Comparative embryotoxicity of a pentabrominated diphenyl ether mixture to common terns ( Sterna hirundo ) and American kestrels ( Falco sparverius )

• Main Authors: Rattner, Barnett A., Lazarus, Rebecca S., Heinz, Gary H., Karouna-Renier, Natalie K., Schultz, Sandra L., Hale, Robert C.
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln 2013
• Subjects: Birds; Embryotoxicity; PBDE; Egg injection; Common tern; American kestrel; Earth Sciences; Geology; Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology; Other Earth Sciences; Other Environmental Sciences; Sterna hirundo
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/usgsstaffpub/954; https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/context/usgsstaffpub/article/1964/viewcontent/Rattner_CHEMOSPHERE_2013_Comparative_embryotoxicity.pdf

Concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in Forster’s tern (Sterna forsteri) eggs from San Francisco Bay have been reported to range up to 63 µg g-1 lipid weight. This value exceeds the lowest-observed-adverse-effect level (1.8 µg g-1 egg wet weight; ~32 µg g-1 lipid weight) reported in an embryotoxicity study with American kestrels (Falco sparverius). As a surrogate for Forster’s terns, common tern (Sterna hirundo) eggs were treated by air cell injection with corn oil vehicle (control) or a commercial penta-BDE formulation (DE-71) at nominal concentrations of 0.2, 2, and 20 µg g-1 egg. As a positive control, kestrel eggs received vehicle or 20 µg DE-71 g-1 egg. In terns, there were no effects of DE-71 on embryonic survival, and pipping or hatching success; however, treated eggs hatched later (0.44 d) than controls. Organ weights, organ-to-body weight ratios, and bone lengths did not differ, and histopathological observations were unremarkable. Several measures of hepatic oxidative stress in hatchling terns were not affected by DE-71, although there was some evidence of oxidative DNA damage (8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine; 8-OH-dG). Although DE-71 did not impair pipping and hatching of kestrels, it did result in a delay in hatch, shorter humerus length, and reduced total thyroid weight. Concentrations of oxidized glutathione, reduced glutathione, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, and 8-OH-dG in liver were greater in DE-71-treated kestrels compared to controls. Our findings suggest common tern embryos, and perhaps other tern species, are less sensitive to PBDEs than kestrel embryos.