PCBs and DDE, but not PBDEs, increase with trophic level and marine input in nestling bald eagles

Elliott, Kyle H.; Cesh, Lillian S.; Dooley, Jessica A.; Letcher, Robert J.; Elliott, John E.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2009.02.027

Cited by 86 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 67 publications

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“…Circulating thyroid hormone levels were lower in adult (T3: 0.22 AE 0.06 nmol/L; T4: 20.3 AE 4.15 nmol/ L) compared with nestling (T3: 0.70 AE 0.10 nmol/L; T4: 29.1 AE 3.0 nmol/L) eagles in our study. The different role of thyroid hormones during development may explain why we found no relationship between contaminants and thyroid levels in adult eagles, despite much higher contaminant levels in adults [11]. Similarly, whereas three of five published studies of PCBs and T3 in developing (egg/young) birds showed a negative relationship, only one of four studies in adult longlived birds (raptors and seabirds) showed a negative relationship.…”

Section: Contaminants and Thyroid Hormonesmentioning

confidence: 59%

“…Sample analysis for p,p 0 -DDE and PCBs followed standard procedures [11,34]. Samples collected in 2003 were also analyzed for PBDEs (total PBDEs: BDEs 47, 99, 100, 138, 153, 183, and 209), pentabromobiphenyl BB101, and total hexbromocyclododecane (total HBCD).…”

Section: Contaminant Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Polybrominated diphenyl ethers are flame retardants with physical-chemical properties and environmental persistence similar to those of PCBs and also appear to be dispersing similarly throughout the environment [9]. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers are persistent and bioaccumulative, although there is some evidence that they do not biomagnify with trophic level in homeothermic wildlife to the same degree as PCBs [10,11]. Trends in PBDEs in wildlife samples appear to have tracked usage patterns in various jurisdictions, increasing until the mid1980s and then decreasing in Baltic murres (Uria algae) [12] and increasing exponentially in North American and arctic wildlife into the early 2000s [13][14][15][16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons and metabolites: Relation to circulating thyroid hormone and retinol in nestling bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

Cesh

Elliott

Quade

et al. 2010

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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Polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons are global contaminants that are often considered to be endocrine disruptors and include 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene (p,p'-DDE), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The present study examined these compounds and their hydroxylated metabolites or analogues and relationships with circulating thyroid hormones and retinols in plasma from nestling and adult bald eagles in British Columbia, Canada, and California, USA. We also compared our results with published data. Thyroxine (T4) decreased with summation operatorPCB and CB153 in nestling bald eagles, which was congruent with results from nine of 14 other published avian laboratory and field studies. Free thyroid hormone levels also decreased with CB-153 and hydroxylated PCBs (OH-PCBs). Retinol increased with CB118 and CB180 in nestling eagles, decreased with OH-PCBs in a subset of nestlings, and decreased in 7 of 12 PCB published studies. Thyroxine decreased with p,p'-DDE for nestlings and with data reported in one of five other published studies. In our samples, plasma retinol, triiodothyronine (T3), and T4 were independent of summation operatorPBDEs, whereas summation operatorOH-PBDEs were weakly but significantly correlated with increases in T3 and retinol. Adult bald eagles showed no relationship between contaminants and thyroid hormones, which is consistent with other studies of long-lived birds, perhaps because adult birds have time to adjust to contaminant levels. Measurement of circulating thyroid hormones appears to be a more useful biomarker than retinols, given the more consistent response of T4 to PCBs here and reported in the literature. We conclude that current environmental exposures to PCBs in British Columbia and in southern California are associated with significant decreases in T4, suggesting a potential negative effect on the endocrine system of nestling bald eagles.

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Section: Contaminants and Thyroid Hormonesmentioning

confidence: 59%

Section: Contaminant Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons and metabolites: Relation to circulating thyroid hormone and retinol in nestling bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

Cesh

Elliott

Quade

et al. 2010

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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“…There were initial sharp decreases in concentrations of all contaminants, followed by a period of no significant temporal trends in the data, possibly because factors such as variation in contaminant levels due to differences in the trophic levels of the diverse prey items [27] obscured any temporal trends. Based on reports of other species from the Great Lakes or nearby ecosystems (e.g., herring gulls [3]; lake trout [28]), concentrations of chlorinated hydrocarbons were relatively stable during the major portion of our study period (1990)(1991)(1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000) and much lower than in the Organochlorine Era, from the late 1940s to the early 1980s [10,11].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Productivity, embryo and eggshell characteristics, and contaminants in bald eagles from the Great Lakes, USA, 1986 to 2000

