Animal Sciences Commons^™

Evaluation Of Wetlands Created With Effluent From A Swine Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation Using Mallard Sentinels: Implications For Mcmurtrey National Wildlife Refuge, Matthew S. Schwarz, Christina D. Lydick

United States Fish and Wildlife: Staff Publications

Previous work by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service identified nutrients, elemental contaminants, algal toxins, bacterial pathogens, and hormones as contaminants of concern (COCs) associated with wetlands created from the secondary effluent of a large swine concentrated animal feeding operation. In this follow-up study, COC exposure and effects to waterfowl were evaluated using game farm mallards. Mallards were kept in enclosures built on two created wetlands (treatment sites) and two reference wetlands that are federally managed for waterfowl habitat. Water quality in the created wetland enclosures had higher specific conductivity, BOD, turbidity, pH, and nutrients than reference wetlands. Algal blooms …