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Léandri-Breton DJ, Jouanneau W, Legagneux P, Tarroux A, Moe BR, Angelier F, Blévin P, Bråthen VS, Fauchald P, Gabrielsen GW, Herzke D, Nikiforov VA, Elliott KH, Chastel O. Winter Tracking Data Suggest that Migratory Seabirds Transport Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances to Their Arctic Nesting Site. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:12909-12920. [PMID: 38991194 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.4c02661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Seabirds are often considered sentinel species of marine ecosystems, and their blood and eggs utilized to monitor local environmental contaminations. Most seabirds breeding in the Arctic are migratory and thus are exposed to geographically distinct sources of contamination throughout the year, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Despite the abundance and high toxicity of PFAS, little is known about whether blood concentrations at breeding sites reliably reflect local contamination or exposure in distant wintering areas. We tested this by combining movement tracking data and PFAS analysis (nine compounds) from the blood of prelaying black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) nesting in Arctic Norway (Svalbard). PFAS burden before egg laying varied with the latitude of the wintering area and was negatively associated with time upon return of individuals at the Arctic nesting site. Kittiwakes (n = 64) wintering farther south carried lighter burdens of shorter-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylates (PFCAs, C9-C12) and heavier burdens of longer chain PFCAs (C13-C14) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid compared to those wintering farther north. Thus, blood concentrations prior to egg laying still reflected the uptake during the previous wintering stage, suggesting that migratory seabirds can act as biovectors of PFAS to Arctic nesting sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Don-Jean Léandri-Breton
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3 V9, Canada
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372-CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - William Jouanneau
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372-CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, 9296 Tromso̷, Norway
| | - Pierre Legagneux
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372-CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
- Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1 V0A6, Canada
| | - Arnaud Tarroux
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Fram Centre, 9296 Tromso̷, Norway
| | - Bo Rge Moe
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, 7485, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372-CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | | | - Vegard S Bråthen
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, 7485, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Per Fauchald
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Fram Centre, 9296 Tromso̷, Norway
| | | | - Dorte Herzke
- Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), Fram Centre, 9296 Tromso̷, Norway
| | | | - Kyle H Elliott
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3 V9, Canada
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372-CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360 Villiers-en-Bois, France
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2
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de la Vega C, Kershaw J, Stenson GB, Frie AK, Biuw M, Haug T, Norman L, Mahaffey C, Smout S, Jeffreys RM. Multi-decadal trends in biomarkers in harp seal teeth from the North Atlantic reveal the influence of prey availability on seal trophic position. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:5582-5595. [PMID: 37477068 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Arctic food webs are being impacted by borealisation and environmental change. To quantify the impact of these multiple forcings, it is crucial to accurately determine the temporal change in key ecosystem metrics, such as trophic position of top predators. Here, we measured stable nitrogen isotopes (δ15 N) in amino acids in harp seal teeth from across the North Atlantic spanning a period of 60 years to robustly assess multi-decadal trends in harp seal trophic position, accounting for changes in δ15 N at the base of the food web. We reveal long-term variations in trophic position of harp seals which are likely to reflect fluctuations in prey availability, specifically fish- or invertebrate-dominated diets. We show that the temporal trends in harp seal trophic position differ between the Northwest Atlantic, Greenland Sea and Barents Sea, suggesting divergent changes in each local ecosystem. Our results provide invaluable data for population dynamic and ecotoxicology studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille de la Vega
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Joanna Kershaw
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, UK
| | - Garry B Stenson
- Science Branch, Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, Fisheries & Oceans Canada, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
- Department of Biology, Memorial University, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | | | - Martin Biuw
- Institute of Marine Research, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Tore Haug
- Institute of Marine Research, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Louisa Norman
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Claire Mahaffey
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Sophie Smout
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, UK
| | - Rachel M Jeffreys
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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3
