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Chancellor, R. D. & B.-U. Meyburg eds. 2004
Raptors Worldwide
WWGBP/MME
369
An Evaluation of Osprey Eggs to
Determine Spatial Residue Patterns and
Effects of Contaminants along the
Lower Columbia River, U.S.A.
Charles J. Henny, Robert A. Grove, James L. Kaiser and
V. Raymond Bentley
ABSTRACT
An Osprey Pandion haliaetus population nesting along the lower 410 km of
the Columbia River (94 occupied nests in 1997; increased to 103 in 1998) was
studied to evaluate the merit in using the species for monitoring selected
contaminants that biomagnify in food chains. We collected a “sample egg”
from 29 Osprey nests and analyzed egg contents for residue concentrations of
organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzo-
p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, and total mercury. Reproductive
success was monitored at all nests, including those with an egg collected, to
evaluate possible contaminant effects on reproductive success. For purposes of
this investigation, the lower Columbia River study area was subdivided into
four distinct reaches primarily based on locations of major industrial areas,
urban boundaries and other known sources of pollution. Residue concentrations
in Osprey eggs for most contaminants did not vary significantly among
reaches. However, eggs collected from Reach II (immediately below the
Bonneville Dam hydroelectric facility) contained significantly higher
concentrations of PCB 105 (nearly all PCB congeners were higher) compared
to eggs collected in Reach I (upstream) or Reach III (downstream), although
three other large hydroelectric dams are located in Reach I. An historic landfill
of electrical equipment containing PCBs was reported at Bonneville Dam in
2000, two years after completion of this field study. Elevated
hexachlorobenzene in eggs collected from Reach III appeared to be associated
with an aluminum smelter located nearby. Osprey eggs contained the highest
concentrations of p, p’-DDE (DDE) (geometric mean 4872 µg kg-1 wet weight,
370
with 24% of eggs > 8000 µg kg-1) reported for the species in North America
during the late 1980s and 1990s. Furthermore, DDE adversely influenced
eggshell thickness and success at some nests. As expected, elevated DDE
concentrations were found in fish from the Columbia River. Other
contaminants appeared to have limited, if any, adverse effects on Osprey
reproduction. The mean productivity for this population in all four river
reaches was 1.64 young/active nest (nests without an egg collected) in 1997-
1998, which was considered very good. A more comprehensive study of the
fish-eating Osprey on the nearby Willamette River in 2001 (subject of future
report) will provide a more complete understanding of the relationship between
residue concentrations in Osprey eggs and fish species predominant in their
diets. With most Osprey populations now increasing and pairs pioneering into
more contaminated areas, with nests distributed at regular intervals (instead of
clumped in colonies) along large rivers, with the spatial residue patterns
observed during this and other studies and with reproductive effects observed
during this study, we believe the Osprey may indeed be a useful indicator for
the biomonitoring of selected contaminants in the United States and throughout
its breeding range.
INTRODUCTION
The Columbia River drains a vast and ecologically complex region of
British Columbia, Canada, and the Pacific Northwest of the United States
(668,220km2), having the fourth largest water discharge of rivers in the
contiguous United States (Kammerer 1990). As with many rivers elsewhere,
the Columbia has been and continues to be used for disposal of municipal and
industrial wastes. The Columbia River and its tributaries also support large
areas of intensive agriculture, including orchards, row crops and cereal grains
which have been historically sprayed with persistent organochlorine pesticides
(OCs). The development of relatively inexpensive hydroelectric power brought
many aluminum smelters and other industries to the region, and the vast forests
support many bleached-kraft paper mills.
The Osprey Pandion haliaetus is a large piscivorus bird of prey with a
nearly worldwide breeding distribution (directly comparable data may be
obtained from many countries) and is found nesting throughout much of the
Columbia River system, including the Willamette River, a major tributary
flowing into the Columbia River at Portland (Henny et al. 2003). Several
Osprey life history traits, in addition to considerable knowledge about
contaminant-related effects, make this species useful for contaminant
biomonitoring and research (see Elliott et al. 1998), including: (1) a diet almost
exclusively of fish which are captured within a relatively short distance of nest
sites, (2) long-lived and high nest fidelity, (3) readily detectable nest sites, (4)
often nest on artificial structures (e.g., channel markers, power poles, light
poles) which facilitate access for egg collections, (5) tolerate brief nest
disturbance, (6) sample egg collections have minimal effect on nesting
populations, i.e., removal of one egg per nest from small subset of nests has
negligible effect on productivity (Henny & Kaiser 1996), (7) sensitive to p,p’-
DDE (DDE)-induced eggshell thinning and widely studied for effects of other
371
chlorinated hydrocarbon and mercury pollutants, (8) nests often spaced at
regular intervals along rivers (i.e., not clumped in colonies like herons, egrets
or cormorants), which permits eggs to be collected at random in various
segments of a river or at strategic sites (e.g., above and below known
contaminant sources), and (9) nesting pairs now pioneering into more
contaminated locations (e.g., lower Willamette River, Oregon: Duwamish
Waterway, Washington [USGS unpublished data]). The Osprey also ranked
high for monitoring of persistent organic pollutants and mercury in a
systematic evaluation of 25 terrestrial vertebrates commonly found in Atlantic
Coast estuarine habitats (Golden & Rattner 2003).
The use of a fish-eating bird as part of the Nationwide Contaminant
Monitoring System in the United States for large rivers, bays and estuaries has
been discussed for almost a decade. In the early to mid-1990s, a cooperative
investigation between the Canadian Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological
Survey (USGS) was conducted using the Osprey as an indicator species. The
study evaluated residue concentrations of OCs, polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated
dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and total mercury from eggs of Ospreys nesting
throughout the Columbia River in both Canada and the United States (Elliott et
al. 1998; Elliott et al. 2000). In addition, an artificial incubation experiment
with eggs from the Columbia River was conducted to investigate contaminant
effects on Ospreys (Elliott et al. 2001). Data from Osprey eggs collected along
the lower Columbia River (in the vicinity of Portland, Oregon) was limited, but
provided comparisons with the upper reaches of the river in extreme north-
eastern Washington and British Columbia. Some OCs and PCB concentrations
were highest in the lower portion of the river. The Biomonitoring
Environmental Status and Trends Program of USGS agreed to further evaluate
the Osprey as an indicator species for biomonitoring in 1997.
