Thyroid hormones and halogenated organic compounds in black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) and northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis)

Thyroid hormones are essential for normal growth and development and disruption of thyroid homeostasis can be critical to young developing individuals. The aim of the present study was to assess plasma concentrations of halogenated organic contaminants (HOCs) in chicks of two seabird species and to...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Nøst, Therese Haugdahl, Helgason, Lisa Bjørnsdatter, Harju, Mikael, Heimstad, Eldbjørg S, Gabrielsen, Geir W, Jenssen, Bjørn Munro
Format: Dataset
Language:English
Published: PANGAEA 2012
Subjects:
Biological sample
BIOS
International Polar Year (2007-2008)
IPY
Kongsfjorden
Spitsbergen
Arctic
Kongsfjorden06
Fulmar
Svalbard
Black-legged Kittiwake
Fulmarus glacialis
International Polar Year
Kongsfjord*
Northern Fulmar
rissa tridactyla
Online Access:https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.817621
https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.817621
Description
Summary:Thyroid hormones are essential for normal growth and development and disruption of thyroid homeostasis can be critical to young developing individuals. The aim of the present study was to assess plasma concentrations of halogenated organic contaminants (HOCs) in chicks of two seabird species and to investigate possible correlations of HOCs with circulating thyroid hormone (TH) concentrations. Plasma from black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) and northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) chicks were sampled in Kongsfjorden, Svalbard in 2006. The samples were analyzed for thyroid hormones and a wide range of HOCs (polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hydroxylated (OH-) and methylsulphoned (MeSO-) PCB metabolites, organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), brominated flame retardants (BFRs), and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs)). Concentrations of HOCs were generally low in kittiwake and fulmar chicks compared to previous reports. HOC concentrations were five times higher in fulmar chicks compared to in kittiwake chicks. PFCs dominated the summed HOCs concentrations in both species (77% in kittiwakes and 69% in fulmars). Positive associations between total thyroxin (TT4) and PFCs (PFHpS, PFOS, PFNA) were found in both species. Although correlations do not implicate causal relationships per se, the correlations are of concern as disruption of TH homeostasis may cause developmental effects in young birds.

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