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Burger J. Metal Levels in Delaware Bay Horseshoe Crab Eggs from the Surface Reflect Metals in Egg Clutches Laid beneath the Sand. TOXICS 2023; 11:614. [PMID: 37505579 PMCID: PMC10386046 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11070614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Understanding variations in metal levels in biota geographically and under different environmental conditions is essential to determining risk to organisms themselves and to their predators. It is often difficult to determine food chain relationships because predators may eat several different prey types. Horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) eggs form the basis for a complex food web in Delaware Bay, New Jersey, USA. Female horseshoe crabs lay thumb-sized clutches of eggs, several cm below the surface, and often dislodge previously laid eggs that are brought to the surface by wave action, where they are accessible and critical food for migrant shorebirds. This paper compares metal and metalloid (chromium [Cr], cadmium [Cd], lead [Pb], mercury [Hg], arsenic [As] and selenium [Se]) concentrations in horseshoe crab eggs collected on the surface with concentrations in eggs from clutches excavated from below the sand surface, as well as examining metals in eggs from different parts of the Bay. The eggs were all collected in May 2019, corresponding to the presence of the four main species of shorebirds migrating through Delaware Bay. These migrating birds eat almost entirely horseshoe crab eggs during their stopover in Delaware Bay, and there are differences in the levels of metals in blood of different shorebirds. These differences could be due to whether they have access to egg clutches below sand (ruddy turnstones, Arenaria interpres) or only to eggs on the surface (the threatened red knot [Calidris canutus rufa] and other species of shorebirds). Correlations between metals in clutches were also examined. Except for As and Cd, there were no significant differences between the metals in crab egg clutches and eggs on the surface that shorebirds, gulls, and other predators eat. There were significant locational differences in metal levels in horseshoe crab eggs (except for Pb), with most metals being highest in the sites on the lower portion of Delaware Bay. Most metals in crab eggs have declined since studies were conducted in the mid-1990s but were similar to levels in horseshoe crab eggs in 2012. The data continue to provide important monitoring and assessment information for a keystone species in an ecosystem that supports many species, including threatened and declining shorebird species during spring migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Burger
- Division of Life Sciences, Rutgers University, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, 170 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
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Vorkamp K, Carlsson P, Corsolini S, de Wit CA, Dietz R, Gribble MO, Houde M, Kalia V, Letcher RJ, Morris A, Rigét FF, Routti H, Muir DCG. Influences of climate change on long-term time series of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Arctic and Antarctic biota. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2022; 24:1643-1660. [PMID: 36196982 DOI: 10.1039/d2em00134a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Time series of contaminants in the Arctic are an important instrument to detect emerging issues and to monitor the effectiveness of chemicals regulation, based on the assumption of a direct reflection of changes in primary emissions. Climate change has the potential to influence these time trends, through direct physical and chemical processes and/or changes in ecosystems. This study was part of an assessment of the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), analysing potential links between changes in climate-related physical and biological variables and time trends of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Arctic biota, with some additional information from the Antarctic. Several correlative relationships were identified between POP temporal trends in freshwater and marine biota and physical climate parameters such as oscillation indices, sea-ice coverage, temperature and precipitation, although the mechanisms behind these observations remain poorly understood. Biological data indicate changes in the diet and trophic level of some species, especially seabirds and polar bears, with consequences for their POP exposure. Studies from the Antarctic highlight increased POP availability after iceberg calving. Including physical and/or biological parameters in the POP time trend analysis has led to small deviations in some declining trends, but did generally not change the overall direction of the trend. In addition, regional and temporary perturbations occurred. Effects on POP time trends appear to have been more pronounced in recent years and to show time lags, suggesting that climate-related effects on the long time series might be gaining importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Vorkamp
- Aarhus University, Department of Environmental Science, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - Pernilla Carlsson
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Simonetta Corsolini
- University of Siena, Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Siena, Italy
| | - Cynthia A de Wit
- Stockholm University, Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rune Dietz
- Aarhus University, Department of Ecoscience, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Matthew O Gribble
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Public Health, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Magali Houde
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Vrinda Kalia
- Columbia University, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Adam Morris
- Northern Contaminants Program, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs, Gatineau, QC, Canada
| | - Frank F Rigét
