A broad cocktail of environmental pollutants found in eggs of three seabird species from remote colonies in Norway

• Published in: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
• Main Authors: Huber, Sandra, Warner, Nicholas A., Nygård, Torgeir, Remberger, Mikael, Harju, Mikael, Uggerud, Hilde T., Kaj, Lennart, Hanssen, Linda
• Other Authors: Norwegian Environment Agency
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2015
• Subjects: Norway; Common Eider
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/etc.2956; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fetc.2956; https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/etc.2956

Abstract Eggs of 3 seabird species, common eider ( Somateria mollisima ), European shag ( Phalacrocorax aristotelis aristotelis ), and European herring gull ( Larus argentatus ), were surveyed for a broad range of legacy and emerging pollutants to assess chemical mixture exposure profiles of seabirds from the Norwegian marine environment. In total, 201 chemical substances were targeted for analysis ranging from metals, organotin compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and associated metabolites, chlorinated paraffins, chlorinated and nonchlorinated organic pesticides, per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), dechlorane plus, octachlorostyrene, brominated flame retardants (BFRs), organophosphorous compounds, brominated and alkyl phenols, cyclic siloxanes, and phthalates. Of the chemicals targeted, 149 substances were found above the detection limits, with metals dominating the contaminant profile and comprising 60% of the total contaminant load. Polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, organophosphorous compounds, and PFAS were the dominant contaminant classes of organic pollutants found within the seabird species, with the highest loads occurring in herring gulls, followed by shag, and common eider. New generation pollutants (e.g., PFAS, organophosphorous compounds, and alkylphenols) were detected at similar or higher concentrations than the legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Time trends of reported concentrations of legacy POPs appear to have decreased in recent decades from the Norwegian coastal environment. Concentrations of detected pollutants do not appear to have a negative effect on seabird population development within the sampling area. Additional stress caused by pollutants, however, may affect seabird health more at the individual level. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;34:1296–1308. © 2015 SETAC