Persistent organochlorine pollutants in eggs of colonial waterbirds from Galveston Bay and East Texas, USA

Abstract

Eggs of neotropic cormorants (Phalacrocorax brasilianus), black-crowned night herons (Nycticorax nycticorax), and great egrets (Ardea alba) nesting on several locations in Galveston Bay (TX, USA) and at two control sites outside the bay were collected during April-May 1996 and analyzed for chlorinated pesticides, PCBs, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, and polychlorinated dibenzofurans. Additionally, concentrations of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents (TCDD-EQs) were determined by use of relative potency factors (TEQs) or the H4IIE-luc bioassay TCDD-EQs. Concentrations of 1,1,-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene (DDE) were greater in eggs of neotropic cormorants from Alexander Island (mean = 1,040 ng/g wet wt) in the Houston Ship Channel (Houston, TX, USA) and in those from Telfair Island (mean = 1,460 ng/g wet wt), a reference location outside the bay, than in most locations inside the bay (mean range = 119-453 ng/g wet wt). Mean PCB concentrations were greater in eggs of neotropic cormorants from Alexander Island (mean = 5,720 ng/g wet wt) than in eggs of cormorants from areas farther away from the ship channel, including two reference sites outside the bay (mean range = 404-3,140 ng/g wet wt). The TCDD was the main dioxin congener detected in eggs from all locations within Galveston Bay. Instrumental TEQs in eggs ranged from 67 pg/g wet weight at control sites to 452 pg/g wet weight at Alexander Island. Concentrations of TCDD-EQs determined in the H4IIE assay were correlated with instrumental TEQs and were greater in eggs of cormorants from islands within the bay, although these were farther away from the ship channel. Overall, concentrations of DDE, PCBs, TCDD, and TCDD-EQs were less than the threshold levels known to affect reproduction. However, some eggs contained concentrations of total PCBs or DDE greater than what would elicit adverse effects on birds. No identifiable deformities or abnormalities were detected in embryos collected from all sites.

Coastal urbanization and the integrity of estuarine waterbird communities: Threshold responses and the importance of scale

“…The estuarine waterbird community, positioned at the top of the food web, may be vulnerable to these disturbances via bottom-up controls (Baird et al, 2004). Contaminants such as PCBs and heavy metals present in the food web may compound the problem via biomagnification, imposing unfavorable physiological burdens on the waterbird community (Larsen et al, 1996;Rattner et al, 1997;Frank et al, 2001).…”

LOSS OF CAPACITY TO ELEVATE PLASMA CORTISOL IN RAINBOW TROUT (ONCORHYNCHUS MYKISS) TREATED WITH A SINGLE INJECTION OF o,p′-DICHLORODIPHENYLDICHLOROETHANE

“…The effective doses and the mechanisms of action responsible for the decrease in plasma cortisol in fish need to be established because of the ubiquity of this organochlorine in the environment [21,22], its continued use in many countries around the world, and differences in the mechanisms of action of DDT compounds among vertebrates. There is evidence for teleosts that o,pЈ-DDD disrupts the adrenal steroidogenesis at steps upstream from the cAMP generating process within the steroidogenic enzymatic pathways since treatment with dbcAMP, a cyclic adenosine 3Ј,5Ј-monophosphate analog, could reverse the inhibition of cortisol synthesis in the presence of o,pЈ-DDD [17,19,20].…”

“…Recently, the effects of DDT compounds on ACTH-and dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3Ј,5Јmonophosphate-stimulated cortisol secretion were characterized in vitro in adrenal tissue of rainbow trout [19,20]. Since DDT and its metabolites remain ubiquitous contaminants in the aquatic environment [21,22] and because there may be species differences in the vulnerability of the adrenal tissue to these organochlorine chemicals, we designed an experiment to determine in vivo the effects of o,pЈ-DDD on the capacity to mount the normal cortisol stress response and the physiological status of rainbow trout, a model teleost species.…”

Patterns of genotoxicity and contaminant exposure: Evidence of genomic instability in the marsh frogs (rana ridibunda) of sumgayit, azerbaijan

“…Sediment samples were extracted following the methods described by Schantz et al [41]. Sediment PAH and OC concentrations were determined according to methods described by Cizmas et al [42] and Frank et al [43], respectively. The PAHs were separated by number of rings and into HMW and LMW classes.…”