- Aarhus University, Department of Ecoscience, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Heli Routti
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Derek C G Muir
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON, Canada
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5
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Borgå K, McKinney MA, Routti H, Fernie KJ, Giebichenstein J, Hallanger I, Muir DCG. The influence of global climate change on accumulation and toxicity of persistent organic pollutants and chemicals of emerging concern in Arctic food webs. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2022; 24:1544-1576. [PMID: 35179539 DOI: 10.1039/d1em00469g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This review summarizes current understanding of how climate change-driven physical and ecological processes influence the levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and contaminants of emerging Arctic concern (CEACs) in Arctic biota and food webs. The review also highlights how climate change may interact with other stressors to impact contaminant toxicity, and the utility of modeling and newer research tools in closing knowledge gaps on climate change-contaminant interactions. Permafrost thaw is influencing the concentrations of POPs in freshwater ecosystems. Physical climate parameters, including climate oscillation indices, precipitation, water salinity, sea ice age, and sea ice quality show statistical associations with POPs concentrations in multiple Arctic biota. Northward range-shifting species can act as biovectors for POPs and CEACs into Arctic marine food webs. Shifts in trophic position can alter POPs concentrations in populations of Arctic species. Reductions in body condition are associated with increases in levels of POPs in some biota. Although collectively understudied, multiple stressors, including contaminants and climate change, may act to cumulatively impact some populations of Arctic biota. Models are useful for predicting the net result of various contrasting climate-driven processes on POP and CEAC exposures; however, for some parameters, especially food web changes, insufficient data exists with which to populate such models. In addition to the impact of global regulations on POP levels in Arctic biota, this review demonstrates that there are various direct and indirect mechanisms by which climate change can influence contaminant exposure, accumulation, and effects; therefore, it is important to attribute POP variations to the actual contributing factors to inform future regulations and policies. To do so, a broad range of habitats, species, and processes must be considered for a thorough understanding and interpretation of the consequences to the distribution, accumulation, and effects of environmental contaminants. Given the complex interactions between climate change, contaminants, and ecosystems, it is important to plan for long-term, integrated pan-Arctic monitoring of key biota and ecosystems, and to collect ancillary data, including information on climate-related parameters, local meteorology, ecology, and physiology, and when possible, behavior, when carrying out research on POPs and CEACs in biota and food webs of the Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrine Borgå
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, NO-0316 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Melissa A McKinney
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3 V9, Canada.
| | - Heli Routti
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Kim J Fernie
- Ecotoxicology & Wildlife Health, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON, L7S 1A1, Canada
| | | | | | - Derek C G Muir
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, ON, L7S 1A1, Canada
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Sühring R, Baak JE, Letcher RJ, Braune BM, de Silva A, Dey C, Fernie K, Lu Z, Mallory ML, Avery-Gomm S, Provencher JF. Co-contaminants of microplastics in two seabird species from the Canadian Arctic. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ECOTECHNOLOGY 2022; 12:100189. [PMID: 36157344 PMCID: PMC9500368 DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2022.100189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Through ingestion and subsequent egestion, Arctic seabirds can bioaccumulate microplastics at and around their colony breeding sites. While microplastics in Arctic seabirds have been well documented, it is not yet understood to what extent these particles can act as transport vehicles for plastic-associated contaminants, including legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs), trace metals, and organic additives. We investigated the occurrence and pattern of organic and inorganic co-contaminants of microplastics in two seabird species from the Canadian Arctic - northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) and black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla). We found that fulmars had higher levels of plastic contamination and emerging organic compounds (known to be plastic additives) than kittiwakes, whereas higher concentrations of legacy POPs were found in kittiwakes than the fulmars. Furthermore, fulmars, the species with the much larger foraging range (∼200 km), had higher plastic pollution and overall contaminant burdens, indicating that birds may be acting as long-range transport vectors for plastic-associated pollution. Our results suggest a potential connection between plastic additive contamination and plastic pollution burdens in the bird stomachs, highlighting the importance of treating plastic particles and plastic-associated organic additives as co-contaminants rather than separate pollution issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxana Sühring
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly known as Ryerson University), 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON, M5B 2K3, Canada
- Corresponding author.
