Do Thyroid Hormone Levels Indicate Stress from Environmental Pollutants in Nestling Bald Eagles?
Bowerman, William*,1, Susan, Lombardini2, Refsal, Kent2, Sikarskie, James2, Croisant, Emma3, Grasman, Keith3, 1 Clemson University, Pendleton, SC, USA2 Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA3 Wright State University, Dayton, OH, USA ABSTRACT- It has been proposed that levels of thyroid hormones measured in plasma of birds are indicative of stress caused by environmental toxicants, particularly planar halogenated compounds. In order to test this hypothesis we conducted both a field experiment using nestling bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and a controlled laboratory study using leghorn chickens. Nestling eagles were sampled during an ongoing contaminant monitoring project. Up to 12 cc of blood was drawn from the brachial vein using asceptic techniques. Plasma was centrifuged and stored in liquid nitrogen. Fertilized, leghorn chicken eggs were unexposed or injected with 0, 0.100, 0.175, 0.250 or 0.325 ng/g of PCB 126 in sunflower oil into the air cell. Plasma was collect