Preliminary studies along the Willamette River in 1993 showed variable
residue concentrations in different species of fish, with Biomagnification
Factors (BMFs) from fish (weighted by percent biomass of each fish species in
Osprey diet) to Osprey eggs (wet weight [ww]) that range from 0 to 174,
depending upon the contaminant (Henny et al. 2003). Most contaminants
studied had BMFs in the range of 10 to 100-fold. Therefore, Ospreys integrated
residues from the tissues of several fish species they preyed upon (prey species
consumed were fairly consistent from nest to nest along the Willamette River),
and their eggs have much higher residue concentrations than fish, which result
in far fewer non-detections than commonly found in fish or other sampling
approaches. Note that the Osprey is used as an indicator species for lipophilic
contaminants, but not for hydrophilic contaminants. We do not believe that one
species can be used to effectively monitor all groups of contaminants.
In this study, we analyzed contaminant residue concentrations in Osprey
eggs collected from a total of 29 nests between River Mile (RM) 31 and 286 of
the lower Columbia River in 1997 and 1998. The objectives of our study on a
river reach basis were to: (1) present nesting population numbers and
productivity rates for Osprey, (2) evaluate spatial patterns of OCs, congener-
specific PCBs, PCDDs, PCDFs and total mercury residues in Osprey eggs for
372
possible identification of contaminant sources, and provide a baseline for the
long-term biomonitoring of contaminant trends, and (3) evaluate egg residue
concentrations and associated productivity on a nest basis via the sample egg
technique (Blus 1984) in addition to reviewing literature to assess possible
adverse contaminant effects on productivity. Finally, we discuss the merit in
using the Osprey for the long-term biomonitoring of selected contaminants in
large river systems.
STUDY AREA AND METHODS
The lower Columbia River study area was divided into reaches (Reach I, II,
III and IV) as follows: (RM 149-286, 124-143, 86-122, and 31-82) (Fig. 1).
RM 0 is at the mouth of the river at the Pacific Ocean and at the time of the
study, no Ospreys nested below RM 31. The river reach divisions were chosen
based upon several characteristics including industrial boundaries or known
pollution point sources (Rosetta & Borys 1996), Bonneville Dam (river not
free-flowing above dam), and spatial gaps in nesting Ospreys along the river.
The study area extended inland to Umatilla, Oregon (RM 286) with divisions in
river reaches occurring at Bonneville Dam (RM 146), about one mile upstream
from the mouth of Sandy River (prior to the river reaching urban Portland and
Vancouver) (RM 122), at the mouth of the Lewis River (RM 86), and at the
upstream boundary of the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge (RM 31).
Figure 1. Osprey egg collection sites, major industrial outfalls,
hydroelectric dams and river reach boundaries, Columbia River, Oregon
and Washington, 1997-1998.
We located occupied Osprey nests by boat and aircraft along the Columbia
River study area in 1997 and in 1998. Classification of occupied vs. active
nests followed the criteria of Postupalsky (1977). Nests were generally visited
373
2 to 4 times during the breeding season to determine activity and success
(number large young [40-45 days] at each nest). One partially incubated egg
was collected from 13 nests in 1997 and 16 different nests in 1998 to determine
contaminant concentrations. The nearest RM was recorded for each nest site.
Egg contents were placed in chemically cleaned jars and frozen for subsequent
contaminant analysis.
Eggshells were rinsed and dried for several months at room temperature.
Eggshell thickness (including membranes) was measured at three sites on the
equator with a rounded contact point micrometer (model 1010 M, L.S. Starrett
Co.) and values were averaged.
Osprey eggs were sent to the Great Lakes Institute of Environmental
Research (GLIER) at the University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada for
contract chemical analyses. Organic chemical analyses for 29 Osprey egg
samples were conducted using methods of Lazar et al. (1992), which are
described in detail in GLIER (1995). Analyses were conducted for 20 OC
pesticides, 42 PCB congeners including 4 co-planar congeners, 7 PCDDs, 10
PCDFs, and total mercury. The PCBs equals the sum of 42 congeners.
Quantification was accomplished by comparing sample-peak area against
standard-peak area of three standards supplied by the Canadian Wildlife
Service. OCs and PCB fractions were analysed separately on an electron-
capture gas chromatograph. The detection limit for OCs and PCBs was 0.1 µg
kg-1 ww. OCs and PCBs were confirmed using gas chromatography/mass
spectrometry (GC/MS). Co-planar PCBs, PCDDs, and PCDFs were analyzed
by GC/MS; the detection limit varied from 0.06 to 2.8 ng kg-1 ww.
Methodology for extraction and cleanup was checked by running sample
blanks, replicate samples and certified reference samples provided by the
Canadian Wildlife Service for OCs and PCBs, and a [13C]-surrogate spike for
each sample ran for co-planar PCBs, PCDDs, and PCDFs (GLIER 1995). The
2,3,7,8-TCDD-toxic equivalent concentrations (TEQ) were derived from toxic
equivalency factors (TEF) suggested by Van den Berg et al. (1998) for PCDDs,
PCDFs, and PCBs. Eggs were analysed for total mercury by atomic absorption
spectrophotometry with a dry weight (dw) detection limit of 0.07-0.10 µg g-1.
We converted contents of eggs to fresh ww (Stickel et al. 1973); all egg
residues are reported as fresh ww, except mercury (reported as dw).
Residue concentrations were summarized as geometric means and log-
transformed for statistical analyses. For statistical purposes, the lower
quantification limit was halved for eggs in which a contaminant was not
detected. This value was used to calculate geometric means when 50% of the
eggs contained detectable residues. When < 50% of eggs from a river reach
contained the contaminant, no statistical test was conducted with data from that
reach. Because of unequal sample sizes, the General Linear Models Procedure
(SAS Institute 1999) was used for analysis of variance. Tukey’s Studentized
Range Test ( = 0.05) was used to separate means. Unless otherwise noted,
differences were considered significant when P 0.05.
