Gary Howard Heinz

USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center

Building 308, BARC
10300 Baltimore Avenue

Beltsville, MD 20705

Telephone: 301-497-5711

Fax: 301-497-5624

Email: gheinz@usgs.gov 

Wildlife Biologist

Primary Responsibilities: 
Conduct research on the effects of environmental contaminants on wildlife.

Education/Training: 
PhD, Michigan State University, 1969; wildlife biology

Published over 90 peer-reviewed papers or book chapters on the toxicity of contaminants to wildlife.

Special Achievement Award from US Fish and Wildlife Service for research on the impacts of mercury on birds - 1981

Exceptional Service Award from the American Society for Testing and Materials for service in the development of consensus standards for effects of contaminants on wildlife - 1985

Scientific Achievement Award from the US Geological Survey for work as assistant editor for a book on the effects of contaminants on wildlife populations, communities, and ecosystems - 2001

Superior Service Award from the Department of Interior for outstanding accomplishments as an ecotoxicologist - 2005

Scientific Achievement Award from USGS for research on lead-contaminated sediments - 2006

Active Projects: 

The use of egg injections to measure the toxicity of methylmercury to different species of birds

Toxic interactions of mercury and selenium on waterfowl

Reproductive effects of methylmercury on birds

Publications/Products: 

Heinz, G.H., D.J. Hoffman, S.K. Kondrad, and C.A. Erwin.  2006.  Factors affecting the toxicity of methylmercury injected into eggs.  Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology  50:264-279.

Hoffman, D.J., G.H. Heinz, and D.J. Audet.  2006.  Phosphorus amendment reduces hematological effects of lead in mallards ingesting contaminated sediments.  Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology  50:421-428.

Heinz, G.H., D.J. Hoffman, and D.J. Audet. 2004. Phosphorus amendment reduces bioavailability of lead to mallards ingesting contaminated sediments.  Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology  46:534-541. 

Heinz, G.H. and D.J. Hoffman.  2003.  Embryotoxic thresholds of mercury: Estimates from individual mallard eggs.  Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 44:257-264.

Weiner. J.G., D.P. Krabbenhoft, G.H. Heinz, and A.M. Scheuhammer.  2003.  Ecotoxicology of mercury.  In Hoffman, D.J., B.A. Rattner, G.A. Burton, Jr., and J. Cairns, Jr. (eds.) Handbook of Ecotoxicology, Second Edition.  Lewis. Boca Raton, FL.

Vyas, N.B., J.W. Spann, and G.H. Heinz. 2001. Lead toxicity to passerines. Environmental Pollution 111:135-138.

Albers, P.H., G.H. Heinz, and H.M Ohlendorf (eds.). 2000. Environmental contaminants and terrestrial vertebrates: Effects on populations, communities, and ecosystems. SETAC Press, Pensacola, FL. 322 pp.

Beyer, W.N. and G.H. Heinz. 2000. Implications of regulating environmental contaminants on the basis of wildlife populations and communities. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 19:1703-1704.

Heinz, G.H., D.J. Hoffman, L. Sileo, D.J. Audet, and L.J. LeCaptain. 1999. Toxicity of lead-contaminated sediment to mallards. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 36:323-333.

Heinz, G.H. and D.J. Hoffman. 1998. Methylmercury chloride and selenomethionine interactions on health and reproduction in mallards. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 17:139-145.