| | - Julia E. Baak
- Department of Natural Resource Science, McGill University, Sainte Anne de Bellevue, Québec, H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Robert J. Letcher
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Raven Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Birgit M. Braune
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Raven Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Amila de Silva
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario, L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Cody Dey
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Raven Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Kim Fernie
- Ecotoxicology & Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario, L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Zhe Lu
- Institut des Sciences de la Mer de Rimouski, Université du Québec à Rimouski, Rimouski, Québec, G5L 3A1, Canada
| | - Mark L. Mallory
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, B4P 2R6, Canada
| | - Stephanie Avery-Gomm
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Raven Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Jennifer F. Provencher
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Raven Road, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0H3, Canada
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Esparza I, Elliott KH, Choy ES, Braune BM, Letcher RJ, Patterson A, Fernie KJ. Mercury, legacy and emerging POPs, and endocrine-behavioural linkages: Implications of Arctic change in a diving seabird. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 212:113190. [PMID: 35367428 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Arctic species encounter multiple stressors including climate change and environmental contaminants. Some contaminants may disrupt hormones that govern the behavioural responses of wildlife to climatic variation, and thus the capacity of species to respond to climate change. We investigated correlative interactions between legacy and emerging persistent organic pollutants (POPs), mercury (Hg), hormones and behaviours, in thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia) (N = 163) breeding in northern Hudson Bay (2016-2018). The blood profile of the murres was dominated by methylmercury (MeHg), followed by much lower levels of sum (∑) 35 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and p,p'-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethylene (DDE), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) BDE-47, -99 and BDE-100; all other measured organochlorine pesticides and replacement brominated flame retardants had low concentrations if detected. Inter-annual variations occurred in MeHg, circulating triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and the foraging behaviours of the murres, identified using GPS-accelerometers. Compared to the 50-year mean date (1971-2021) for 50% of sea-ice coverage in Hudson Bay, sea-ice breakup was 1-2 weeks earlier (2016, 2017) or comparable (2018). Indeed, 2017 was the earliest year on record. Consistent with relationships identified individually between MeHg and total T3, and T3 and foraging behaviour, a direct interaction between these three parameters was evident when all possible interactions among measured chemical pollutants, hormones, and behaviours of the murres were considered collectively (path analysis). When murres were likely already stressed due to early sea-ice breakup (2016, 2017), blood MeHg influenced circulating T3 that in turn reduced foraging time underwater. We conclude that when sea-ice breaks up early in the breeding season, Hg may interfere with the ability of murres to adjust their foraging behaviour via T3 in relation to variation in sea-ice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilse Esparza
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road Ste, Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Kyle H Elliott
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road Ste, Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada.
| | - Emily S Choy
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road Ste, Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Birgit M Braune
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Center, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Robert J Letcher
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Center, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Allison Patterson
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road Ste, Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Kim J Fernie
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road Ste, Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada; Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 867 Lakeshore Rd, Burlington, ON L7S 1A1, Canada.
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8
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Zhang X, Xie Q, Yu RQ, Wu Y. Temporal Trends of Alternative Halogenated Flame Retardants in Humpback Dolphins from the South China Sea. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:5037-5048. [PMID: 35394783 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c08636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Increasing human activities are altering marine ecosystems, which may have ramifications for predator feeding ecology and, thus, the degree of contaminant exposure. We conducted the first investigation of spatiotemporal trends for nine alternative halogenated flame retardants (AHFRs) and their relations with dietary variations in 128 humpback dolphins that were stranded along the northern South China Sea during 2003-2020. We detected the highest levels of seven major AHFRs in humpback dolphins compared with the results reported in cetaceans globally, indicating high AHFR contamination in coastal regions of South China. Dolphins that were stranded near urban regions generally contained higher AHFR concentrations than those that were stranded near rural areas, mirroring the environmental trends of AHFRs occurring in this area. Model-generated diet estimates suggested that humpback dolphins have reduced their consumption of high trophic-level prey in recent years, likely attributable to overfishing-induced prey decline in this region. After adjusting AHFR concentrations due to diet changes, the temporal trends of AHFR contamination in humpback dolphins were only slightly altered. Our results suggest that increasing discharges of AHFRs into the South China Sea during the 2000s and 2010s may have had a greater influence on AHFR trends in humpback dolphins than dietary shifts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiyang Zhang
- School of Marine Sciences, Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Pearl River Estuary Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Qiang Xie
- School of Marine Sciences, Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Pearl River Estuary Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai 519082, China
| | - Ri-Qing Yu
- Department of Biology, Center for Environment, Biodiversity and Conservation, The University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, Texas 75799, United States
| | - Yuping Wu
- School of Marine Sciences, Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Resources and Coastal Engineering, Pearl River Estuary Marine Ecosystem Research Station, Ministry of Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai 519082, China
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9