374
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Osprey Population Numbers and Productivity
We believe our survey of nests on overwater structures and along the
immediate shoreline was complete, and special efforts were made to locate tree
nests in the Columbia Gorge. Elsewhere, any nests out of sight from the
shoreline were probably missed. In 1997, we monitored 80 nests adequately
with early and late visits (68 occupied, 12 active with an egg collected), but
another 10 successful nests were not identified until toward the end of the
breeding season. The success of all nests adequately monitored in 1997 was
69.6% (Table 1); the additional 10 successful nests (assuming the same percent
nest success) imply that another 4.4 nests were probably missed during first
visits and failed, thus no birds were present to observe on later visits. Our best
population estimate for the study area in 1997 was 94 occupied nests (68 + 12
+ 10 + 4.4). Following the same logic in 1998 when 78.0% of the nests were
successful (Table 2), the population estimate was 103 occupied nests (76 + 15
+ 10 + 2.8). Thus, the nesting population increased an estimated 9.6% from
1997 to 1998. Only a few nests were monitored in 1995, and although the 1996
study effort was fairly complete for the lower three reaches of the river, all
nests were probably not located, thus the percent population change from 1996
to 1997 was not calculated.
Perhaps the best comparison of productivity among reaches is the combined
data (at nests without an egg collected) for 1997 and 1998 as presented at the
bottom of Table 2. The number of young produced per occupied and per active
nest (1.47 and 1.56) in Reach I was nearly identical to Reach III (1.46 and 1 .5 4)
wit h Re a ch I I ( be lo w Bon ne vi l le Da m) s ome wh at lo we r ( 1.23 an d 1.3 5) a n d
Rea ch I V ( th e l ower ri ve r r ea ch ) t he hi gh es t ( 1.7 9 an d 1 .9 1) . The c o mb in e d
p ro du ct i v i t y f o r a l l r i v e r r e a c h e s w a s 1 . 5 4 a n d 1 . 6 4 . P r o d u c t i o n r a t e s w e r e a l l
h ig he r t ha n t he 0 .8 0 y ou n g/ ac ti v e ne s t th at is g e ne ra ll y r ec o gn iz e d n e c e s s a r y t o
mai nt ai n a s t ab le p o pu la t io n (Spi tz er 19 80 , S p i t z e r e t al . 19 83 ). Th e p ro du ct i on
r at es f o r Os p re y on th e Wil la me t te Ri ve r in 19 93 we re a l so 1 .54 a nd 1.64 fo r
o cc up ie d a nd ac ti ve n e s t s , r e s p e c t i v e l y ( H e n n y & K a i s e r 1 9 9 6 ) .
Factors Potentially Confounding Spatial Residue Patterns in Osprey Eggs
Sev er al is su e s m a y c o n f o u n d t h e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f s p a t i a l O s p r e y e g g r e s i d u e
p at te rn s ( se e Hen ny e t al . 20 03 ). Br ie f ly , th e y ar e : (1 ) mig ra t or y Os p re y may
a cc umul a te s o me c on t amin a nt s wh i le a t win te r in g g ro un ds , t ho u gh t he y s pe n d ~1
mon th o n t he br ee di n g gr o un ds a c cu mu l at in g l oc al co nt ami na nt s p ri or to e g g
l ay in g, (2 ) f i s h s p e c i e s e a t e n b y O s p r e y s c o u l d t ra ve l s ub st a nt ia l d is ta n ce s up or
d own th e r iv e r an d c on fo u nd s pa t ia l p at te rn s o f e gg r es i du es , ( 3 ) s o m e O s p r e y
may n ot co ns i st en tl y f is h i n th e Col u mb ia Ri ve r, bu t s e e k o t h e r s o u r c e s o f f i s h i n
p on ds o r l ak e s ad ja c en t t o th e r iv er wh ic h h av e d if fe re n t co n ta mi na n t pr o fi le s,
a nd ( 4) so me in di vi d ua l Osp re y may o p po rt un i st ic a ll y ca p tu re fi sh o f d if f er en t
t ro ph ic l e v e l s ( h i g h e r o r l o w e r c o n t a m i n a n t l o a d s ) t h a t a r e a b u n d a n t o r e s p e c i a l l y
v ul ne ra b le t o c ap tu r e n e a r t h ei r n es t s.
Table 1. A summary of nesting success for Ospreys nesting along the Columbia River in 1997.
Reach I Reach II Reach III Reach IV Combined
Egg No Egg No Egg No Egg No Egg No
Collected Early Collected Early Collected Early Collected Early Collected Early
Category No Yes VisitaNo Yes Vist No Yes Visit No Yes Visit No Yes Vist
Occupied Nests 15 NA NA 12bNA NA 19 NA NA 21 NA NA 67bNA NA
Active Nests 15 5 NA 11 1 NA 18 3 NA 20 3 NA 64 12 NA
Successful Nests 12 3 1 5 1 2 11 2 5 19 2 2 47 8 10
Adv. Young 22 6 1 9 2 3 24 2 10 42 4 6 97 14 20
Young/Occupied Nest 1.47 NA NA 0.75 NA NA 1.26 NA NA 2.00 NA NA 1.45 NA NA
Young/Active Nest 1.47 1.20 NA 0.82 2.00 NA 1.33 0.67 NA 2.10 1.33 NA 1.52 1.17 NA
Young/Successful Nest 1.83 2.00 1.00 1.80 2.00 1.50 2.18 1.00 2.00 2.21 2.00 3.00 2.06 1.75 2.00
Note: Columbia River study area divisions by river mile (RM): Reach I (149-286), Reach II (124-143), Reach III (86-122), Reach IV (31-82). NA =
Not Applicable (either an egg was collected or advanced young were observed [all active nests]) or no visit was made early with only successful nests
recorded late in season, or no evidence of occupied nest (incubating bird, or 2 birds present) on early visit(s).
a Only successful nests found late in the season.
b One additional occupied nest was excluded from this summary because productivity was not determined.
Table 2. A summary of nesting success for Ospreys nesting along the Columbia River in 1998, and combined 1997-1998.
