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Aside from the physical effects of oiling (e.g., hypothermia, dehydration, emaciation), chronic toxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contamination is an important factor influencing long-term recovery of oiled sea birds following an oil spill. Monitoring PAH exposure can help identify populations at risk from toxic effects of PAHs for further study and/or protection. This is the first studyto quantify PAH and metabolite tissue burdens in sea birds directly oiled following oil spills. PAHs and hydroxylated PAHs were quantified in liver samples from oiled Common Guillemots (Uria aalge) stranded along the East Coast of England using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). Mean parent and metabolite PAH concentrations were 0.25+/-0.09 (range 0.04-0.97) and 0.52+/-0.14 (range 0.05-1.48) microg/g (wet wt.), respectively. The main source of PAH exposure was via ingestion of crude oil during preening, resulting in PAH uptake and tissue contamination beyond levels expected from exposure via the food chain. PAH composition corresponded with number of benzene rings in each compound and was typical of contamination from petrogenic sources; pentacyclic < tri- and tetracyclic < tricyclic < dicyclic PAHs. The occurrence of PAH metabolites detected in liver samples also provided evidence of the presence and stereoselectivity of hepatic microsomal CYP1A1 in common guillemots.