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Buchanan PJ, Tagliabue A, de la Vega C, Mahaffey C. Oceanographic and biogeochemical drivers cause divergent trends in the nitrogen isoscape in a changing Arctic Ocean. AMBIO 2022; 51:383-397. [PMID: 34628601 PMCID: PMC8692545 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-021-01635-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen stable isotopes (δ15N) are used to study food web and foraging dynamics due to the step-wise enrichment of tissues with increasing trophic level, but they rely on the isoscape baseline that varies markedly in the Arctic due to the interplay between Atlantic- and Pacific-origin waters. Using a hierarchy of simulations with a state-of-the-art ocean-biogeochemical model, we demonstrate that the canonical isotopic gradient of 2-3‰ between the Pacific and Atlantic sectors of the Arctic Ocean has grown to 3-4‰ and will continue to expand under a high emissions climate change scenario by the end of the twenty-first century. δ15N increases in the Pacific-influenced high Arctic due to increased primary production, while Atlantic sector decreases result from the integrated effects of Atlantic inflow and anthropogenic inputs. While these trends will complicate longitudinal food web studies using δ15N, they may aid those focussed on movement as the Arctic isoscape becomes more regionally distinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pearse James Buchanan
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, 4 Brownlow Street, Liverpool, L693GP UK
| | - Alessandro Tagliabue
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, 4 Brownlow Street, Liverpool, L693GP UK
| | - Camille de la Vega
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, 4 Brownlow Street, Liverpool, L693GP UK
- Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, Warnemünde, 18119 Rostock, Germany
| | - Claire Mahaffey
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, 4 Brownlow Street, Liverpool, L693GP UK
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10
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Elliott JE, Drever MC, Studholme KR, Silverthorn V, Miller AA, Elliott KH, Lee SL, Drouillard KG, Porter E, Idrissi AM, Crossin GT, Hipfner JM. Exposure to persistent organic pollutants is linked to over-wintering latitude in a Pacific seabird, the rhinoceros auklet, Cerorhinca monocerata. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2021; 279:116928. [PMID: 33774363 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Seabirds are wide-ranging organisms often used to track marine pollution, yet the effect of migration on exposure over the annual cycle is often unclear. We used solar geolocation loggers and stable isotope analysis to study the effects of post breeding dispersal and diet on persistent organic pollutant (POP) and mercury (Hg) burdens in rhinoceros auklets, Cerorhinca monocerata, breeding on islands along the Pacific Coast of Canada. Hg and four classes of POPs were measured in auklet eggs: organochlorine insecticides (OCs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and perfluoralkyl substances (PFASs). Stable isotope values of adult breast feathers grown during winter were used in conjunction with geolocation to elucidate adult wintering latitude. Wintering latitude was the most consistent and significant predictor of some POP and of Hg concentrations in eggs. The magnitude and pattern of exposure varied by contaminant, with ∑PCBs, ∑PBDEs and DDE decreasing with wintering latitude, and mirex, perfluoro-n-tridecanoic acid, and Hg increasing with latitude. We suggest that concentrations of these contaminants in rhinoceros auklet eggs are influenced by variation in uptake at adult wintering locations related to anthropogenic inputs and oceanic and atmospheric transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- John E Elliott
- Wildlife and Landscape Science, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, BC, Canada.
| | - Mark C Drever
- Wildlife and Landscape Science, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, BC, Canada
| | | | - Veronica Silverthorn
- Wildlife and Landscape Science, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, BC, Canada
| | - Aroha A Miller
- Wildlife and Landscape Science, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, BC, Canada
| | - Kyle H Elliott
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sandi L Lee
- Wildlife and Landscape Science, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, BC, Canada
| | | | - Emily Porter
- Wildlife and Landscape Science, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Abde Miftah Idrissi
- Wildlife and Landscape Science, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - J Mark Hipfner
- Wildlife and Landscape Science, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, BC, Canada
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11
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Burger J, Gochfeld M. Biomonitoring selenium, mercury, and selenium:mercury molar ratios in selected species in Northeastern US estuaries: risk to biota and humans. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:18392-18406. [PMID: 33471308 PMCID: PMC9624179 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-12175-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The mutual mitigation of selenium and mercury toxicity is particularly interesting, especially for humans. Mercury is widely recognized as a pantoxic element; all forms are toxic to all organisms. Less well known is that selenium in excess is toxic as well. The high affinity between these elements influences their bioavailability and toxicity. In this paper, we use selected species from Barnegat and Delaware Bays in New Jersey to examine variations in levels of selenium and mercury, and selenium:mercury molar ratios between and within species. We report on species ranging from horseshoe crab eggs (Limulus polyphemus), a keystone species of the food chain, to several fish species, to fish-eating birds. Sampling began in the 1970s for some species and in the 1990s for others. We found no clear time trends in mercury levels in horseshoe crab eggs, but selenium levels declined at first, then remained steady after the mid1990s. Concentrations of mercury and selenium in blood of migrant shorebirds directly reflected levels in horseshoe crab eggs (their food at stopover). Levels of mercury in eggs of common terns (Sterna hirundo) varied over time, and may have declined slightly since the mid2000s; selenium levels also varied temporally, and declined somewhat. There were variations in mercury and selenium levels in commercial, recreational, and subsistence fish as a function of species, season, and size (a surrogate for age). Selenium:mercury molar ratios also varied as a function of species, year, season, and size in fish. While mercury levels increased with size within individual fish species, selenium levels remained the same or declined. Thus selenium:mercury molar ratios declined with size in fish, reducing the potential of selenium to ameliorate mercury toxicity in consumers. Mercury levels in fish examined were higher in early summer and late fall, and lower in the summer, while selenium stayed relatively similar; thus selenium:mercury molar ratios were lower in early summer and late fall than in midsummer. We discuss the importance of temporal trends in biomonitoring projects, variations in levels of mercury, selenium, and the molar ratios as a function of several variables, and the influence of these on risks to predators and humans eating the fish, and the eggs of gulls, terns. Our data suggests that variability limits the utility of the selenium:mercury molar ratio for fish consumption advisories and for risk management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Burger
- Division of Life Science, Rutgers University, 604 Allison Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.