Reach I Reach II Reach III Reach IV Combined
Egg No Egg No Egg No Egg No Egg No
Collected Early Collected Early Collected Early Collected Early Collected Early
Category No Yes VisitaNo Yes Visit No Yes Visit No Yes Visit No Yes Visit
Occupied Nests 19 NA NA 10 NA NA 20 NA NA 26 NA NA 75 NA NA
Active Nests 17 3 NA 9 5 NA 19 4 NA 24 4 NA 69 16 NA
Successful Nests 14 3 2 7 4 3 15 4 4 21 4 1 57 15 10
Adv. Young 28 5 4 18 6 8 33 6 9 42 7 3 121 24 24
Young/Occupied Nest 1.47 NA NA 1.80 NA NA 1.65 NA NA 1.62 NA NA 1.61 NA NA
Young/Active Nest 1.65 1.67 NA 2.00 1.20 NA 1.74 1.50 NA 1.75 1.75 NA 1.75 1.50 NA
Young/Successful Nest 2.00 1.67 2.00 2.57 1.50 2.67 2.20 1.50 2.25 2.00 1.75 3.00 2.12 1.60 2.40
1997-1998 Combinedb
Young/Occupied Nest 1.47 NA NA 1.23 NA NA 1.46 NA NA 1.79 NA NA 1.54 NA NA
Young/Active Nest 1.56 1.38 NA 1.35 1.33 NA 1.54 1.14 NA 1.91 1.57 NA 1.64 1.36 NA
Young/Successful Nest 1.79 1.83 1.67 2.25 1.60 2.20 2.20 1.33 2.11 2.10 1.83 3.00 2.10 1.65 2.20
Note: Columbia River study area divisions by river mile (RM): Reach I (149-286), Reach II (124-143), Reach III (86-122), Reach IV (31-82).
NA = Not Applicable (either an egg was collected or advanced young were observed [all active nests]) or no visit was made early with only successful
nests recorded late in the season, or no evidence of occupied nest (incubating bird, or 2 birds present) on early visits.
a Only successful nests found late in the season.
b Includes data presented in Table 1 (1997) and the top of Table 2 (1998) combined.
377
Col umbi a Riv e r Os pr e ys mi gr at e q ui ck l y (mea n o f 1 3 da ys wi th mi ni ma l
o pp or tu n it y f or c on t amin a nt l oa d in g e n ro ut e ) t o th e ir wi nt er in g g ro u nd s in
s ou th er n Mex i co a nd n o r t h e r n C e n t r a l A m e r i c a ( M a r t e l l e t al . 20 01 ) whe re
i nd us tr i al c o nt amin a ti on is g en e ra ll y l ow, a lt ho u gh DDE an d s ome ot h er
p es ti ci d es ma y be p r es en t ( Hen ny e t al . 20 03 ). Os pr e y te nd to r e ma in i n t he sa me
l oc al e t hr ou g ho ut t h e c a. 6- mo nt h s on th ei r win te r in g gr o un ds . Fou r a du lt
f emal es fr om th e st u dy a r ea wer e t ra p pe d an d e qu i pp ed wi th s a te ll it e t ra n smit te r s
a nd a n e gg wa s co ll e ct ed fr om e a ch n e st . Th e y ne s te d at RM 9 1 ( 23 86 µg k g - 1
DDE, wi n te re d a t Aca po ne t a, Me xi co ), RM 1 2 4A ( 10 1 39 µ g k g- 1 DDE, wi nt er e d
Col ima, Me xi c o) , RM 12 5A (5 80 7 µ g kg - 1 DDE, wi nt er e d Tampi co , Mex i co ),
a nd RM 2 77 ( 5 21 0 µg kg - 1 DDE, wi nt er e d S a n M i q u e l , E l S a l v a d o r ) . T h i s
l imit ed da ta ma y be us ef u l, wit h a dd i ti on al da ta fr om o t he r f emal es , t o e va lu at e
t he i mp o rt an c e of DDE/ DDT s ou rc e s on th e wi n te ri n g gr ou n ds .
Con cernin g the second issue of se asonal movements o f fish speci es
pre domina nt in the di et of nestin g Ospr ey on the Co lumbia River , we h ave li mited
our discu ssion to mov ements of Lar gescal e Suck ers Cat ostomu s mac rochei lus
whi ch are distr ibuted widel y and are ge nerall y abun dant t hrough out th e Colu mbia
Riv er sys tem (Rei mers & Bond 1967, Gray & Dau ble 19 77) an d were most
fre quentl y obse rved a s prey remai n items at Osprey nest s ites i n our study area
(Lar gescal e Suck ers al so comprised 82.8% of bio mass i n the diet o f nest ing
Osp rey on the n earby Willamette River [ Hen ny et al. 20 03]). Based on a l imited
amo unt of tag-r ecaptu re dat a, Dau ble (1 986) r eporte d Lar gescal e Suck er
mov ement as far as 14 km ups tream and 60 km downstrea m from origi nal ca pture
sit es. Ho wever, Ospre y retu rn fro m wint ering ground s to Columbi a Rive r nest s in
lat e Marc h thro ugh ea rly Ap ril an d most lay e ggs in late April and ea rly Ma y, pri or
to peak u pstrea m move ments of suc kers i n June and t he ave rage p eak sp awning
per iod (mid-May to mi d-June ) repo rted b y Dau ble (1 986). Theref ore, t he fis h eate n
pri or to Osprey egg l aying most l ikely reflec t loca l cont aminan t cond itions .
The fish movement issue, the likelihood that some Osprey pairs forage
away from the main river at times, and that some Osprey pairs
opportunistically select fish species occupying different trophic levels
depending on species abundance and susceptibility to capture may influence
the variability observed in individual Osprey egg residue concentrations. Other
Osprey egg-contaminant studies have shown patterns of PCDDs and PCDFs
associated with breeding ground point sources; i.e., higher concentrations
downstream of pulp mills than upstream (Elliott et al. 1998). Though some
egg-residue data from individual nests are spatially presented, our emphasis is
on mean contaminant concentrations among river reaches (Table 3), which
tends to minimize individual egg/nest site variability.
