Organohalogenated contaminants in plasma and eggs of rockhopper penguins : does vitellogenin affect maternal transfer?

• Published in: Environmental Pollution
• Main Authors: Dehnhard, Nina, Jaspers, Veerle L.B., Demongin, Laurent, van den Steen, Evi, Covaci, Adrian, Pinxten, Rianne, Crossin, Glenn T., Quillfeldt, Petra, Eens, Marcel, Poisbleau, Maud
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: Chemistry; Biology; Rockhopper penguin
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10067/1427560151162165141; https://repository.uantwerpen.be/docman/irua/268391/142756_2019_04_07.pdf

Abstract: Although many studies have investigated organohalogenated contaminants (OHCs) in yolk, little is known about the mechanisms and timing of transfer of OHCs from the female to the egg. Vitellogenin, a yolk precursor, has been suggested to play a role in this transport. We here report for the first time the temporal changes in OHC and an index of vitellogenin concentrations in female plasma from the pre-laying period to clutch completion in free-living birds: the southern rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome chrysocome) breeding in the Falkland/Malvinas Islands. In addition, OHC concentrations in the corresponding clutches were analysed. OHC concentrations in female plasma and in the yolk of both the first (A-) and the second (B-)eggs followed a similar pattern, with hexachlorobenzene (HCB) > Sigma polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) > Sigma dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) > Sigma methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers (MeO-PBDEs) > Sigma chlordanes (CHLs) > Sigma polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) approximate to Sigma hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs). The higher concentrations of MeO-PBDEs compared to PBDEs indicate a diet containing naturally-produced MeO-PBDEs. All OHC compounds except for PBDEs increased from the pre-laying period to A-egg laying and subsequently declined from A-egg laying to B-egg laying, and female plasma vitellogenin showed the same pattern. For EPCBs and Sigma MeO-PBDEs, we found positive correlations between female plasma during A-egg laying and both eggs, and for HCB between female plasma and A-eggs only. During pre-laying, only Sigma MeO-PBDEs correlated between both eggs and female plasma, and no correlations between OHC concentrations in eggs and female plasma were found during B-egg laying, highlighting that maternal transfer of OHCs is time- and compound specific. Finally, female vitellogenin concentrations did not significantly correlate with any OHC compounds in either female plasma or eggs, and our results therefore did not confirm the ...