| | - Michael Gochfeld
- Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
- Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
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12
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Kalia V, Schuur SS, Hobson KA, Chang HH, Waller LA, Hare SR, Gribble MO. Relationship between the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and persistent organic pollutants in sympatric Alaskan seabird ( Uria aalge and U. lomvia) eggs between 1999 and 2010. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 262:127520. [PMID: 32791363 PMCID: PMC8466667 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Although climate change occurs alongside other anthropogenic ecosystem impacts, little is known about how sea-surface temperature variability influences the ecotoxicology of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). We analyzed POP contaminant levels, and stable isotopes δ15N and δ13C as measures of trophic position, in eggs collected from the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea between 1999 and 2010 from two similar avian species with different trophic positions: common murres (Uria aalge) and thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia). The ebb and flow of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), a long-lived El Niño-like pattern of climate variability in the Pacific Ocean, predicted both trophic position and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels in thick-billed murres, but not in common murres. There was a similar pattern of association of the PDO with organochlorine pesticide levels in thick-billed murres, but not in common murres. The magnitude of association in thick-billed murres of PDO with the level of a specific PCB congener was a function of the number of chlorine groups on the PCB congener. Although this statistical analysis does not account for all factors contributing to climate variation, this contrast between the species suggests that facultative changes in foraging behavior, reflected in trophic position, can determine how POPs flow through and thereby alter ecosystems under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vrinda Kalia
- Department of Environmental Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, 1518 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, 30322, Georgia.
| | - Stacy S Schuur
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC, 29412, USA
| | - Keith A Hobson
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Stable Isotope Hydrology and Ecology Research Laboratory, 11 Innovation Blvd, Saskatoon, SK, 27N 3H5, Canada
| | - Howard H Chang
- Department of Biostatistics, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, 1518 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, 30322, Georgia
| | - Lance A Waller
- Department of Biostatistics, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, 1518 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, 30322, Georgia
| | - Steven R Hare
- Pacific Community (SPC), B.P. D5, 98848, Nouméa, New Caledonia
| | - Matthew O Gribble
- Department of Environmental Health, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, 1518 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, 30322, Georgia; Department of Epidemiology, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, 1518 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, 30322, Georgia
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13
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Houde M, Taranu ZE, Wang X, Young B, Gagnon P, Ferguson SH, Kwan M, Muir DC. Mercury in Ringed Seals (Pusa hispida) from the Canadian Arctic in Relation to Time and Climate Parameters. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2020; 39:2462-2474. [PMID: 33025637 PMCID: PMC7756774 DOI: 10.1002/etc.4865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is found in Arctic marine mammals that are important in the diet of northern Indigenous peoples. The objectives of the present long-term study, spanning a 45-yr period, were to 1) investigate the temporal trends of total mercury (THg; muscle and liver) and selenium (Se; liver) in ringed seals (Pusa hispida) from different regions of the Canadian Arctic; and 2) examine possible relationships with age, diet, and climate parameters such as air temperature, precipitation, climatic indices, and ice-coverage. Ringed seals were collected by hunters in northern communities in the Beaufort Sea, Central Arctic, Eastern Baffin Island, Hudson Bay, and Ungava/Nunatsiavut regions (Canada) between 1972 and 2017. Mercury levels did not change through time in seal liver, but THg levels in muscle decreased in seals from Hudson Bay (-0.91%/yr) and Ungava/Nunatsiavut (-1.30%/yr). Carbon stable isotope values in seal muscle decreased significantly through time in 4 regions. Selenium-to-THg ratios were found to be >1 for all years and regions. Variation partitioning analyses across regions indicated that THg trends in seals were mostly explained by age (7.3-21.7%), climate parameters (3.5-12.5%), and diet (up to 9%); climate indices (i.e., Arctic and North Atlantic Oscillations, Pacific/North American pattern) explained the majority of the climate portion. The THg levels had a positive relationship with Arctic Oscillation for multiple regions. Associations of THg with air temperature, total precipitation, and sea-ice coverage, as well as with North Atlantic Oscillation and Pacific/North American pattern were found to vary with tissue type and geographical area. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:2462-2474. © 2020 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali Houde