Organochlorine Pesticides and Mercury in Osprey Eggs
Mea n conc entrat ions o f DDE in Osp rey eg gs col lected in 19 97-199 8 from the
lower Col umbia River were t he hig hest a mong OCs (Tabl e 3), and si gnific antly
hig her th an mea n DDE concen tratio ns rep orted in 10 Osprey eggs collec ted fr om
the Willa mette River in 199 3 (Hen ny et al. 20 03) (4 872 vs . 2350 µg kg -1, P =
0.0 15). However , no s ignifi cant d iffere nce wa s foun d in mean DDE conc entrat ions
amo ng the four Columb ia Riv er rea ches. Mean c oncent ration s of DDD (19 8.6 µg
kg-1) a nd (DDT) (19 .77 µ g kg-1) s howed no sig nifica nt dif ferenc e amon g rive r
rea ches i n the Columb ia Riv er (Ta ble 3) , and were b oth on ly sma ll per centag es of
the sum o f DDT and it s meta bolite s (3.9 % and 0.4%, respec tively ).
378
Total chlordanes, heptachlor epoxide, dieldrin, mirex, ß-HCH and HCB were
found at low concentrations with no significant differences among river
reaches (Table 3). No particular reach consistently showed the highest or
lowest geometric mean concentrations for pesticides. The two highest HCB
concentrations recorded along the river (17.1 and 16.2 µg kg-1) were from
Osprey eggs collected in 1997 at RM 120 and RM 118 within Reach III
immediately downstream from an aluminum smelter at RM 120 (Figs. 1, 2).
The other egg collected at RM 118 (with only 2.3 µg kg-1 of HCB) was taken
two miles downstream of the smelter on the opposite side (Washington) of the
river. HCB is an interesting contaminant as it is no longer used as a fungicide
in North America (cancelled in the United States in 1985) or Europe, but
occurs as a minor contaminant in many commonly used modern pesticides and
has several industrial sources including use as a wood preservative and in
aluminum casting (Bailey 2001). Eggs were not collected immediately adjacent
(within two miles) to the other aluminum smelters, which were located at RM
216, 188, 103 and 63 within our study area (Figs. 1, 2), except at RM 101. The
nest at RM 101 was located near the mouth of the Willamette River at Kelly
Point, about two miles downstream on the opposite side of the river from the
smelter and contained average HCB residues (3.5 µg kg-1). An extremely high
concentration of HCB (1888 µg kg-1) was also reported in an Osprey egg
collected in 1991 (Elliott et al. 2000). The egg was collected along the upper
Columbia River much further upstream from our study area in eastern
Washington near Matney Mill at Kettle Falls. Elliott et al. (2000) noted that the
elevated HCB in the egg from Matney Mill suggests a local point source of
industrial activity or possibly a leaching waste dump. No further corroborative
data have been found.
Mercury concentrations in Osprey eggs were generally low (geo. mean 0.29
µg g-1 dw) and were not significantly different among river reaches (Table 3);
the highest egg concentration (0.94 µg g-1) was from RM 137 (Fig. 3).
PCBs, PCDDs and PCDFs in Osprey Eggs
In contrast to the OCs and Hg egg residue concentrations which showed no
significant difference in residue patterns among the river reaches, the mean
concentration for PCB 105 was significantly higher in eggs (79.05 µg kg-1)
from Reach II (in the gorge immediately downstream from Bonneville Dam)
than in Reach I upstream (25.04) or Reach III further downstream of the dam
(28.74) (Table 3). The residue concentrations for almost all other PCB
congeners showed a similar pattern, though differences among reaches were
not statistically significant. PCB TEQs followed the same pattern with values
twice as high in Reach II (75.91 ng kg-1) as in Reach I (36.27) with
intermediate values in Reach III (41.30) and Reach IV (53.10) (Table 3). The
observed egg residue pattern implied that there was a significant point source
of PCBs entering the river somewhere near Bonneville Dam that was
surprisingly different from the PCB patterns associated with the other three
hydroelectric dams in the study area. A Press Release on 20 November 2000
(two years after our field data were collected) corroborated our findings when a
previously undisclosed landfill (in use from 1942 to 1982) containing electrical
equipment heavily contaminated with PCBs was reported on an island at
Bonneville Dam (US Army Corps Engineers 2000).
379
Table 3. A comparison of organochlorine contaminants, PCBs and
mercury concentrations in Osprey eggs by river reach from the Columbia
River in 1997 and 1998.
River Reach (geo. mean)
ContaminantaIIIIII IV Combined (Extremes)
N9677 29
HCB 3.99 Ab3.43 A 4.41 A 2.87 A 3.66 (1.0-17.1)
DDE 5144 A 7111 A 3766 A 4252 A 4872
(
977-18377
)
Mirex 6.13 A 5.99 A 3.48 A 4.75 A 5.00
(
1.5-43.3
)
ß-HCH NC 0.74 A 0.50 A 0.76 A 0.43
(
ND-15.9
)
Chlordanesc28.36 A 23.25 A 33.61 A 22.57 A 26.84 (6.2-188.8)
DDD 252.70 A 228.09 A 210.57 A 122.07 A 198.61
(
38.7-1213.2
)
DDT 28.93 A 15.39 A 9.46 A 31.35 A 19.77
(
0.2-161.4
)
HE 11.90 A 7.11 A 8.28 A 3.34 A 7.21
(
ND-55.7
)
Dieldrin 6.18 A 4.38 A 11.52 A 5.40 A 6.47
(
1.5-120.9
)
Mercur
y
0.26 A 0.42 A 0.25 A 0.30 A 0.29
(
0.12-0.94
)
PCB Congenersd1246 A 2317 A 1129 A 1449 A 1435 (389-11674)
PCB 77 150.42 A 242.44 A 198.52 A 241.66 A 199.05 (35.9-584.5)
PCB 81 15.58 A 12.09 A 28.01 A 11.00 A 15.80
(
ND-132.0
)
PCB 126 238.29 A 419.08 A 262.42 A 353.92 A 301.58
(
51.4-1296.8
)
PCB 169 12.66 A 30.94 A 19.09 A 26.58 A 20.12
(
0.2-66.9
)
PCB 99 37.78 A 101.39 A 45.00 A 56.58 A 53.29
(
10.4-392.9
)
PCB 118 92.38 A 247.74 A 112.80 A 132.19 A 129.64
(
30.8-1049.6
)
PCB 153 226.10 A 368.89 A 179.43 A 250.03 A 242.43
(
71.1-1233.9
)
PCB 105 25.04 B 79.05 A 28.74 B 39.08 AB 36.56
(
9.2-162.3
)
PCB 138 182.98 A 398.02 A 171.44 A 224.08 A 222.15
(
58.2-1455.5
)
PCB 182/187 76.26 A 112.90 A 57.52 A 84.78 A 79.27
(
21.3-614.8
)
PCB 183 28.76 A 46.84 A 21.84 A 31.82 A 30.50
(
8.4-272.7
)
PCB 180 116.14 A 183.57 A 85.62 A 122.74 A 120.22
(
29.5-1314.2
)
PCB TE
Q
s 36.27 A 75.91 A 41.30 A 53.10 A 47.81
(
14.81-244.84
)
Note: Reach with highest concentration; NC = Not calculated, contaminant
detected in < 50% of eggs, ND = Not Detected.
