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Organochlorine and heavy metal residues in black duck eggs from the Atlantic Flyway, 1978

Pesticides Monitoring Journal
By: , , and 

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Abstract

Black duck (Anas rubripes) eggs were collected during 1978 in the Atlantic Flyway. One egg from each of 49 clutches was analyzed for organochlorine compounds and mercury. DDE was detected in 39 eggs, ranging from 0.09 ppm to 3.4 ppm, wet weight. DDE residues were highest in eggs from Delaware, where the mean DDE level was 2.0 ppm. DDT and TDE were present at Iow levels in only five and four eggs, respectively. PCBs resembling Aroclor 1260 were detected in 24 eggs and ranged from 0.43 ppm to 2.9 ppm. Eggs from Massachusetts and Rhode Island contained an average of >1.0 ppm PCBs, but eggs from Nova Scotia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia contained no detectable PCBs. Dieldrin, oxychlordane, and heptachlor epoxide were present in a few samples at low levels. Mercury was detected in 31 eggs, ranging from 0.07 ppm to 0.34 ppm, wet weight. Twenty eggs analyzed for chromium, copper, and arsenic contained averages of 0.64 ppm, 1.7 ppm, and 0.18 ppm, respectively. No geographic pattern was observed in these metal residue levels. Eggshell thickness (0.347 mm) was identical to the pre-1946 norm.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Organochlorine and heavy metal residues in black duck eggs from the Atlantic Flyway, 1978
Series title Pesticides Monitoring Journal
Volume 14
Issue 2
Year Published 1980
Language English
Publisher Federal Working Group on Pest Management
Publisher location Washington, D.C.
Contributing office(s) Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
Description 5 p.
First page 53
Last page 57
Country Canada, United States
State Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, Nova Scotia, Pennsylvania, Quebec, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia
Other Geospatial Atlantic Flyway
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