Plastic and Non-plastic Debris Ingestion in Three Gull Species Feeding in an Urban Landfill Environment

• Published in: Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
• Main Authors: Seif, S. (Sahar), Provencher, J.F. (J. F.), Avery-Gomm, S. (S.), Daoust, P.-Y. (P. Y.), Mallory, M.L. (M. L.), Smith, P.A. (Paul A.)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: Iceland
• Online Access: https://ir.library.carleton.ca/pub/17242; https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-017-0492-8

Plastic debris is recognized as a widespread, common and problematic environmental pollutant. An important consequence of this pollution is the ingestion of plastic debris by wildlife. Assessing the degree to which different species ingest plastics, and the potential effects of these plastics on their health are important research needs for understanding the impacts of plastic pollution. We examined debris (plastic and other types) ingestion in three sympatric overwintering gull species (Herring gulls Larus smithsonianus, Great Black-backed Gulls Larus marinus, and Iceland Gulls Larus glaucoides) to understand how debris ingestion differs among species, age classes and sexes in gulls. We also assessed how plastic burdens were associated with body condition to investigate how gulls may be affected by debris ingestion. There were no differences among the species, age classes or sexes in the incidence of debris ingestion (plastic or otherwise), the mass or number of debris pieces ingested. We found no correlation between ingested plastics burdens and indiv