aOrganochlorine contaminants (µg kg-1 wet weight), mercury (µg g-1 dry weight),
PCBs (µg kg-1 wet weight, except 77, 81, 126 and 169 ng kg-1wet weight) and TEQ
(ng kg-1).
bValues in rows sharing the same letter are not statistically significant.
Pentachlorobenzene (0.3 to 2.0 µg kg-1) detected in 9 eggs: 2 in Reach I, 1 in II, 4
in III and 2 in IV. Octachlorostyrene (0.6 to 1.0 µg kg-1) detected in 3 eggs: 1 in
Reach II and 2 in IV. Lindane (0.1 to 0.2 µg kg-1) was detected in 4 eggs: 1 in
Reach I, 1 in II and 2 in III.
cTotal chlordanes = sum of trans-nonachlor, cis-nonachlor, oxychlordane,
trans-chlordane, cis-chlordane.
dSum 42 congeners.
380
Figure 2. DDE, total chlordanes, HCB, and HE concentrations in Osprey
eggs collected along the Columbia River in 1997 and 1998. DDE expressed
as µg g-1 wet weight, while other OCs expressed as µg kg-1 wet weight. The
letters below the river mile scale represent dams (D), pulp and paper mills
(P), and smelters (S).
Mean PCDD concentrations showed no consistent pattern among the four
river reaches, though OCDD, which is not as toxic as other PCDDs, was
significantly higher in Reach III near the Portland/Vancouver urban area than
in Reach IV further downstream (Table 4). Of the 15 PCDD/PCDF congeners
analysed, only 6 PCDDs/PCDFs were detected in 50% of the eggs in Reach I
(calculated egg means shown in Table 4), whereas the incidence was higher in
Reach II (14 of 15), Reach III (9 of 15) and Reach IV (11 of 15). PCDD TEQs
(ng kg-1) were similar among the four reaches (9.10, 9.48, 7.53 and 9.44).
PCDF concentrations and TEQs were extremely low with no significant
differences among reaches (Table 4).
DDE in Columbia River Largescale Suckers
No fish were collected during our studies in 1997-1998. However, with
Osprey eggs from this study containing the highest DDE concentrations in
North America in recent years, we were interested in examining recent existing
data on DDE concentrations in whole-body samples of fish collected from the
lower Columbia River. Furthermore, with DDE concentrations significantly
higher in Osprey eggs from the Columbia River than from the nearby
Willamette River, a comparison of DDE concentrations in adult Largescale
381
Suckers (a very important species in the Osprey diet from both rivers) would be
particularly important. Three substantial series of Largescale Sucker data
(1990-1993) with multiple sampling stations were found. One series from 1991
was not used because of matrix and coeluting peak interferences at the
laboratory (Tetra Tech 1993). Sixteen composites (usually five fish) of
Largescale Suckers (mean weight of individuals 639 g) collected in August
1993 from 14 backwater sites between RM 14 and RM 124 had a mean DDE
concentration of 94 µg kg-1 ww (range for 14 sites, 37 to 160) (Tetra Tech
1996). Another series of 24 composites (usually three fish) from eight sites
(mean weight 590 g) was collected in 1990-1991 (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
2002). They were collected between RM 20 and RM 120, except for one site at
RM 286, and contained a mean DDE concentration of 84 µg kg-1 ww (range for
8 sites, 27 to 125). These means (84 and 94 µg kg-1), as perhaps expected, were
more than double the 32 µg kg-1 (geo.mean 22 µg kg-1) reported for Largescale
Suckers (mean weight 743 g) from the Willamette River in 1993 (Henny et al.
2003), and undoubtedly influenced DDE concentrations in Osprey eggs from
the two rivers (4872 vs. 2350 µg kg-1).
Figure 3. Mercury and OCDD concentrations, and PCB and Dioxin TEQs
in Osprey eggs collected along the Columbia River in 1997 and 1998.
Mercury expressed as µg g-1 dry weight, OCDD expressed as µg kg-1 wet
weight, while the TEQs expressed as ng kg-1. Letters below the river mile
scale represents dams (D), pulp and paper mills (P), and smelters (S).
382
Table 4. A comparison of PCDD and PCDF concentrations in Osprey eggs
by river reach from the Columbia River in 1997 and 1998.
