Thomas Custer (Former Employee)
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 185
Mercury and other element exposure in tree swallows nesting at low pH and neutral pH lakes in northern Wisconsin USA
The primary objective of this study was to determine whether tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) demonstrate similar responses to lake pH and mercury (Hg) contamination in northern Wisconsin as do common loons (Gavia immer). Similar to common loons, Hg concentrations in the blood of tree swallow nestlings were higher, Hg concentrations in eggs tended to be higher, and egg size tended to be smaller
Authors
Thomas W. Custer, Christine M. Custer, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Paul Dummer, R. Rossmann, K.P. Kenow, M.W. Meyer
Organochlorine contaminants and reproductive success of black skimmers in south Texas, 1984
Ninety-four Black Skimmer (Rhynchops niger) nests on a dredged-material island colony near Laguna Vista, Texas, were fenced and monitored in 1984 from early incubation until 21 d after the last egg hatched. The daily probability of success was greater during the nestling (99.7%/d/nest) period than during the incubation (98.5%) or hatching (98.5%) periods. By contrast, the success of eggs or young
Authors
T. W. Custer, C. A. Mitchell
Effects of egg order on organic and inorganic element concentrations and egg characteristics in tree swallows, tachycineta bicolor
The laying order of tree swallow eggs was identified from the Housatonic River, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, USA, and eggs were chemically analyzed individually to document possible effects of laying order on organic contaminant and inorganic element concentrations. Effects of laying order on other parameters such as egg weight, size, and lipid and moisture content also were assessed. Some eff
Authors
Christine M. Custer, Brian R. Gray, Thomas W. Custer
Perfluorinated compounds and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in great blue heron eggs from three colonies on the Mississippi River, Minnesota
Archived Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) eggs (N = 16) collected in 1993 from three colonies on the Mississippi River in Minnesota were analyzed in 2007 for perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). One of the three colonies, Pig's Eye, was located near a presumed source of PFCs. Based on a multivariate analysis, the pattern of nine PFC concentrations differed s
Authors
Thomas W. Custer, Kurunthachalam Kannan, Lin Tao, Se Hun Yun, Annette Trowbridge
Polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, furans, and organochlorine pesticides in spotted sandpiper eggs from the upper Hudson River basin, New York
In 2004, spotted sandpipers (Actitis macularia) were studied on the Hudson River near Fort Edward south to New Baltimore, NY and on two river drainages that flow into the Hudson River. Concentrations of 28 organochlorine pesticides, 160 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, and 17 dioxin and furan (PCDD-F) congeners were quantified in eggs collected on and off the Hudson River. The pattern of
Authors
Thomas W. Custer, Christine M. Custer, Brian R. Gray
Patterns of organic contaminants in eggs of an insectivorous, an omnivorous, and a piscivorous bird nesting on the Hudson River, New York, USA
Belted kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon), spotted sandpiper (Actitus macularia), and tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) eggs were collected in 2004 from the upper Hudson River, New York, USA. This area is one of the most polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)‐contaminated locations in North America. Multivariate analyses indicated among species differences in the concentration and composition of PCB congeners, p
Authors
Christine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Paul Dummer
Polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, furans, and organochlorine pesticides in belted kingfisher eggs from the upper Hudson River basin, New York, USA
Nesting belted kingfishers (hereafter kingfishers, Ceryle alcyon) were studied on the Hudson River near Fort Edward south to New Baltimore (NY, USA) and three nearby river drainages in 2004. Concentrations of 28 organochlorine pesticides, 160 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, and 17 dioxin and furan (PCDD‐F) congeners were quantified in kingfisher eggs. The pattern of organochlorine pestic
Authors
Thomas W. Custer, Christine M. Custer, Brian R. Gray
Perfluorinated compounds and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in great blue heron eggs from Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Indiana
In 2007 archived great blue heron (Ardea herodias) eggs collected from Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, IN, (Indiana Dunes) in 1993 were analyzed for 11 perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) and 7 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonate, the major contributor to total PFC concentrations, were below the toxicity thresholds estimated for bobwhite quail (Colinus
Authors
T. W. Custer, K. Kannan, L. Tao, A.R. Saxena, B. Route
PCBs and DDE in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) eggs and nestlings from an estuarine PCB superfund site, New Bedford Harbor, MA, U.S.A.
