Wildlife in some areas of New Mexico and Texas accumulate elevated DDE residues, 1983

• Published in: Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology 1986-02, Vol.15 (2), p.149-157
• Main Authors: WHITE, D. H, KRYNITSKY, A. J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal Population Groups - metabolism; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Animals, Wild - metabolism; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Birds - metabolism; Chiroptera - metabolism; Demography; Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene - analysis; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Fresh water environment; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Lizards - metabolism; New Mexico; Species Specificity; Texas
• ISSN: 0090-4341; 1432-0703
• DOI: 10.1007/BF01059964

Data gathered by an FWS monitoring program have identified an area of elevated DDE contamination in portions of new Mexico and Texas. Extensive wildlife sampling in 1983 confirmed that DDE was present at high concentrations in wildlife at selected sites in the Rio Grande and Pecos river drainages. DDEe carcasses ranged up to 47 ppm in Western kingbirds, 35 ppm in house sparrows, 46 ppm in Brazilian bats, and 104 ppm in whiptail lizards. An average of 40% of the eggs of black-crowned night herons from two sites along the Pecos river had DDE levels that have been associated in other studies with impaired reproduction.