Spatial trends and associated biological responses of organochlorines and brominated flame retardants in hatchlings of North Atlantic kittiwakes ( Rissa tridactyla )

• Published in: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
• Main Authors: Murvoll, Kari Mette, Skaare, Janneche Utne, Moe, Børge, Anderssen, Endre, Jenssen, Bjorn Munro
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2006
• Subjects: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis; Environmental Chemistry; Arctic; Norway; Svalbard; Kongsfjord*; Kongsfjorden; North Atlantic; rissa tridactyla
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1897/05-337r.1; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1897%2F05-337R.1; https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1897/05-337R.1

Abstract Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), some organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), were analyzed in yolk sacs of kittiwake ( Rissa tridactyla ) hatchlings from Kongsfjorden at Svalbard (Norwegian Arctic; 79°N) and from Runde, an island on the coast of Norway (62°N). Retinol (vitamin A), retinyl palmitate, and α‐tocopherol (vitamin E) were measured in plasma and liver of the hatchlings to examine whether these vitamins were associated with the POPs. Higher levels of PCBs and OCPs were found in hatchlings from Kongsfjorden than in hatchlings from Runde. However, HBCD levels were significantly lower in hatchlings from Kongsfjorden compared to those in hatchlings from Runde. No differences between the two populations of kittiwake hatchlings were found regarding levels of PBDEs. In comparison with seabirds from other European waters and the Canadian Arctic, the kittiwakes seemed to have relatively high levels of PBDEs and HBCD. No effects on morphological variables or vitamin levels by the POPs were revealed, but multivariate regression indicated that liver tocopherol levels may be influenced by POPs.