Chlorpyrifos and persistent organic pollutants in feathers of the near threatened Olrog’s Gull in southeastern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina

Abstract

The use of bird feathers to assess environmental contamination has steadily increased in ecotoxicological monitoring programs over the past decade. The Olrog's Gull (Larus atlanticus) is a species endemic to the Atlantic coast of southern South America, constituting one of the three threatened gull species listed in the entire American continent. The aim of this study was to assess the exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and chlorpyrifos in the Near Threatened Olrog's Gull through the analysis of body feathers sampled at the Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon, the main wintering area of the species in Argentina, controlling for sex and age class. Chlorpyrifos showed the highest concentrations among all contaminants and groups of individuals (X ¼ 263 ng g À1 ), while among POPs the concentration of organochlorine pesticides was higher than polychlorinated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers, likely indicating the current use of these agricultural contaminant in the region. The highest values of total POP concentrations (males X ¼ 280 ng g À1 , females X ¼ 301 ng g À1 ) were found in juvenile gulls, likely as a consequence of the incorporation of pollutants during the breeding season. Subadult and adult birds showed difference between sexes in the concentration of contaminants, with higher levels in males than females. The results highlight the need to include birds of different sex and age classes in order to better understand the variation in pollutants loads. The present study provides relevant information to improve the conservation status of the Olrog's Gull and new insights about the environmental health of the Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon, Argentina, a MAB-UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. However, there is a continued need for long-term monitoring programs focusing on this threatened species to understand the effects of pollutants on its population.

Pesticides in soil, groundwater and food in Latin America as part of one health

“…The large agricultural expansion in Latin America leads to an intense use of agrochemicals, with Argentina being one of the main soybean producers and the country with the highest consumption of glyphosate per unit of cultivated area. Residues of these pesticides are found in different matrices of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, rainwater and air, reaching places beyond the application site (González Noschese et al 2022 ; Miglioranza et al 2021 ; Quadri-Adrogué et al 2021 ; Silva-Barni et al 2019 ; Villalba et al 2020 ). There is a need to change the paradigm of indiscriminate and poorly controlled use of chemical pesticides in order to achieve sustained sustainability over time.…”