Prefledging terns (Sterna paradisaea, Sterna hirundo) as bioindicators for organochlorine residues in the German Wadden Sea

Scharenberg, Wolfgang

doi:10.1007/bf01055563

Cited by 20 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…For any given sediment PCB concentration, eggs typically have higher PCB concentrations than do nestling livers. This pattern is consistent with results reported for various species of birds (28)(29)(30). It is believed that the difference can be attributed to the rapid growth of young birds, which has a dilution effect on contaminant concentrations (31).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 93%

Reduction of PCB Contamination in an Arctic Coastal Environment: A First Step in Assessing Ecosystem Recovery after the Removal of a Point Source

Brown

Sheldon²,

Burgess³

et al. 2009

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Studies have documented the presence of organic contaminants in Arctic marine environments due to local point sources, but little long-term data is known of the recovery process once those contaminants are removed. In this study, natural recovery of a local marine food web from a historic terrestrial source of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at Saglek Bay is examined. PCBs were measured in marine sediments, shorthorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpius), and black guillemots (Cepphus grylle) to assess ecosystem recovery over an eight-year period after cleanup of the source. Surface sediment measurements indicate decreases in both the extent and average concentrations of PCBs throughout Saglek Bay. Sculpin collected near the former contaminated beach in 2006 had significantly lower PCB burdens than those collected in 1998/ 99. PCB levels have also decreased significantly in black guillemot nestlings collected from the former contaminated beach area, as well as Island (6-8 km from the source) and Reference (greater than 18 km from the source) locations. This study demonstrates the utility of using indicator species, especially the black guillemot, to monitor PCB uptake in benthic food webs. The rapid decreases in the physical and biotic PCB concentrations from the local ecosystem at Saglek Bay demonstratethe efficiency with which natural ecosystem recovery can take place in a highly energetic coastal marine environment once a chronic contaminant source is removed.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 93%

Reduction of PCB Contamination in an Arctic Coastal Environment: A First Step in Assessing Ecosystem Recovery after the Removal of a Point Source

Brown

Sheldon²,

Burgess³

et al. 2009

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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“…Vultures are known to have a slow reproduction rate, and only one egg is produced every year, and it is, therefore, not feasible to collect eggs from breeding colonies, especially when possible long-term monitoring is considered (Scharenberg 1991;Custer et al 1991;Ankley et al 1993). The absence of recent data, in particular for vultures, renders it impossible to ascertain whether these favorable conditions are, at present, still in effect.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Distribution of persistent organochlorine chemical residues in blood plasma of three species of vultures from India

Dhananjayan

Muralidharan

Jayanthi

2010

Environ Monit Assess

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The presence of persistent organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were determined in blood plasma of white-backed vulture Gyps bengalensis, Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus, and griffon vulture Gyps fulvus collected from Ahmedabad, India. All the samples had varying levels of organochlorine pesticides and PCBs. Statistically significant (P<0.05) differences among species were detected for beta-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH), ∑HCH, and dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT). The mean concentration of ∑HCH, ∑DDT, and ∑PCBs among plasma ranged from 43.7 to 136, 8.8 to 64.8, and 226 to 585 ng/ml, respectively. Among the various OCPs analyzed, 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene (p,p'-DDE) was detected most frequently. The concentrations of cyclodiene insecticides detected were lower than the other organochlorine residues. The levels of pesticides measured in plasma samples of three species of vulture were comparable to the results documented for a number of avian species and were lower than those reported to have deleterious effects on survival or reproduction of birds. Although no threat is posed by any of the organochlorine pesticides detected, continuous monitoring of breeding colonies is recommended. This study is also the first account of a comprehensive analysis of toxicants present in blood plasma of vulture species in India. The values reported in this study can serve as guidelines for future research in general as well as control values during the analysis of samples obtained from birds in the event of suspected organochlorine poisoning.

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“…Mass of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was about four times higher in black-crowned night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) eggs than 5-d-old sibling chicks collected from Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island [6]. Total mass of organochlorines in common tern (Sterna hirundo) eggs was 1.5 to 11.5 times higher than in 2-d-old chicks from the German Wadden Sea [7]. In another study, 3-d-old Forster's tern (Sterna forsteri) chicks and 2-d-old common tern chicks from Green Bay, Wisconsin, had smaller masses of many organochlorines than the corresponding sibling egg [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transfer and Accumulation of Organochlorines From Black-Crowned Night-Heron Eggs to Chicks

Custer¹,

Custer²

1995

Environ Toxicol Chem

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Eggs and sibling I-, 3 -, and 5-d-old chicks from seven black-crowned night-heron (Nyctrcorax nycfrcorax) broods were collected from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and analyzed for organochlorines. The concentration (pg/g) of nine organochlorines either decreased (n = 7) or remained the same (n = 2) as the chicks grew older. In contrast, the total mass (pg) of these nine organochlorines increased (n = 7) or remained the same (n = 2) as the chicks grew older. Accumulation rates of mass (pg/d) between egg and 5-d-old chicks for each of the nine organochlorines were positive and varied from 0.2 pg/d (p,p'-DDT) to 42 pg/d (PCBs). These results suggest that the loss of contaminant mass from eggs to chicks reported in some earlier studies was because the entire carcass was not analyzed (Le., not including skin, gastrointestinal tract, etc.). These results also support the use of contaminant accumulation rates as an indicator of local contamination.

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Prefledging terns (Sterna paradisaea, Sterna hirundo) as bioindicators for organochlorine residues in the German Wadden Sea

Cited by 20 publications

References 12 publications

Reduction of PCB Contamination in an Arctic Coastal Environment: A First Step in Assessing Ecosystem Recovery after the Removal of a Point Source

Reduction of PCB Contamination in an Arctic Coastal Environment: A First Step in Assessing Ecosystem Recovery after the Removal of a Point Source

Distribution of persistent organochlorine chemical residues in blood plasma of three species of vultures from India

Transfer and Accumulation of Organochlorines From Black-Crowned Night-Heron Eggs to Chicks

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