Trophic level determines levels of brominated flame-retardants in coastal herring gulls

• Published in: Ecotoxicology and environmental safety Vol. 74; no. 7; pp. 2091 - 2098
• Main Authors: Sørmo, E.G., Lie, E., Ruus, A., Gaustad, H., Skaare, J.U., Jenssen, B.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Diego, CA Elsevier Inc 01.10.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Avian; Bioaccumulation; Biological and medical sciences; Biomonitoring; biphenyl; Bird; Birds; Brackish; Brackish water ecosystems; Bromination; carbon; Carbon Isotopes - analysis; Charadriiformes; ecosystems; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; energy; Estuaries; Estuary; Ethers; Female; fish; Fishes; Flame Retardants - pharmacokinetics; Food Chain; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers - pharmacokinetics; Herrings; Hydrocarbons, Brominated - pharmacokinetics; Inverse; Larus argentatus; lipids; liver; Male; Marine; Nitrogen Isotopes - analysis; North Sea; Norway; polybrominated diphenyl ethers; risk; rivers; seabirds; Stable isotope; Synecology; Teleostei; watersheds; ANE, Norway; ANE, North Sea; Norway, Glomma R; Biomonitoring; Stable isotope; Avian; Bioaccumulation; Estuary; Bird; Brackish water environment; Ecotoxicology; Toxicity; Estuaries; Flame retardant; Trophic relation; Biological monitoring; Larus argentatus; Trophic chain; Vertebrata; Trophic level; Environment; Bromine Organic compounds; Biological accumulation; Aves; Isotopes
• ISSN: 0147-6513; 1090-2414
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2011.06.012

Liver concentrations of eight polybrominated diphenyl ethers (ΣPBDEs: sum of brominated diphenyl ethers [BDE]-28, -47, -99, -100, -153, -154, -183, and -209) ranged from 135 to 985 ng g −1 lipid weight (lw) in coastal herring gulls ( Larus argentatus) from the marine Hvaler Archipelago (The Glomma River Estuary), Norway. Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) concentrations ranged from 10 to 698 ng g −1 lw. High range in δ 13C indicates that gulls were subject to a diversity of carbon sources, likely reflecting their mixed feeding on terrestrial and marine organisms, or diversity of autochthonous and allochthonous (watershed) energy sources at the bases of their marine/estuarial food chains. Inverse relationships of HBCD, and to somewhat lesser extent of BDE-209, with δ 13C values suggest higher abundance of these compounds in the land-derived energy-sources of the gulls. Inverse relationships of BDE-99, BDE-183 and BDE-209 with δ 15N suggest that trophic relationships affect bioaccumulation of these compounds in the herring gulls, with greater bioaccumulation from lower trophic level prey species. This may be because these PBDE congeners are subject of debromination in higher trophic levels prey species of the gulls (e.g., teleost fish). Levels of BDE-209 (up to 95 ng/g lipid) of these herring gulls from 1998 were in the higher range reported in European birds, and not matched by other reports in North Sea seabirds. The present study suggests that the currently used brominated flame-retardants (BFRs), BDE-209 and HBCD relate to changing nutrient allocation in the herring gulls, and represent a risk to seabirds exploiting near-shore and estuary ecosystems. ► Use of stable isotopes to trace sources of BFR bioaccumulation in coastal gulls. ► BDE-209 and HBCD associate with land-derived energy sources. ► Trophic relationships affect bioaccumulation of BDE-99, BDE-183 and BDE-209.