Persistent organic pollutant and mercury concentrations in eggs of ground-nesting marine birds in the Canadian high Arctic

Peck, Liam E.; Gilchrist, H. Grant; Mallory, Conor D.; Braune, Birgit M.; Mallory, Mark L.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.02.205

Cited by 22 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…Our results show that egg THg concentration was significantly related to spring whole water MeHg concentrations, whereas RWBL blood and feathers were not ( Table 2). These results support previous indications that data from eggs may be useful indices for Hg risk assessment (Tsipoura et al 2008;Peck et al 2016;Tyser et al 2016). In their review, Ackerman et al (2016b) placed priority on using blood and egg THg concentrations as proxies for recent Hg exposure.…”

Section: Whole Water Mehg Concentrations and Relationships To Concentsupporting

confidence: 82%

Mercury exposure to red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) and dragonfly (Odonata: Aeshnidae) nymphs in Prairie Pothole wetlands

Wolfe

Lane

Brigham

et al. 2018

FACETS

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The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) in the northern Great Plains is an area of ecological significance, serving as an important breeding site for avian wildlife. However, organisms feeding within the PPR may be at risk of mercury (Hg) exposure due to deposition of anthropogenic emissions and the high Hg methylation potential of PPR wetlands. We quantified Hg concentrations in red-winged blackbirds’ ( Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766); RWBLs) blood, feathers, and eggs in the spring and summer breeding season and compared our values with those from RWBLs sampled from ecoregions across North America. Hg concentrations in whole water, aeshnid dragonfly nymphs, and RWBL tissues varied by wetland and were below those considered to elicit acute effects in wildlife, and egg total Hg (THg) concentrations were significantly related to spring whole water methylmercury concentrations. Only RWBL blood THg concentrations showed a clear increase in summer compared with spring, resulting in decoupling of summer blood and feather THg concentrations. Moreover, blood THg concentrations varied by ecoregion, with those impacted by an industrial point source exhibiting high Hg levels. Our study emphasizes that tissue renewal time as well as ecological factors such as competition and diet shifts are important considerations when using RWBLs to assess biological Hg exposure.

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Section: Whole Water Mehg Concentrations and Relationships To Concentsupporting

confidence: 82%

Mercury exposure to red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) and dragonfly (Odonata: Aeshnidae) nymphs in Prairie Pothole wetlands

Wolfe

Lane

Brigham

et al. 2018

FACETS

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“…Extensive areas of Xanthoria elegans lichen growth (typical of sites with high nitrogen addition due to guano; Choy et al 2010) suggested that terns have nested at the site since well before 2002, when the colony was first censused (Mallory & Gilchrist 2003). Since 2007, the colony was studied annually to yield insights into tern diet (Pratte et al 2017), contaminants (Akearok et al 2010;Peck et al 2016), biotransport of elements (Michelutti et al 2010) and overall breeding biology (Mallory et al 2017). As part of this research programme, adult terns were banded and recaptured in subsequent years to provide data for CMR analyses.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adult survival of Arctic terns in the Canadian High Arctic

Davis¹,

Maftei²,

Fife

et al. 2018

Polar Research

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Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea) populations are thought to be in decline across much of their range. For long-lived seabirds, determining adult survival rates is key to understanding current population trends and predicting trajectories. We therefore examined adult survival of terns banded at our field site in the Canadian High Arctic between 2007 and 2016. Apparent adult survival was 0.883, comparable to values for other tern species and for other Arctic larids. However, using this survival rate plus first year survival values from a recent study in Iceland, we project a declining trend for terns in the Canadian High Arctic, consistent with recent reports from local ecological knowledge and limited regional surveys. Our data suggest that low adult survival is not responsible for declining tern populations, and that studies should investigate whether dispersal to new nesting locations may be underway, or that young terns are not surviving well or recruiting to the population.

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“…Such sampling would involve the collection of internal organs such as the liver, muscle or brain (Falkowska et al 2016;Roscales et al 2011). Eggs are an alternative to destructive sampling (Elliott et al 2005;Moore and Tatton 1965;Mora et al 2016;Peck et al 2016), but when certain species of birds lay a single egg per season, care should be taken to make sure such species would relay. Non-destructive sampling techniques became necessary and feathers started being used as a proxy for contamination levels in internal organs (Jaspers et al 2007;Jaspers et al 2011;Van den Steen et al 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Presence of persistent organic pollutants in a breeding common tern (Sterna hirundo) population in Ireland

Acampora

White

Lyashevska

et al. 2017

Environ Sci Pollut Res

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Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are chemical compounds of environmental concern due to their toxic, persistent nature and their ability to bio-accumulate in biological tissue. Seabirds, for often being at the top of the food web, have been used as monitors of environmental pollutants. Adverse effects caused by POPs have been reported in common terns (Sterna hirundo) since the 1970s. Egg shell thinning, embryo and hatchling deformities have been reported for this species. Environmental legislation, such as the Oslo-Paris Convention (OSPAR), has agreed on the monitoring of concentration of POPs in common terns. This study set out to investigate contemporary concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in common terns breeding in Ireland, along with congener profiles. Investigation was conducted in live (n = 15) and dead birds (n = 20) to test for the efficiency of different methodologies using preen oil and feathers versus liver and preen gland. Mean concentrations of POPs followed the order: PCB (36.48 ng/g ww feather) > PAH (30.01 ng/g ww feather) > OCP (13.36 ng/g ww feather) > BFR (1.98 ng/g ww feather) in live birds; and PAH (46.65 ng/g ww preen gland) > PCB (44.11 ng/g ww preen gland) > OCP (15.15 ng/g ww liver) > BFR (5.07 ng/g ww liver) in dead birds. Comparison of contaminant results with toxicity pre-established levels concluded that this population of common terns in Ireland is not at risk of anomalies caused by POPs. However, some levels are higher in comparison to the ones established by OSPAR's EcoQO and must be monitored periodically.

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Persistent organic pollutant and mercury concentrations in eggs of ground-nesting marine birds in the Canadian high Arctic

Cited by 22 publications

References 59 publications

Mercury exposure to red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) and dragonfly (Odonata: Aeshnidae) nymphs in Prairie Pothole wetlands

Mercury exposure to red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) and dragonfly (Odonata: Aeshnidae) nymphs in Prairie Pothole wetlands

Adult survival of Arctic terns in the Canadian High Arctic

Presence of persistent organic pollutants in a breeding common tern (Sterna hirundo) population in Ireland

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