Coal fly ash basins as an attractive nuisance to birds: Parental provisioning exposes nestlings to harmful trace elements

Birds attracted to nest around coal ash settling basins may expose their young to contaminants by provisioning them with contaminated food. Diet and tissues of Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscala) nestlings were analyzed for trace elements to determine if nestlings were accumulating elements via dietary exposure and if feather growth limits elemental accumulation in other tissues. Arsenic, cadmium, and selenium concentrations in ash basin diets were 5× higher than reference diets. Arsenic, cadmium, and selenium concentrations were elevated in feather, liver, and carcass, but only liver Se concentrations approached levels of concern. Approximately 15% of the total body burden of Se, As, and Cd was sequestered in feathers of older (>5 days) nestlings, whereas only 1% of the total body burden of Sr was sequestered in feathers. Feather concentrations of only three elements (As, Se, and Sr) were correlated with liver concentrations, indicating their value as non-lethal indicators of exposure.

► We examined elemental uptake by grackle nestlings associated with coal ash basins.
► Diet of ash basin nestlings had higher levels of Se, As, and Cd than control nestlings.
► Se, As, Cd, and Sr concentrations of ash basin nestling tissues were elevated.
► Only Se in nestling liver approached published levels of concern.
► Nestling feathers sequestered >15% of the total body burden of Se, As, and Cd.