416 



Human Inthu'ticfs — Our Liviiii; Rcsdiirces 



For further information: 



C.J. Schniitt 



National Biological Service 



Midwesl Science Center 



4200 New Haven Rd. 



Columbia, MO 65201 



Wildlife 



Mortality 



Attributed to 



Organophos- 



phorus and 



Carbamate 



Pesticides 



by 



Linda C. Glaser 



National Biological Service 



References 



Aguillar, A. 1984. Relationships of DDE/DDT in marine 

 mammals to the chronology ot DDT input into the 

 ecosystem. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic 

 Science 21:840-844. 



Baker. J.E.. T.M. Church. S.J. Eisenreich. W.J. Fitzgerald, 

 and J.R. Scudlark. 1993. Relative atmospheric loadings 

 of toxic contaminants and nitrogen to the Great Waters. 

 A report to the Great Waters Program. U.S. 

 Environmental Protection Agency. Research Triangle 

 Park, NC. 142 pp. 



Bunck, CM.. R.M. Prouty. and A.J. Krynitsky. 1987. 

 Residues of organochlorine pesticides and polychloro- 

 biphenyls in starlings [Stiimiis vulgaris) from the conti- 

 nental United States, 1982, Environmental Monitonng 

 and Assessment 8:.'i9-75- 



Carson, R. 1962. Silent spring. Houghton-Milllin. Boston, 

 MA. 368 pp. 



Driscoll. C.T.. C. Yan, C.L. Schot'ield. R. Munson, and J. 

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 Technology 28:136A-143A. 



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 55:4209-4212.1 



Federal Register 1994. Endangered and threatened wildlife 

 and plants; reclassify the bald eagle from endangered to 

 threatened in most of the lower 48 states. Federal 

 Register ,59:35584-35594. 



Fry. D.M., and C.K. Toone. 1981. DDT-induced feminiza- 

 tion of gull embryos. Science 213:922-924. 



Giesy. J.P, J.P Ludwig, and D.E. Tillitt. 1994. Deformities 

 in birds of the Great Lakes Region. Environmental 

 Science and Technology 28:128A-135A. 



Heath, R.G.. and R.M. Prouty. 1967. Trial monitonng of 

 pesticides in wings of mallards and black ducks. Bull, ol 

 Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 2:101- 

 110. 



Henny, C,J.. FR, Ward. K.E. Riddle, and R.M. Prouty. 

 1982. Migratory peregrine falcons, Falco peregriiuis. 

 accumulate pesticides in Latin America during winter 

 Canadian Field-Naturalisl 96:333-338. 



Johnson. R.E., T.C, Carver, and E.H, Dustman. 1967. 

 Indicator species near top of food chain chosen for 

 assessment of pesticide base levels in fish and wildlife — 



clams, oysters, and sediment in estuanne environment. 

 Pesticide Monitoring Journal 1:7-13, 



Lemly. A.D. 1993. Guidelines tor evaluating selenium data 

 from aquatic monitoring and assessment studies. 

 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 26: 1 8 1 -204. 



O'Shea, T„ W.J. Fleming III, and E. Cromartie. 1980. DDT 

 contamination at Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge. 

 Science 209:509-510. 



Prouty, R.M., and CM. Bunck, 1986. Organochlorine 

 residues in adult mallard and black duck wings, 1981-82. 

 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 6:49-57. 



Schmitt, C.J., and W.G. Brumbaugh. 1990. National 

 Contaminant Biomonitoring Program: concentrations of 

 arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, selenium, and 

 zinc in freshwater fishes of the United States, 1976-1984. 

 Archives of Environmental Contamination and 

 Toxicology 19:731-747. 



Schmitt, CJ., J.L. Zajicek, and PL. Peterman. 1990. 

 National Contaminant Biomonitoring Program: residues 

 of organochlorine chemicals in freshwater fishes of the 

 United States. 1976-1984. Archives of Environmental 

 Contamination and Toxicology 19:748-782. 



Smith. R.A.. R.B. Alexander, and M.G. Holman. 1987. 

 Water quality trends in the nation's rivers. Science 

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Spitsbergen. J.M.. M.K. Walker. J.R. Olson, and R.E. 

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 tetrachlorodibenz,o-/)-dioxin as fertilized eggs. Aquatic 

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Wiemeyer. S.N.. CM. Bunck, and C.J. Stafford. 1993. 

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Wren, CD. 1991. Cause-effect linkages between cheinicals 

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Organophosphorus (OP) and carbamate pes- 

 ticides are used widely in agricultural and 

 residential applications as insecticides, herbi- 

 cides, fungicities. and rodenticides. This family 

 of chemicals replaced the organochlorine pesti- 

 cides banned for use in the United States in the 

 1970"s. Unlike organochlorine pesticides, 

 which are long-lived in the environment and 

 cause biological damage when they accumulate 

 in an organism's system over time. OP and car- 

 bamate pesticides are short-lived in the environ- 

 ment and fast-acting on their "target pest." 

 Direct mortality of wildlife from organochlo- 

 rine pesticides was uncommon (Hayes and 

 Wayland 1975): however, mortality is the pri- 

 mary documented effect on wildlife from OP 

 and carbamate pesticides (Grue et al. 1983). 

 Organophosphorus and carbamate pesticide 

 toxicity is not specific to a target "pest," and 

 lethal effects are seen in nontarget organisms: 

 birds appear to be the most sensitive class of 

 animals affected by these pesticides. 



Organophosphorus and carbamate pesticides 

 primainly affect the nervous system by inhibit- 

 ing acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme activi- 

 ty. This enzyme's main function in the nervous 

 system is to break down the neurotransmitter 

 acetylcholine. When AChE is altered by OP and 

 carbamate pesticides, it cannot perform this 

 breakdown function and acetylcholine accumu- 

 lates. Acetylcholine accumulation increases 

 nerve impulse transmission and leads to nerve 

 exhaustion and. ultimately, failure of the ner- 

 vous system. When the nervous system fails, 

 muscles do not receive the electrical input they 

 require to move. The respiratory muscles are the 

 most critical muscle group affected, and respi- 

 ratory paralysis is often the immediate cause of 

 death. 



Documentation of Poisoning 



Virtually no reported findings of dead or 

 affected birds are based on planned surveys or 



