Abstract
ABSTRACT The understanding of Cd impacts to avian species has been improved by recent studies and the extensive literature review completed as part of the development of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Ecological Soil Screening Levels (Eco-SSLs). Therefore, we sought to update the Cd toxicity reference value (TRV) for birds used by regulatory agencies and resource trustees in California for predictive ecological risk assessments. We surveyed the available literature sources, particularly TRVs between the currently used TRV (0.08 mg/kg/d) and the Eco-SSL TRV (1.47 mg/kg/d) to identify the lowest, ecologically relevant no observed adverse effect levels (NOAELs) for oral exposure of birds to Cd. As a result, we identified an ecologically protective NOAEL TRV of 0.7 mg/kg/d, based primarily on renal effects in wood ducks, but supported by another study with both renal and reproductive endpoints. In addition, a lowest observed adverse effect level (LOAEL) of 1.0 mg/kg/d was selected based on kidney nephrosis in mallards. Overall, these updated TRVs incorporate more recent studies on Cd toxicity in birds while establishing thresholds based on ecologically relevant endpoints.
Published Version
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