Regulated and Unregulated Halogenated Flame Retardants in Peregrine Falcon Eggs from Greenland

Abstract

Median levels of regulated flame retardants, i.e., polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), brominated biphenyl (BB)-153, and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), in 33-48 eggs of peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus) from Greenland were 1909, 359, and 5.98 ng/g lipid weight (lw), respectively, and generally intermediate to levels in North America and Europe. Unregulated flame retardants had lower median concentrations of 1.06 (2-ethylhexyl-2,3,4,5-tetrabromobenzoate, EH-TBB), 2.42 (1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)-ethane, BTBPE), 0.52 (2,4,6-tribromophenyl 2,3-dibromopropyl ether, DPTE), and 4.78 (dechlorane plus) ng/g lw. Although these compounds are often described as recent replacements for PBDEs, they were also present in eggs from the 1980s. BDE-209 was the only compound with a significant increase (+7.2% annual change) between 1986 and 2014, while BB-153 and DPTE decreased significantly (-8.0% and -2.8% annual change, respectively). Dechlorane plus showed a nonsignificant increase. Individual birds, equipped with light-logging geolocators, confirmed the contaminant exposure over a large geographical area as the birds spent nearly equal time periods in their breeding and wintering grounds in Greenland and Central/South America, respectively, interrupted by 5-6 weeks of migration through North America.

Mass balance study of brominated flame retardants in female captive peregrine falcons

“…Technical HBCDD contains mainly g-HBCDD (75-89%) with small proportions of a-(10-13%) and b-HBCDD (1-12%), 79 but falcons have only a-HBCDD in eggs. 52,80 The main exposure to HBCDD was from ingestion of quail but as only total HBCDD was quantied, we do not know which stereoisomers were present in quail. HBCDD concentrations were below the detection limits in plasma (<1 ng g -1 lw, <0.01 ng g -1 ww) but it was found in all eggs and one of four feces samples, indicating that uptake from diet occurs and it is excreted in both feces and eggs.…”

Raptors are still affected by environmental pollutants: Greenlandic Peregrines will not have normal eggshell thickness until 2034

“…K. Falk, S. Møller, F. F. Rigét, P. B. Sørensen & K. Vorkamp Active nests were visited at least once post-hatching and the nest scrape carefully searched for eggshell fragments deriving from the hatched eggs. In addition, shells from whole dead eggs sampled and analysed for contaminants (Vorkamp et al 2017, Vorkamp et al 2018 were included in this analysis. Egg clutches from Greenland Peregrines collected between 1881 and 1930 (before DDT was introduced) stored at the Zoological Museum, University of Copenhagen, were used as the reference for normal eggshell thickness in the pre-DDT era (Falk & Møller 1990), so the total samples available cover a 136 year time span.…”

Status and trends of circumpolar peregrine falcon and gyrfalcon populations

“…Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) are compounds that, in some cases, are persistent in the environment, bioaccumulative, and can cause endocrine disruption (Darnerud 2008). Concentrations of the brominated flame retardant, BDE-209, have increased in peregrine falcon eggs from Greenland, and peaked in eggs from Europe, likely due to regulation of the compound (Vorkamp et al 2018). Despite the potential negative effects of these compounds, and their presence in peregrine falcon populations in Europe and North America (Guerra et al 2012), there is currently no evidence indicating detrimental health effects at the population level in peregrine falcons.…”