Adverse Health Effects in Canada Geese (Branta Canadensis) Associated With Waste From Zinc and Lead Mines in the Tri-State Mining District (Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri, Usa)

Abstract

Lead and zinc poisoning have been recorded in a variety of bird species, including migrating waterfowl such as Canada Geese (Branta canadensis), at sites contaminated with mine waste from lead and zinc mines in the Tri-State Mining District, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri, USA. The adverse health impacts from mine waste on these birds may, however, be more extensive than is apparent from incidental reports of clinical disease. To characterize health impacts from mine waste on Canada Geese that do not have observable signs of poisoning, four to eight apparently healthy birds per site were collected from four contaminated sites and an uncontaminated reference site, and examined for physical and physiologic evidence of metals poisoning. Tissue concentrations of silver, aluminum, arsenic, barium, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, lead, selenium, thallium, vanadium, and zinc were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. Adverse health effects due to lead were characterized by assessing blood δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) enzyme activity. Adverse effects associated with zinc poisoning were determined from histologic examination of pancreas tissues. Elevated tissue lead concentrations and inhibited blood ALAD enzyme activities were consistently found in birds at all contaminated sites. Histopathologic signs of zinc poisoning, including fibrosis and vacuolization, were associated with elevated pancreatic zinc concentrations at one of the study sites. Adverse health effects associated with other analyzed elements, or tissue concentrations indicating potentially toxic exposure levels to these elements, were not observed.

Effects of Toxic Metal Contamination in the Tri-State Mining District on the Ecological Community and Human Health: A Systematic Review

“…Mean tissue Pb concentrations in songbirds from the sites were greater ( p < 0.05) than those in songbirds in the reference sites by factors of 8 in blood, 13 in the liver, and 23 in the kidney, and mean activity of the enzyme ALAD in red blood cells was lower by 58–82% in songbirds from the mining sites. Examining bird species (Canada Geese), Merwe et al [ 38 ] detected similar outcomes with toxic metals. Adverse effects associated with Zn poisoning were found from the examination of pancreas tissue, and elevated tissue Pb concentrations and inhibited blood ALAD enzyme activities were consistently found in birds from the TSMD.…”

“…Assessment bias due to method. Some studies such as Coolon [ 4 ], Allert et al [ 5 ], Beyer et al [ 34 ], Ettinger [ 35 ], Lynch et al [ 6 ], Malcoe et al [ 36 ], Neuberger et al [ 37 ], and Merwe et al [ 38 ] were not able to receive full scores, due to the failure of explanation of the validity of specific samples. However, other studies, Brumbaugh et al [ 39 ], Garvin et al [ 40 ], Schmitt et al [ 41 ], and Struckhoff et al [ 42 ] showed accurately represented population (species) selecting different types of species or selecting them by different locations.…”

“…Assessment bias due to subject: The assessment looks at the clear demographic/characteristic information provided and/or precise description/categorization of participants/samples [ 30 ]. Two studies, Beattie et al [ 44 ] and Merwe et al [ 38 ], were not able to obtain the full score since they did not describe the characteristics of their samples to make readers understand the reasons for their subject criteria. On the other hand, Neuberger et al [ 37 ], for instance, described the specific conditions of samples (e.g., health problems) due to the environmental exposures, and Phelps and McBee [ 45 ] described the mammal communities’ conditions for the lives of the comparison groups.…”

“…Five articles, Beyer et al [ 2 ], Beyer et al [ 34 ], Hays and McBee [ 47 ], Phelps and McBee [ 45 ], and Merwe et al [ 38 ] identified TSMD toxic exposure as relevant to animals Observing wild birds (American robins, cardinals, and waterfowl), Beyer et al [ 2 ] uncovered that Pb tissue concentrations of their study samples from chat environments had increased Pb tissue concentrations ( p < 0.05) compared to those of reference site birds; mean activities of Pb-sensitive ALAD were decreased by >50% in the red blood cells of these sample birds ( p < 0.05); Zn concentrations in the liver and kidneys of waterfowl from chat environments were significantly higher ( p < 0.05) than reference birds; and the increased Zn concentrations in the chat appeared to cause pancreatitis in waterfowl.…”

Spatial Variability of Metal Bioaccumulation in Estuarine Killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) at the Callahan Mine Superfund Site, Brooksville, ME

“…Cd and Pb) retards mental and physical development and fitness, especially in early life stages (Kearns and Atchison 1979; Lefcort et al 1998; Maes et al 2013; Vieira et al 2009). Furthermore, it has been found to decrease wound healing and fin regeneration of fish (Weis and Weis 1976), alter population numbers (Poulton et al 2010), change an ecosystem’s community composition (Clements and Kiffney 1994; McKinley et al 2011; Pascoe et al 1994; van der Merwe et al 2011), shift feeding patterns (Clements and Rees 1997), and decrease production of specific gene products in response to cellular overstimulation (Maes et al 2013). In some cases, individuals can develop physiological tolerance or populations can develop genetic resistance to the metal toxicant and they can survive with sustainable numbers (Bryan and Langston 1992; Weis and Weis 1989).…”