- Environment and Climate Change CanadaMontrealQuebecCanada
| | | | - Xiaowa Wang
- Environment and Climate Change CanadaBurlingtonOntarioCanada
| | - Brent Young
- Arctic Aquatic Research DivisionDepartment of Fisheries and OceansWinnipegManitobaCanada
| | - P. Gagnon
- Environment and Climate Change CanadaMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Steve H. Ferguson
- Arctic Aquatic Research DivisionDepartment of Fisheries and OceansWinnipegManitobaCanada
| | | | - Derek C.G. Muir
- Environment and Climate Change CanadaBurlingtonOntarioCanada
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14
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Rigét F, Vorkamp K, Eulaers I, Dietz R. Influence of climate and biological variables on temporal trends of persistent organic pollutants in Arctic char and ringed seals from Greenland. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2020; 22:993-1005. [PMID: 32083628 DOI: 10.1039/c9em00561g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Climate change may affect temporal trends of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Arctic wildlife. We studied how biological and climate variables influence temporal trends of selected POP groups in landlocked Arctic char muscle and in ringed seal blubber from West and East Greenland. The variables included fish length or animal age, sex, a stable nitrogen isotope, sea ice extent, air or seawater temperature, salinity and the Arctic Oscillation Index (AOI). Model selection for multiple regression showed that the most important predictors varied among POP groups, species and region. Decreasing time trends were found for all POP groups with the exception of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) concentration which remained stable in Arctic char and ringed seals from West Greenland. When retained in the most parsimonious model, the AOI was positively associated with POP concentrations for East Greenland seals, but negatively for West Greenland seals. Seawater temperature and sea ice extent were positively associated with POP concentrations. The effects of explanatory variables on the annual rates of change in POP concentrations were relatively minor relative to the decline caused by reduction in POP emissions following national and international regulations introduced since the 1970s.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Rigét
- Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience, Roskilde, Denmark.
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15
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Grenier P, Elliott JE, Drouillard KG, Guigueno MF, Muir D, Shaw DP, Wayland M, Elliott KH. Long-range transport of legacy organic pollutants affects alpine fish eaten by ospreys in western Canada. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 712:135889. [PMID: 32050398 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) contaminate pristine, alpine environments through long-range transport in the atmosphere and glacier trapping. To study variation in POPs levels in western Canada, we measured levels in the prey (fish) of osprey (Pandion haliaetus) during 1999-2004, and compared those to levels in eggs and chicks. Values in fish muscle (representing human consumption) correlated with whole carcasses (wildlife consumption) for all POPs, except toxaphene, allowing us to pool data. Biomagnification factors for osprey eggs were much higher than published values from Oregon, reflecting differences in local diet. We factored baseline-corrected food chain variation by using amino acid-specific analysis of osprey eggs, illustrating how top predators (ospreys) can indicate both ecosystem-wide baselines and contamination. Given that our biomagnification factors were so different from those for the same species from a nearby site, we argue that trophic magnification factors derived from baseline-corrected δ15N are likely a more accurate method for estimating contamination. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (ΣDDT) concentrations were greatest in rainbow trout from a small lake at 1800 m, and those levels exceeded wildlife and human health guidelines. Indeed, once sites with known agricultural inputs were eliminated, elevation, percent lipids and baseline-corrected δ15N (from amino acid specific isotope values) best predicted ΣDDT. Baseline-corrected, but not bulk, δ15N was the main predictor of polychlorinated biphenyls (ΣPCB). Total toxaphene was consistently the major contaminant after ΣPCB and ΣDDT in osprey eggs, and was present in many fish samples. We concluded that toxaphene arrived from long range deposition due to high proportions of Parlar 40-50 congeners. The only exception was Paul Lake, where toxaphene was used as a piscicide, with a high concentrations of the Hex-Sed and Hep-Sed congeners at that site. We conclude that long-range transport and trophic position, not melting glaciers, were important determinants of some legacy POPs in fish and wildlife in alpine Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Grenier
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste Anne-de-Bellevue, Canada
| | | | - Ken G Drouillard
- Institute for Great Lakes Research, University of Windsor, Canada
| | | | - Derek Muir
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Canada
| | - D Patrick Shaw
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Mark Wayland
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Kyle H Elliott
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste Anne-de-Bellevue, Canada.
