HEAVY METALS IN AMERICAN ROBINS: IMPACTS AND IMPLICATIONS

American Robins are ubiquitous to backyards across the nation but have been relatively ignored from a geoscience perspective. This ecologically significant species is exposed to heavy metals through their diet and accidental ingestion of soil, providing a new angle to examine heavy metal contamination in the environment. While heavy metal toxicity in songbirds is well-established, detection and monitoring techniques require further advancement. This study aims to further develop detection techniques via ICP-MS, explore lead toxicity over time, and develop an understanding of the severity and mechanisms of heavy metal poisoning in American Robins. XRF data from historical and modern bones were used to examine changes in heavy metals from roughly 1980 until now. Whole blood and spun-down red blood cells (RBCs) ICP-MS data sets were analyzed to validate the novel use of spun-down RBCs for measuring blood lead concentrations as well as evaluate current heavy metal concentrations in populations located in Anchorage, AK, and Bloomington, IN.