Dioxin-like toxic potency in Forster's tern eggs from Green Bay, Lake Michigan, North America

Chemosphere
By: , and 

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Abstract

The endangered Forster's tern (Sternaforsteri) population on Green Bay, Wisconsin has exhibited symptoms of embryotoxicity, congenital deformities, and poor hatching success. The putative causal agents are planar halogenated hydrocarbons (PHH). The objectives of this study were: 1) to evaluate the toxic potency of PHHs in extracts of Forster's tern eggs taken from Green Bay, Lake Michigan and a reference site, Lake Poygan, WI; and 2) to compare the toxic potencies of the egg extracts with the reproductive data available from the same water bird colonies. The relative toxic potency of the egg extracts was assessed with the H4IIE bioassay system to obtain 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents (TCDD-EQ). The average concentrations of TCDD-EQ in Forster's tern eggs were 214.5 pg/g and 23.4 pg/g from Green Bay and Lake Poygan, respectively. The bioassay results presented here concur with the biological effects and chemical analyses information from other studies on the same Forster's tern colonies.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Dioxin-like toxic potency in Forster's tern eggs from Green Bay, Lake Michigan, North America
Series title Chemosphere
DOI 10.1016/0045-6535(93)90033-2
Volume 26
Issue 11
Year Published 1993
Language English
Publisher Elsevier
Contributing office(s) Columbia Environmental Research Center
Description 6 p.
First page 2079
Last page 2084
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