Piece-by-piece analysis of additives and manufacturing byproducts in plastics ingested by seabirds: Implication for risk of exposure to seabirds

Transfer of Additive Chemicals From Marine Plastic Debris to the Stomach Oil of Northern Fulmars

“…Although the sublethal effects of plastic-related compounds on the health of populations or species remain difficult to substantiate (Browne et al, 2015;Werner et al, 2016), our results give grounds for concern. Tanaka et al (2019) showed that plastics ingested by fulmars and albatrosses contain UV stabilizers, flame retardants, and styrene oligomers, similar to those found in the PTX001 and PS foam test materials. PE and PP were the most common plastic types encountered in the studies by Tanaka et al (2019) and in the PTX001 samples (Kühn et al, 2018).…”

“…Tanaka et al (2019) showed that plastics ingested by fulmars and albatrosses contain UV stabilizers, flame retardants, and styrene oligomers, similar to those found in the PTX001 and PS foam test materials. PE and PP were the most common plastic types encountered in the studies by Tanaka et al (2019) and in the PTX001 samples (Kühn et al, 2018). Tanaka et al (2013Tanaka et al ( , 2015 documented that specific congeners of polybrominated flame retardants leached from ingested plastic to the stomach fluids and were subsequently transferred to tissues in shorttailed shearwaters (Ardenna tenuirostris).…”

“…The studies by Tanaka et al (2013Tanaka et al ( , 2019Tanaka et al ( , 2018Tanaka et al ( , 2020 and our work on embedded additive leaching cannot be compared to some published model approaches and seabird investigations focusing on plastic surface adsorption and desorption of persistent organic pollutants. Model approaches by, e.g., Gouin et al (2011), Koelmans et al (2014Koelmans et al ( , 2016, and Bakir et al (2016) have indicated that plastics ingested by seabirds are not acting as a relevant source of pollutants in comparison to food.…”

“…The produced microplastics are irregular in shape and exhibit a broad size distribution, being more environmentally representative than the uniform spherules often used in exposure studies (Phuong et al, 2016). The polymer composition comprised mainly polyethylene (PE; 60.9%) and polypropylene (PP; 27.7%), but with many other polymers present in small amounts that provide a distribution similar to that of global polymer production (Geyer et al, 2017) and that found in seabirds (e.g., Tanaka et al, 2019). A detailed chemical analyses confirmed the presence of various heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, In, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Pd, Sn, Zn) and light metals (Al, Ba, Ca, K, Mg, Na, Sr, Ti), as well as additive chemicals and chemicals associated with plastic production processes (Kühn et al, 2018).…”

Fulmar Litter EcoQO monitoring in the Netherlands - update 2019

“…Plastics gradually break down to microscopically small particles, but these may pose an even more serious problem (Thompson et al 2004;Bergmann et al 2015). Leaching of toxic additives from ingested plastics to seabirds has been shown by Tanaka et al (2013Tanaka et al ( , 2015Tanaka et al ( , 2019Tanaka et al ( , 2020; Yamashita et al (2018); and Kühn et al (2020a). Microplastics can also adsorb and concentrate organic pollutants from the surrounding water, but experimental results and model predictions are not all in agreement concerning release of such chemicals into marine organisms or associated negative effects (Arthur et al 2009;Browne et al 2008Browne et al , 2013Endo et al 2005Endo et al , 2013Gouin et al 2011;Koelmans et al 2013aKoelmans et al ,b, 2014Koelmans et al , 2016Moore 2008;Teuten et al 2007Teuten et al , 2009Chua et al 2014;Rochman et al 2013Rochman et al , 2014aTanaka et al 2013;Thompson et al 2009;Van Cauwenberghe & Janssen 2014;Cole et al 2015;Watts et al 2015;CBD 2016;Beaman & Bergeron 2016;Peda et al 2016;Besseling et al 2017;Heindler et al 2017;Hermabessiere et al 2017;Ribeiro et al 2017).…”