While breeding tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) have been used as biomonitors for freshwater sites, we report the first use of this species to assess contaminant bioaccumulation from estuarine breeding grounds into these aerial insectivores. Eggs and nestlings were collected from nest boxes in a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contaminated estuary, the New Bedford Harbor Superfund site (NBH, Mas
Authors
Saro Jayaraman, Diane E. Nacci, Denise M. Champlin, Richard J. Pruell, Kenneth J. Rocha, Christine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Mark Cantwell
Corticosterone stress response in tree swallows nesting near polychlorinated biphenyl- and dioxin-contaminated rivers
We assayed baseline and stress-induced corticosterone concentrations from adult female and nestling tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, from New England, USA, sites with different levels of contamination with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Corticosterone was compared over 2 years from a highly contaminated PCB site along the Housatonic River (Berks
Authors
M.D. Franceschini, Christine M. Custer, T. W. Custer, J.M. Reed, L.M. Romero
Concentrations of metals in blood and feathers of nestling ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) in Chesapeake and Delaware Bays
In 2000, 2001, and 2002, blood and feather samples were collected from 40–45-day-old nestling ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) from Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay and River. Concentrations of 18 metals, metalloids, and other elements were determined in these samples by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy, and Hg concentrations were measured by cold vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy. When c
Authors
Barnett A. Rattner, N. H. Golden, P. C. Toschik, P. C. McGowan, T. W. Custer
Contaminant levels in eggs of American white pelicans, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, from Chase Lake, North Dakota
American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) are colonial nesters, making them susceptible to site-specific mortality factors. One of the largest known breeding colonies is at Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge in North Dakota. In 2004, this colony suffered total reproductive failure. In 2005, we collected abandoned eggs from this colony to test for environmental contaminants. Nine eggs we
Authors
Pamela J. Pietz, Marsha A. Sovada, Christine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Kevin M. Johnson
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 185
Mercury and other element exposure in tree swallows nesting at low pH and neutral pH lakes in northern Wisconsin USA
The primary objective of this study was to determine whether tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) demonstrate similar responses to lake pH and mercury (Hg) contamination in northern Wisconsin as do common loons (Gavia immer). Similar to common loons, Hg concentrations in the blood of tree swallow nestlings were higher, Hg concentrations in eggs tended to be higher, and egg size tended to be smaller
Authors
Thomas W. Custer, Christine M. Custer, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Paul Dummer, R. Rossmann, K.P. Kenow, M.W. Meyer
Organochlorine contaminants and reproductive success of black skimmers in south Texas, 1984
Ninety-four Black Skimmer (Rhynchops niger) nests on a dredged-material island colony near Laguna Vista, Texas, were fenced and monitored in 1984 from early incubation until 21 d after the last egg hatched. The daily probability of success was greater during the nestling (99.7%/d/nest) period than during the incubation (98.5%) or hatching (98.5%) periods. By contrast, the success of eggs or young
Authors
T. W. Custer, C. A. Mitchell
Effects of egg order on organic and inorganic element concentrations and egg characteristics in tree swallows, tachycineta bicolor
The laying order of tree swallow eggs was identified from the Housatonic River, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, USA, and eggs were chemically analyzed individually to document possible effects of laying order on organic contaminant and inorganic element concentrations. Effects of laying order on other parameters such as egg weight, size, and lipid and moisture content also were assessed. Some eff
Authors
Christine M. Custer, Brian R. Gray, Thomas W. Custer
Perfluorinated compounds and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in great blue heron eggs from three colonies on the Mississippi River, Minnesota
Archived Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) eggs (N = 16) collected in 1993 from three colonies on the Mississippi River in Minnesota were analyzed in 2007 for perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). One of the three colonies, Pig's Eye, was located near a presumed source of PFCs. Based on a multivariate analysis, the pattern of nine PFC concentrations differed s
Authors
Thomas W. Custer, Kurunthachalam Kannan, Lin Tao, Se Hun Yun, Annette Trowbridge
Polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, furans, and organochlorine pesticides in spotted sandpiper eggs from the upper Hudson River basin, New York
