Meeting Abstract
Anthropogenic activities can emit metal pollutants, such as lead, into the environment and potentially elevate lead exposure in urban wildlife. Lead is toxic at relatively low concentrations and it has the potential to bioaccumulate and negatively impact the fitness of exposed organisms when introduced into an ecosystem. The route of exposure may vary across species depending on diet, excretion ability, and age. The Flint, MI water crisis introduced lead into some neighborhoods and likely into the soil via irrigation of lawns, threatening not only the health of humans, but also of urban wildlife. Avian species such as the American Robin, European Starling, and Gray Catbird commonly live within urban habitats and may be exposed differently to lead via diet preferences (i.e., initial exposure) or via physiological processes that impact the circulation or excretion of lead in the body. For example, nestlings and juveniles may be fed preferred food items that differ in quantity or type from adult diets, potentially influencing accumulation across age. Studies have also suggested that a potential pathway for excretion of lead in songbirds is through feather growth during molt or development and that lead can be stored and released as bone absorbs and releases calcium during growth processes. This study explores blood lead levels in several species of songbird in a city of known lead pollution to investigate accumulation across ages and whether or not blood lead changes across the molt. This preliminary study will provide insight into how lead moves through an ecosystem and how avian species of different age groups might be impacted by a sequestration of anthropogenic lead pollution.
