EROD activity, chromosomal damage, and oxidative stress in response to contaminant exposure to tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) nesting in the Great Lakes Areas of Concern: Data

Tree swallow, Tachycineta bicolor, nestlings were collected from 60 sites in the Great Lakes which included multiple sites at 27 Areas of Concern (AOCs) and 6 sites not listed as AOCs from 2010 to 2014. Nestlings were measured for ethoxyresorufin-O-dealkylase (EROD) activity, chromosomal damage (DNA CV), and six measures of oxidative stress. Each of these bioindicators was divided into four groups from the highest to lowest values and the groups were compared to contaminant concentrations using multivariate analysis. Nestling contaminant concentrations included polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), and 17 elements. Alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (aPAHs), parent PAHs (pPAHs) were measured in pooled nestling dietary samples. Sibling egg data including measurements of dioxins and selected pesticides were also included in the analysis. Concentrations of aPAHs, pPAHs, and PCBs, in that order, were the major contributors to the significant differences between the lowest and highest EROD activity groups; the pesticides chlordane, heptachlor, and dieldrin were of secondary importance. PBDEs and PFCs were of lower importance and the remaining pesticides and elements contributed very little. PAH toxic equivalents, dieldrin, heptachlor, and chlordane, in that order, were the major contributors to the difference between the low and the two highest groups of DNA CV; pPAHs and aPAHs were or secondary importance. The four categories of reduced glutathione (GSH) and the ratio oxidized glutathione (GSSG)/GSH were not significantly different. There were significant differences among categories of thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (TBARS), GSSG, total sulfhydryl (TSH), and protein bound sulfhydryl (PBSH); however, the individual categories of low to high values barely differed from one another.

[
  "010:12"
]

[
  "geospatial"
]