European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) Suggest That Landfills Are an Important Source of Bioaccumulative Flame Retardants to Canadian Terrestrial Ecosystems

Abstract

Landfills are used as the primary means for the disposal of municipal solid waste in Canada. In the present study, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and other flame retardants (FRs) were determined in fresh European starling ( Sturnus vulgaris ) eggs collected in 2009, 2010, and 2011 from nest boxes established within, adjacent to, and 10 and 40 km distant to five major urban centers across Canada, i.e., Vancouver, British Columbia (BC); Calgary, Alberta (AB); Hamilton, Ontario (ON); Montréal, Québec (QC); and Halifax, Nova Scotia (NS). Nest boxes were located in several land use types: urban industrial areas (districts of industrial activity within city limits), landfill sites (adjacent to cities), and rural (agricultural) sites located 10 and 40 km distant from the major urban centers, as well as a national reference site. Of the 14 PBDE congeners and 16 non-PBDE FR substances determined in the starling eggs, BDE-17, -28, -47, -49, -66, -85, -99, -100, -138, -153, -154, -183, and -209, Dechlorane Plus isomers (anti and syn), and bis(2-ethylhexyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrabromophthalate (BEHTBP) were most frequently quantifiable. The data revealed orders of magnitude greater PBDE concentrations in eggs from starlings nesting in landfill sites (median: 28-280 ng/g wet weight) relative to those from urban industrial and rural environments. However, the percent fractional composition of the PBDE congener patterns did not vary significantly between the types of land uses or between years. Additionally, the median ∑PBDE concentration in eggs from landfill sites and the human population density of the metropolitan region that the landfill serves were highly correlated (r(2) = 0.998, p < 0.001). As the first transcontinental effort in assessing FR contamination in Canadian terrestrial ecosystems, the present study strongly suggest that landfills are an important FR source to starlings nesting nearby and that other terrestrial organisms could also be similarly exposed.

Levels of PBDEs in plasma of juvenile starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) from British Columbia, Canada and assessment of PBDE metabolism by avian liver microsomes

“…Therefore, our data suggest that the Delta landfill site is an important local source of PBDEs for starlings and, possibly, for other wildlife species. This result is consistent with a recent trans-Canada investigation of PBDEs in bird eggs indicating landfills as a relevant source of PBDEs for local bird populations (Chen et al, 2013). The presence of PBDEs in starling chick plasma samples suggests also that part of the PBDEs present in starling eggs not only bioaccumulates in chicks, but is bioavailable (i.e., reaches the blood circulation).…”

“…This result is consistent with that reported in previous studies on PBDE profile in wildlife species of British Columbia (Elliott et al, 2005;Ikonomou et al, 2002Ikonomou et al, , 2006Kelly et al, 2011). In more details, the values of BDE-47 and BDE-99 ratio in starling chick plasma samples were very similar in samples (Chen et al, 2013). Moreover, our data show that hydroxylated metabolites of BDE-47 and BDE-99 are produced in very similar number and amount by starling chick liver microsomes.…”

“…chemicalsubstanceschimiques.gc.ca/plan/index-eng.php) established a terrestrial monitoring program using eggs of the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) in a cross-Canada program to track spatial and temporal trends in emerging contaminants and determine their sources. Over the last four years, elevated concentrations of PBDEs (up to 4.4 μg/g lipid weight) were found in starling eggs collected in the Vancouver municipal landfill area (Delta, British Columbia; Chen et al, 2013;Eens et al, 2013), suggesting that the Vancouver municipal landfill is a point source of PBDEs for the local population of starlings. However, no information about the bioavailability of the PBDEs present in starling eggs (i.e.…”

Breeding near a landfill may influence blood metals (Cd, Pb, Hg, Fe, Zn) and metalloids (Se, As) in white stork (Ciconia ciconia) nestlings

“…Although the health impact on human population living near landfill sites has been evaluated in some aspects as birth weights, reproductive disorders, cancer incidence or congenital malformations (Forastiere et al 2011;Johnson and DeRosa 1995;Rushton 2003). There are few studies about the presence of contaminants in birds feeding in a landfill site or in its surroundings, and they are about persistent organic pollutants (Chen et al 2013;Sáez et al 2009). To our knowledge this is the first report on the relation between landfills and the increase in blood metal content in white stork due to breeding close to and suspected feeding in these sites.…”

Sex‐specific responses in neuroanatomy of hatchling American kestrels in response to embryonic exposure to the flame retardants bis(2‐ethylhexyl)‐2,3,4,5‐tetrabromophthalate and 2‐ethylhexyl‐2,3,4,5‐tetrabromobenzoate

“…The analyses of EH-TBB and BEH-TEBP concentrations in the embryonic day 12 egg homogenates and in the 4 dosing solutions were conducted according to the methods fully described elsewhere (Chen et al 2013;Su et al 2017). The entire contents of each of the 9 eggs collected at embryonic day 12 were individually homogenized in preparation for chemical analysis.…”