River Reach (geo. mean)
ContaminantaIIIIII IV Combined(Extremes)
N9677 29
2378 TCDD 5.35 Ab5.47 A 2.15 A 4.29 A 4.09 (ND-22.2)
Total TCDD 6.26 A 6.38 A 2.56 A 5.50 A 4.91 (ND-23.5)
12378 P5CDD 0.59 A 1.07 A 1.96 A 2.84 A 1.30 (ND-11.1)
123478H6CDD NC 0.51 NC NC NC (ND-14.8)c
123678H6CDD NC 5.99 A 6.55 A 6.87 A 3.04 (ND-40.6)
123789H6CDD NC 0.73 A 1.03 A NC 0.49 (ND-10.4)
Total H6CDD 6.01 A 7.71 A 9.81 A 7.53 A 7.52 (ND-55.1)
1234678H7CDD 26.44 A 14.37 A 25.01 A 6.43 A 16.35 (1.9-150.6)
Total H7CDD 34.66 A 14.59 A 25.95 A 6.46 A 18.01 (1.9-150.6)
OCDD 104.30 AB 112.23 AB 178.11 A 17.86 B 78.70 (5.6-2062.6)
PCDD TEQs 9.10 A 9.48 A 7.53 A 9.44 A 8.85 (2.59-35.82)
2378 TCDF 0.80 A 1.62 A 1.36 A 0.56 A 0.96 (ND-10.3)
Total TCDF 1.86 A 2.73 A 1.86 A 0.70 A 1.59 (ND-18.0)
23478P5CDF NC NC NC 0.92 NC (ND-6.1)c
Total P5CDF 7.21 A 1.83 A 0.46 A 1.30 A 1.85 (ND-131.1)
123478H6CDF NC 0.34 A NC 0.34 A 0.20 (ND-3.8)
234678H6CDF NC 0.18 NC 0.18 NC (ND-1.7)c
123678H6CDF NC 0.23 NC 0.24 NC (ND-2.5)c
Total H6CDF 1.27 A 1.82 A 0.43 A 1.49 A 1.09 (ND-30.6)
1234678H7CDF NC 0.89 A 0.53 A NC 0.36 (ND-16.0)
1234789H7CDF NC 0.15 NC NC NC (ND-0.9)c
Total H7CDF 0.31 A 1.42 A 0.91 A 0.48 A 0.61 (ND-17.0)
OCDF 0.17 A 0.26 A 0.31 A 0.26 A 0.24 (ND-13.0)
PCDF TEQs 0.18 A 0.60 A 0.25 A 0.36 A 0.29 (0.0-1.19)
Combined TEQsd45.55 A 85.99 A 49.08 A 62.90 A 56.95 (12.47-281.53)
Note: Reach with highest concentration; NC = Not calculated, contaminant
detected in < 50% of eggs, ND = Not Detected.
a Concentrations ng kg-1 wet weight.
b Values in rows sharing the same letter are not statistically significant.
c No statistical tests conducted when combined concentration was NC.
d Includes PCBs, PCDDs and PCDFs.
Contaminant Effects on Osprey Productivity
Of pa rt i cu l a r i n t e r e s t a r e o u r D D E f i n d i n g s i n r e l a t i o n t o i t s w e l l - d o c u m e n t e d
e ff ec ts o n a v i a n r e p r o d u c t i o n a n d e g g - s h e l l t h i n n i n g . W i e m e y e r e t al . (1 98 8)
383
r ep or te d t ha t 1 5 an d 2 0% sh el l t hi nn i ng o f Osp re y e gg s was a s so ci at e d wi t h 42 00
a nd 8 70 0 µ g k g- 1 DDE, r e sp ec t iv el y. Ho w e v e r , n o d i r e c t i n f o r m a t i o n w a s
a va il ab l e o n O s p r e y p r o d u c t i v i t y r e l a t e d t o t h e D D E c o n c e n t r a t i o n s , a l t h o u g h
Lin ce r ( 19 75 ) n ot ed th at no t on e Nor t h Amer i ca n r ap to r p op ul a ti on e x hi bi t in g
18 % eggshell thinning has been able to maintain a stable self-perpetuating
population. Therefore, mean DDE concentrations in eggs somewhere between
4200 and 8700 µg kg-1 would be expected to result in a declining Osprey
population. Mean DDE concentrations in Osprey eggs from the Columbia
River study area were within, but at the lower end of, this range (geo. mean
4872 µg kg-1) (Table 3). We chose 8000 µg kg-1 as a DDE concentration of
special concern to evaluate Osprey nest success along the Columbia River in
1997-1998 and the Willamette River in 1993. Only one of 10 (10%) eggs from
the Willamette River contained > 8000 µg kg-1 DDE and the nest failed (Henny
et al. 2003). Two eggs of nine in the Columbia River in Reach I, 2 of 6 in
Reach II, 2 of 7 in Reach III, and 1 of 7 in Reach IV were above 8000 µg kg-1
(7 of 29; 24%). The seven nests from the Columbia River that contained eggs
with > 8000 µg kg-1 DDE produced only eight young (1.14 young/active nest);
one nest that failed contained a smashed egg. In contrast, the 10 nests with <
4200 µg kg-1 DDE in eggs produced 17 young (1.70 young/active nest), which
is excellent for Ospreys. The 11 nests with intermediate concentrations of DDE
in eggs (4200-8000 µg kg-1) produced at a rate (1.18 young/active nest) similar
to those with high DDE concentrations. We repeated this analysis with the
addition of the 10 nests with an egg collected in 1993 from the Willamette
River (Henny & Kaiser 1996) to better understand the relationship between
DDE and productivity. The productivity values did not change appreciably
with the addition of these 10 nests (Table 5), but recognize that one egg was
collected and analysed from each of these nests. Eggshell thinning associated
with the three DDE categories was 3.4%, 12.7% and 17.0%. Furthermore,
eggshell thickness followed the classic semi-logarithmic DDE response (Fig.
4). Eggshell thickness for the 29 eggs from the Columbia River in 1997-1998
was 0.446 mm (-11.7%), compared to 0.494 mm (-2.2%) for the 10 eggs
collected from the Willamette River in 1993.
Limited Osprey information was collected prior to this study from the lower
Columbia River. One of three Osprey eggs (33%) collected in 1983 (Henny &
Anthony 1989) and two of six eggs (33%) collected in 1995 and 1996 (Elliott
et al. 2000) contained > 8000 µg kg-1 ww DDE with the highest concentration
at 22,900 µg kg-1. The highest DDE concentration found during this study
(1997-1998) was slightly lower (18,377 µg kg-1) and 24 % of the eggs sampled
contained DDE > 8000 µg kg-1. Lower production rates than in 1997 (1.45
young/occupied nest) and 1998 (1.61 young/occupied nest) (Tables 1 and 2)
were recorded from a small series of nests (without an egg collected) studied in
1995 (Reaches II, III and IV only) (1.25 young/occupied nest, N = 12) and in
1996 (the same reaches) (1.20 young/occupied nest, N = 45 or 1.32
young/active nest N = 41). Farther upstream, on the Columbia River in
southern Canada and northeastern Washington in more recent years, DDE
concentrations in Osprey eggs collected in 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1997 were
lower than found during our study with annual geometric means (N = 4 to 9
384
eggs) of 1820, 1780, 3770 and 1100 µg kg-1, respectively (Elliott et al. 2000).
