Contaminants in wintering canvasbacks and scaups from San Francisco Bay, California

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
By: , and 

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Abstract

Organochlorines, metals, and trace elements were measured in liver, kidney, or whole-body tissues of canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria), lesser scaups (A. affinis), and greater scaups (A. marila) collected from San Francisco Bay and three coastal areas of California during the winter of 1986–1987. Potentially toxic concentrations of mercury (mean ≤10.4 µg/g, dry weight) and selenium (mean ≤32.7 µg/g, dry weight) were found in livers of scaups and canvasbacks from several San Francisco Bay sites. These elements varied spatially, temporally, and between species, with the highest concentrations found in late winter. Mean concentrations of mercury, selenium, and cadmium were generally higher in scaups than in canvasbacks. Of all the organochlorines included in the analyses, only p,p'-DDE and total PCBs were detected in all samples in this study. Mean whole-body concentrations of DDE and PCBs from San Francisco Bay ducks collected in late winter varied spatially and between species, but the concentrations were not considered toxic. Causes for inter-specific differences are unclear, but may be attributable to differences in diet, movement, or physiology.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Contaminants in wintering canvasbacks and scaups from San Francisco Bay, California
Series title Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
DOI 10.1023/A:1005759907211
Volume 50
Issue 1
Year Published 1998
Language English
Publisher Springer
Contributing office(s) California Water Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center
Description 18 p.
First page 67
Last page 84
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