Brominated flame retardants and organochlorine pollutants in aquatic and terrestrial predatory birds of Belgium: levels, patterns, tissue distribution and condition factors

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) Vol. 139; no. 2; pp. 340 - 352
• Main Authors: Jaspers, V.L.B., Covaci, A., Voorspoels, S., Dauwe, T., Eens, M., Schepens, P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 2006; Elsevier
• Subjects: Accipiter nisus; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Ardea cinerea; Aves; Belgium; bioaccumulation; Biological and medical sciences; Birds; birds of prey; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Falco tinnunculus; Fishes; flame retardant finishes; Flame Retardants - analysis; Flame Retardants - toxicity; Food Chain; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated - analysis; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated - toxicity; Liver - chemistry; Muscle, Skeletal - chemistry; Organochlorine pesticides; Pesticides - analysis; Pesticides - toxicity; Phenyl Ethers - analysis; Podiceps cristatus; pollutants; Polybrominated Biphenyls - analysis; Polybrominated Biphenyls - toxicity; Polybrominated diphenylethers; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Polychlorinated Biphenyls - analysis; Predatory birds; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Species Specificity; Tissue Distribution; Tyto alba; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; water birds; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; wild birds; Belgium; Europe; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Predatory birds; Polybrominated diphenylethers; Belgium; Organochlorine pesticides; Terrestrial environment; Pesticides; Flame retardant; Polychlorobiphenyl; Persistent organic pollutant; Aquatic environment; Vertebrata; Spatial distribution; Organochlorine compounds; Chlorine Organic compounds; Bromine Organic compounds; Predator; Aves; Organic compounds
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2005.05.008

Liver and muscle samples from 7 species of aquatic and terrestrial predatory birds from Flanders (Belgium) were analysed for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). PCBs were the predominant compounds in our samples, which showed highest concentrations in the liver of barn owl ( Tyto alba) and sparrowhawk ( Accipiter nisus) (up to 1000 μg/g lipid weight). PBDEs could be determined in most samples at lower concentrations than PCBs (up to 64 μg/g lipid in sparrowhawk liver). Sparrowhawks had the highest levels of hexachlorobenzene, DDTs and PBDEs. In contrast, kestrels ( Falco tinnunculus) had relatively low levels of most measured organochlorines. BDE 47 was the most abundant congener in heron ( Ardea cinerea) and grebe ( Podiceps cristatus), while BDE 47, 99 and 153 were equally important in the terrestrial species. BDE 183 and BDE 209 were only measured in the terrestrial birds. These results indicate that terrestrial birds may be more exposed to higher brominated BDE congeners than aquatic species. Aquatic and terrestrial predatory birds show different accumulation profiles of PBDEs.