In 2004, spotted sandpipers (Actitis macularia) were studied on the Hudson River near Fort Edward south to New Baltimore, NY and on two river drainages that flow into the Hudson River. Concentrations of 28 organochlorine pesticides, 160 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, and 17 dioxin and furan (PCDD-F) congeners were quantified in eggs collected on and off the Hudson River. The pattern of
Authors
Thomas W. Custer, Christine M. Custer, Brian R. Gray
Patterns of organic contaminants in eggs of an insectivorous, an omnivorous, and a piscivorous bird nesting on the Hudson River, New York, USA
Belted kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon), spotted sandpiper (Actitus macularia), and tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) eggs were collected in 2004 from the upper Hudson River, New York, USA. This area is one of the most polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)‐contaminated locations in North America. Multivariate analyses indicated among species differences in the concentration and composition of PCB congeners, p
Authors
Christine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Paul Dummer
Polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, furans, and organochlorine pesticides in belted kingfisher eggs from the upper Hudson River basin, New York, USA
Nesting belted kingfishers (hereafter kingfishers, Ceryle alcyon) were studied on the Hudson River near Fort Edward south to New Baltimore (NY, USA) and three nearby river drainages in 2004. Concentrations of 28 organochlorine pesticides, 160 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, and 17 dioxin and furan (PCDD‐F) congeners were quantified in kingfisher eggs. The pattern of organochlorine pestic
Authors
Thomas W. Custer, Christine M. Custer, Brian R. Gray
Perfluorinated compounds and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in great blue heron eggs from Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Indiana
In 2007 archived great blue heron (Ardea herodias) eggs collected from Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, IN, (Indiana Dunes) in 1993 were analyzed for 11 perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) and 7 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonate, the major contributor to total PFC concentrations, were below the toxicity thresholds estimated for bobwhite quail (Colinus
Authors
T. W. Custer, K. Kannan, L. Tao, A.R. Saxena, B. Route
PCBs and DDE in tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) eggs and nestlings from an estuarine PCB superfund site, New Bedford Harbor, MA, U.S.A.
While breeding tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) have been used as biomonitors for freshwater sites, we report the first use of this species to assess contaminant bioaccumulation from estuarine breeding grounds into these aerial insectivores. Eggs and nestlings were collected from nest boxes in a polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contaminated estuary, the New Bedford Harbor Superfund site (NBH, Mas
Authors
Saro Jayaraman, Diane E. Nacci, Denise M. Champlin, Richard J. Pruell, Kenneth J. Rocha, Christine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Mark Cantwell
Corticosterone stress response in tree swallows nesting near polychlorinated biphenyl- and dioxin-contaminated rivers
We assayed baseline and stress-induced corticosterone concentrations from adult female and nestling tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, from New England, USA, sites with different levels of contamination with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). Corticosterone was compared over 2 years from a highly contaminated PCB site along the Housatonic River (Berks
Authors
M.D. Franceschini, Christine M. Custer, T. W. Custer, J.M. Reed, L.M. Romero
Concentrations of metals in blood and feathers of nestling ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) in Chesapeake and Delaware Bays
In 2000, 2001, and 2002, blood and feather samples were collected from 40–45-day-old nestling ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) from Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay and River. Concentrations of 18 metals, metalloids, and other elements were determined in these samples by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy, and Hg concentrations were measured by cold vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy. When c
Authors
Barnett A. Rattner, N. H. Golden, P. C. Toschik, P. C. McGowan, T. W. Custer
Contaminant levels in eggs of American white pelicans, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, from Chase Lake, North Dakota
American White Pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) are colonial nesters, making them susceptible to site-specific mortality factors. One of the largest known breeding colonies is at Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge in North Dakota. In 2004, this colony suffered total reproductive failure. In 2005, we collected abandoned eggs from this colony to test for environmental contaminants. Nine eggs we
Authors
Pamela J. Pietz, Marsha A. Sovada, Christine M. Custer, Thomas W. Custer, Kevin M. Johnson