Internal organs of dead bird were 2.3% Petroleum Hydrocarbons (Lab Results)

"Dead Bird Island" Testing Results, Lower Mississippi Riverkeeper (Wilma Subra, Chemist), September 28, 2010:

Results of sampling performed by the  in Terrebonne Bay on August 19, 2010... south of Point-au-Chien, Modato Island:

• Samples were collected along the shore of the island, 10-12 inches deep, under the vegetation matted material washed in by the tide. The soil/sediment sample was contaminated with 48.4 mg/kg of Petroleum Hydrocarbons and 10 Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (0.039 mg/kg).
• The internal organs from a gull, found dead, on the island contained 23,302 mg/kg Petroleum Hydrocarbons (2.3%). The Blue Crab and Hermit Crab contained 3,583 mg/kg Petroleum Hydrocarbons and 4 PAHs (0.162 mg/kg).
• At the southwest end of Modato Island the sediment/soil was contaminated with higher concentrations of Petroleum Hydrocarbons and Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), 68.3 mg/kg Petroleum Hydrocarbons and 14 Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons (0.051 mg/kg).
• On the north shoreline of Lake Chien... Fiddler Crab and Snail from this area contained 6,916 mg/kg Petroleum Hydrocarbons and 1 PAH (0.012 mg/kg).
• The marsh grass along the shoreline of Lake Chien contained 3,946 mg/kg Petroleum Hydrocarbons and 10 PAHs (0.326 mg/kg).

h/t PrjGulfImpact

Read the report here.

Lower Mississippi River Keeper