Best

Elliott

Shieldcastle

et al. 2010

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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Chlorinated hydrocarbon concentrations in eggs of fish-eating birds from contaminated environments such as the Great Lakes of North America tend to be highly intercorrelated, making it difficult to elucidate mechanisms causing reproductive impairment, and to ascribe cause to specific chemicals. An information- theoretic approach was used on data from 197 salvaged bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) eggs (159 clutches) that failed to hatch in Michigan and Ohio, USA (1986-2000). Contaminant levels declined over time while eggshell thickness increased, and by 2000 was at pre-1946 levels. The number of occupied territories and productivity increased during 1981 to 2004. For both the entire dataset and a subset of nests along the Great Lakes shoreline, polychlorinated biphenyls (SigmaPCBs, fresh wet wt) were generally included in the most parsimonious models (lowest-Akaike's information criterion [AICs]) describing productivity, with significant declines in productivity observed above 26 microg/g SigmaPCBs (fresh wet wt). Of 73 eggs with a visible embryo, eight (11%) were abnormal, including three with skewed bills, but they were not associated with known teratogens, including SigmaPCBs. Eggs with visible embryos had greater concentrations of all measured contaminants than eggs without visible embryos; the most parsimonious models describing the presence of visible embryos incorporated dieldrin equivalents and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE). There were significant negative correlations between eggshell thickness and all contaminants, with SigmaPCBs included in the most parsimonious models. There were, however, no relationships between productivity and eggshell thickness or Ratcliffe's index. The SigmaPCBs and DDE were negatively associated with nest success of bald eagles in the Great Lakes watersheds, but the mechanism does not appear to be via shell quality effects, at least at current contaminant levels, while it is not clear what other mechanisms were involved.

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“…It has been proved that PCBs and DDTs were highly biomagnified in birds (Henny et al 2009;Borgå et al 2001). Moreover, Elliott et al (2009) implied that PCBs and DDTs biomagnified with the trophic level (δ 15 N) even in the same species of birds. However, no obvious correlation was found between the levels of HCHs with δ 15 N (Fig.…”

Section: Interspecies Difference and Influence Of Trophic Level (δ 15mentioning

confidence: 98%

Polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorinated pesticides in birds from a contaminated region in South China: association with trophic level, tissue distribution and risk assessment

Zhang

Luo

Liu

et al. 2010

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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Purpose Birds have been used successfully for biomonitoring of the levels and effects of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the environments; however, there is exceedingly little data on organochlorinated pesticide (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) residues in bird inhabiting in China. In the present study, we detected the concentrations of PCBs, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs) and hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) in muscle, liver and kidney of birds that inhabit in an e-waste recycling site. Associated with the stable isotope ratio (δ 15 N), we investigated the effect of trophic level on the body burdens of persistent contaminants in birds. The tissue distributions of contaminants in these birds were examined, and a preliminary risk assessment was also conducted. Materials and methods Specimens from eight bird species were collected from Qingyuan County, Guangdong Province, South China. Pectoral muscle, liver and kidney tissues were Soxhlet-extracted and finally dissolved in isooctane. Both PCBs and OCPs were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The subsamples for nitrogen stable isotope analysis were lyophilized, ground and analyzed by a flash EA 112 series elemental analyzer interfaced with an isotope ration mass spectrometer. Results and discussion PCBs exhibited the highest concentrations among all target compounds, and a preliminary risk assessment suggested that adverse effects might occur in some birds for its high level. Generally, the concentrations of pollutants in liver and kidney were higher than those in muscle, which was mainly driven by passive diffusion to the 'lipid-compartment'. Significant differences in level of contaminants were obtained among species due to the varieties in dietary composition and habitat. An increasing trend was obtained between concentrations of PCBs and DDTs with trophic levels; however, HCHs exhibited the same level among species. Recommendations and perspectives Because of the e-waste recycling activities, the study area has been heavily polluted by PCBs. Studies on the species-specific hazard assessment associated with exposure to PCBs are urgently needed in the study of birds in the area.

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PCBs and DDE, but not PBDEs, increase with trophic level and marine input in nestling bald eagles

Cited by 86 publications

References 67 publications

Polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons and metabolites: Relation to circulating thyroid hormone and retinol in nestling bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

Polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons and metabolites: Relation to circulating thyroid hormone and retinol in nestling bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

Productivity, embryo and eggshell characteristics, and contaminants in bald eagles from the Great Lakes, USA, 1986 to 2000

Polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorinated pesticides in birds from a contaminated region in South China: association with trophic level, tissue distribution and risk assessment

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