title: Incubation stage and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congener patterns in an altricial and precocial bird species.
abstract: The composition of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners was compared between non-incubated and embryonated eggs of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) and little terns (Sterna albifrons) to determine if measurable changes in PCB congeners occurred during the embryonic period. There was no indication of changes in PCB congener patterns over the incubation period in tree swallows in 1999 and 2000 at a site with very high PCB exposure or a site with more modest PCB exposure. Additionally, congeners known to be either quickly metabolized or conserved based on experimental studies did not generally respond as predicted. Similarly, PCB congener patterns in eggs of little terns from Bottsand, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, did not differ between non-incubated and embryonated eggs. The results from both species suggest that the stage of incubation is not an important consideration when evaluating PCB congener patterns; comparisons and assessments can be made with eggs collected at all stages of incubation.
authors.affiliation: USGS, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, 2630 Fanta Reed Rd., La Crosse, WI 54603, USA. Electronic address: ccuster@usgs.gov.
authors.forename: Christine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Custer
authors.affiliation: USGS, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, 2630 Fanta Reed Rd., La Crosse, WI 54603, USA. Electronic address: tcuster@usgs.gov.
authors.forename: Thomas W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Custer
authors.affiliation: Schlossstrasse 30, D-53115 Bonn, Germany. Electronic address: s.thyen@t-online.de.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thyen
authors.affiliation: Institut für Vogelforschung "Vogelwarte Helgoland", An der Vogelwarte 21, D-26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Electronic address: peter.becker@ifv-vogelwarte.de.
authors.forename: Peter H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Becker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000378:metabolism*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005858:Germany; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D046388:Swallows / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: Little tern; PCB congener profile; PCBs; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Tree swallow