Eleven eggs randomly collected in 1972 and 1973 in nearby Idaho contained
much more DDE (geo. mean 7400 µg kg-1) with six eggs (55%) containing >
8000 µg kg-1 (Johnson et al. 1975). Four of the six nests in Idaho failed,
including the three nests with the highest DDE concentrations (12,000, 14,000
and 15,000 µg kg-1); only 0.73 young/active nest were produced.
Table 5. Number of young Ospreys produced per nest (with one egg
collected) in relation to DDE concentrations in the sample egg collected,
and eggshell thickness.
Number of Nests with DDE (µg kg-1)
Number of Young < 4200 4200-8000 > 8000
0133
1632
21063
3100
Active Nests 18 12 8
Successful Nests 17 9 5
Adv. Young 29 15 8
Young/Successful Nest 1.71 1.67 1.60
Young/Active Nest 1.61 1.25 1.00
Geo. Mean DDE (µg kg-1) 2131 5473 10510
Mean Shell Thickness (mm) 0.488 0.441 0.419
Shell Thinninga-3.4% -12.7% -17.0%
Note: One nest sampled did not have complete information for productivity (it was
excluded), and 10 nests were included from the Willamette River in 1993 (Henny and
Kaiser 1996).
aCompared to 0.505 mm for pre-DDT era eggshells from eastern U.S.A. (Anderson
and Hickey 1972).
Other OCs in Osprey eggs from our study area were extremely low, and
mercury (reported as dw) was considerably below the known effect
concentration (0.80 µg g-1 ww: Heinz 1979; Newton & Haas 1988) in all eggs.
TEQs for PCBs, PCDDs and PCDFs combined were below the no-observable-
adverse-effect for the hatching of Osprey eggs (136 ng kg-1 ww) suggested by
Woodward et al. (1998) and supported by Elliott et al. (2001), except for one
egg at RM 171 in 1998 (282 ng kg-1) which produced one young. However, this
egg also contained 8283 µg kg-1 of DDE. The rate of population change
(+9.6%) between 1997 and 1998 was not influenced by the production rates
observed in 1997 and 1998, but by recruits produced in 1995 or earlier (most
Ospreys begin breeding as three- year-olds [Poole et al. 2002]). The production
rates in 1995 and 1996 were higher than the generally accepted 0.80
young/active nest required to maintain a stable population, but lower than
reported in 1997 and 1998 (Tables 1 and 2). Thus, based upon the higher
production rates in 1997 and 1998, the Osprey population increase along the
Columbia River in the future may be more rapid, at least until nest sites or
other factors become limiting.
385
Figure 4. Significant negative relationship between shell thickness and log
DDE concentration in eggs of Ospreys collected from the Columbia River
(1997-1998) and the Willamette River (1993).
CONCLUSIONS
Ospreys were chosen because contaminant concentrations from fish
consumed are biomagnified in their eggs (Henny et al. 2003), thus, many
contaminants found at low concentrations or not detected in water or fish were
consistently detected in Osprey eggs. We anticipated that residue patterns may
emerge in Osprey eggs in relation to RM (from upper to lower river) and
known point sources of specific contaminants. The fairly uniform distribution
of Ospreys nesting along the 410km study area of the lower Columbia River
permitted an overall evaluation of contaminant concentrations in eggs and their
effects, as well as an evaluation of spatial patterns that could be used for
detecting unknown contaminant sources. Residue data were presented spatially
for individual eggs and issues that may confound the interpretation of residues
in individual Osprey eggs were discussed. Therefore, general spatial patterns or
means for river reaches, as opposed to individual egg concentrations, were of
most interest.
Eggs from the Osprey population nesting along the lower Columbia River in
1997-1998 still have the highest DDE concentrations reported in North
America during the late 1980s or 1990s (see Steidl et al. 1991; Audet et al.
1992; Woodford et al. 1998; Ewins et al. 1999; Clark et al. 2001; Martin et al.
2003), and correspondingly high DDE concentrations were found in a key fish
species in their diet, the Largescale Sucker. However, the observed
productivity in 1997-1998 was above that believed necessary to maintain a
stable population. An observed population increase between 1997 and 1998
386
supports this assumption. Yet data presented showed that DDE negatively
influenced eggshell thickness and productivity at some nests. The parent-
material (DDT) in the egg with 18777 µg kg-1 was extremely low (2.3 µg kg-1),
which strongly suggests that the DDE source was not recently applied DDT
(Henny et al. 1982). The other contaminants found in the eggs, except for one
egg with a high TEQ from PCBs and PCDDs, appear to be below any known
effect levels for Ospreys.
Additional fish collections and Osprey egg collections, with the specific
purpose of further studying fish--Osprey egg contaminant relationships, were
conducted on the Willamette River in 2001 and will be the subject of a future
report. In that Willamette study, 30 pools of fish (two species) were collected
in five reaches of the river (at three sites within each reach) and 25 Osprey eggs
(five eggs in each reach) were collected. A better understanding of the
relationships between fish and Osprey egg contaminant concentrations via
biomagnification should result. We will also evaluate the relationships between
the biomarker H4IIE and selected egg residue concentrations, which could
result in reducing analytical chemistry costs. However, we believe the basic
Osprey population data, egg residue data and productivity data collected along
the lower Columbia River in 1997 and 1998 provide a basis for evaluating
future changes in contaminants and their effects, and future changes in Osprey
population numbers.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This project was funded by the Biomonitoring Environmental Status and
Trends Program of USGS administered by Christine Bunck and Timothy
Bartish. Barnett Rattner and Pamela Toschik, USGS, Patuxent Wildlife
Research Center, Laurel, MD, and Gregory Fuhrer, USGS, Portland, OR,
kindly reviewed an early draft of the manuscript. Jeremy Buck kindly provided
access to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service data and reports. We thank George
Lienkaemper for preparing the map, the U.S. Coast Guard for permitting USGS
personnel to access navigation aids on the Columbia River, and Sarah Ghasedi
for her Word Processing skills in preparing the manuscript.
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Charles J. Henny, Robert A. Grove,
James L. Kaiser and V. Raymond Bentley
USGS - Forest & Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center
3200 SW Jefferson Way
Corvallis, Oregon 97331
U.S.A.
