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Abstract
Lead mining in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District began in the 1700s and continued for nearly 300 years; the waste piles associated with smelting, mining, and milling of lead ores have released metal residues that have contaminated soil and water in the region. Previous studies in the district have indicated potential harm to wildlife, including birds, because of elevated lead concentrations associated with mining. Exposure to soil-borne lead was correlated with elevated lead concentrations in tissues, inhibition of δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (δALAD), and renal lesions in birds foraging on ground-dwelling invertebrates at contaminated sites (compared to reference sites) in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District. This study assessed reproductive outcomes for songbirds exposed to soil-borne lead in the district, examined the relation between lead concentrations in soils and in tissues of ground-feeding birds and prey species, and compared the results to literature-based toxicity thresholds for lead that are associated with negative effects in birds.
Citation
Brasso, Rebecka; Cleveland, Danielle; Thompson, Frank R, III.; Mosby, David E.; Hixon, Kathy; Roach, Melissa; Rattner, Barnett A.; Karouna-Renier, Natalie K.; Lankton, Julia S. 2023. Effects of lead exposure on birds breeding in the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District. Scientific Investigations Report 2023–5032. Reston, VA: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey. 127 p. https://doi.org/ 10.3133/ sir20235032.
