crypt cells of the epithelium. The ducks' outward appearance gave no indication that ingesting large amounts of cadmium for 4 1/2 mo produced deleterious effects, but the physiological consequences were profound. Both sexes had greatly reduced gonadal mass and the males produced no sperm. The higher dietary level greatly hypertrophied the liver, kidneys, and gut only in males. The cadmium-induced changes in organs, particularly in the gonads, kidneys, and adrenal glands, should greatly impair the health and reproductive capacity of these ducks.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Effect of cadmium on Pekin duck total body water, water flux, renal filtration, and salt gland function.

The following hypotheses were examined using Pekin ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) as a model for marine ducks: cadmium (Cd) intake affects (1) salt gland and/or kidney function of ducks and (2) osmoregulation differently in male and female ducks. Birds were fed 0, 50, or 300 microg Cd/g food. They were gradually acclimated to 450 mM NaCl and then drank 300 mM NaCl for 3 mo while salt gland secretion (SGS), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), total body water (TBW), and water flux (WF) were measured in ducks eating control and high-Cd diets. Cadmium ingestion did not markedly affect body mass, but significantly enlarged the salt glands and kidneys. Enhancement of kidney mass was greater in males. Cadmium ingestion did not affect TBW or WF, but tended to increase interstitial fluid space at the expense of intracellular fluid. Sex did not affect TBW, but males had greater WF. Birds that ate Cd diets, especially the higher Cd diet, exhibited renal tubular damage and lower GFR. Ducks that ate Cd had lower plasma sodium concentration and osmolality and, to activate SGS, required longer infusion of NaCl and larger increments

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Transfer of DDT and metabolites from fruit orchard soils to American robins (Turdus migratorius) twenty years after agricultural use of DDT in Canada.

Wildlife contamination studies found high levels of DDT and associated metabolites in bird eggs from Canadian orchard sites during the early 1990s. The present study investigated local dietary uptake of DDT and geographic variability in tissue concentrations in the same orchards. A soil-earthworm-robin food chain was chosen for study, as early surveys showed that robins contained the highest levels of DDT of several avian species and because published research indicated that earthworms were a probable dietary exposure route. Organochlorine pesticides and PCBs were measured in soil, earthworm, robin egg, and robin nestling samples collected from fruit orchards and reference sites. High average DDE (soil: 5.2 mg/kg; earthworm: 52 mg/kg; robin egg: 484 mg/kg dry weight) and DDT (soil: 9.2 mg/kg; earthworm: 21 mg/kg; robin egg: 73 mg/kg dry weight) concentrations in Okanagan (British Columbia) samples confirmed that previously recorded contamination was common in the region. Concentrations detected in Simcoe, Ontario, orchards were not as high but were still significantly elevated relative to levels in soils and robins from reference areas. Significant positive linear regressions between soil and earthworm concentrations and consistent trends in food chain accumulation suggested that robins were acquiring DDT and metabolite (DDTr) burdens locally. Low concentrations of DDT and DDTr in robin eggs collected from nests in nearby nonorchard and post-DDT orchard habitats suggested that the local sources were in orchards. Persistence of DDT in orchard food chains is likely due to a combination of retarded degradation rates for DDT in soil and its extensive use historically. DDT concentrations in some robin eggs and earthworms were at levels comparable to those observed in field studies where mortality or reproductive effects occurred.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2000

Contaminants in ospreys from the Pacific Northwest: II. Organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, and mercury, 1991-1997.

Eggs of ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) were collected over the period 1991 to 1997 at 111 nests in the Fraser and Columbia River drainage systems of British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon. Contents were analyzed for organochlorine (OC) pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and total mercury. Blood samples were taken from nestling ospreys at two time points during the 1992 breeding season on the Thompson River and analyzed for non-ortho PCBs. Concentrations of DDE and related compounds showed high variability among individual eggs within study areas and no significant differences in mean concentrations among study areas. Some eggs contained high concentrations of DDE, up to 20 mg/kg (wet weight), for which there were no evident local sources, suggesting that exposure occurred outside of the breeding grounds. Most other OC pesticides measured in osprey eggs showed a similar distribution, although mean concentrations of chlordane-related compounds were generally, and in some cases significantly, higher in samples collected from the Columbia River sites compared to elsewhere. Significantly greater concentrations of PCBs were found in eggs from the Columbia River basin compared to the Fraser. This was attributed to extensive development of hydroelectric generation and related industries on the Columbia system. Significant differences among sites were also found in the pattern of PCB congeners, e.g., eggs from the lower Columbia River site had proportionally greater concentrations of less chlorinated, Aroclor 1242-type PCBs compared to other sites. In contrast, eggs from upper reaches of the Columbia River had relatively greater amounts of Aroclor 1254 and 1260 congeners. Mercury concentrations in osprey eggs tended to be uniform among sites and comparable to those reported in the literature for ospreys nesting on naturally formed lakes and rivers. There were no significant temporal changes in mean concentrations of any of the measured compounds at sites monitored from 1991 to 1997.

Animals↗