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16
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Cao L, Liu J, Dou S, Huang W. Biomagnification of methylmercury in a marine food web in Laizhou Bay (North China) and associated potential risks to public health. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2020; 150:110762. [PMID: 31784261 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The concentrations of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) were assessed in water, sediment and biota (54 species) samples from the coast of Laizhou Bay, to evaluate MeHg biomagnification in Laizhou Bay food web. The trophic web structure was determined with stable isotope ratios. The MeHg concentrations were highly variable among species ranged from 4.8 ng g-1 in primary producers to 411.2 ng g-1 in spotted sea bass. Weight and ecotype were the principal parameters related to the mercury concentrations for most species. The trophic magnification factors (TMFs) for MeHg and THg were 2.09 and 1.69, respectively, indicating that mercury biomagnification is occurring in this marine food web. The estimated weekly intake (EWI) and target hazard quotient (THQ) values demonstrated that consuming predatory fishes from the bay could cause potential health risks to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Cao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Jinhu Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Shuozeng Dou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao 266237, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China; Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China.
| | - Wei Huang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Ecosystem and Biogeochemistry, Second Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Hangzhou, China.
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17
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Heavy Metals in Biota in Delaware Bay, NJ: Developing a Food Web Approach to Contaminants. TOXICS 2019; 7:toxics7020034. [PMID: 31200491 PMCID: PMC6631324 DOI: 10.3390/toxics7020034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the relationship between heavy metal and selenium levels in biota and their foods is important, but often difficult to determine because animals eat a variety of organisms. Yet such information is critical to managing species populations, ecological integrity, and risk to receptors (including humans) from consumption of certain prey. We examine levels of cadmium, lead, mercury, and selenium in biota from Delaware Bay (New Jersey, USA) to begin construction of a “springtime” food web that focuses on shorebirds. Horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) eggs are one of the key components at the base of the food web, and crab spawning in spring provides a food resource supporting a massive stopover of shorebirds. Fish and other biota also forage on the crab eggs, and a complex food web leads directly to top-level predators such as bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) and striped bass (Morone saxatilis), both of which are consumed by egrets, eagles, ospreys (Pandion haliaetus), and humans. Metal levels in tissues were generally similar in algae, invertebrates, and small fish, and these were similar to those in blood of shorebirds (but not feathers). There was a significant direct relationship between the levels of metals in eggs of horseshoe crabs and mean metal levels in the blood of four species of shorebirds. Metal levels in shorebird feathers were higher than those in blood (except for selenium), reflecting sequestration of metals in feathers during their formation. Levels in feathers of laughing gulls (Leucophaeus atricilla) were similar to those in feathers of shorebirds (except for selenium). Selenium bears special mention as levels were significantly higher in the blood of all shorebird species than in other species in the food web, and were similar to levels in their feathers. Levels of metals in bluefish and striped bass were similar or higher than those found in the blood of shorebirds (except for selenium). The mean levels of cadmium, lead, and mercury in the blood and feathers of shorebirds were below any effect levels, but selenium levels in the blood and feathers of shorebirds were higher than the sublethal effect levels for birds. This is a cause for concern, and warrants further examination.
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18
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Foster KL, Braune BM, Gaston AJ, Mallory ML. Climate Influence on Legacy Organochlorine Pollutants in Arctic Seabirds. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:2518-2528. [PMID: 30688438 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b07106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Changing climate can influence the transport of chemical pollutants into Arctic regions and their fate once there. However, the influence of weather or climate variables on organochlorine accumulation in Arctic wildlife, including seabirds, and associated time scale are poorly understood. We assessed the interannual relationships between a suite of weather/climate variables for time lags of 0 to 10 yr and organochlorine pollutant concentrations spanning 1975-2014 in eggs of two seabird species (northern fulmar Fulmarus glacialis, thick-billed murre Uria lomvia) that breed in the Canadian High Arctic. The majority of variability in the data was associated with declining organochlorine emissions (up to 70.2% for murres and 77.4% for fulmars). By controlling for emissions using principal component ordination and general linear modeling, correlations with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) were found for fulmars and with rainfall for murres, after a time lag of 4-9 yr between weather/climate conditions and egg collection. Our results suggest that with increasingly NAO+ conditions and increasing rainfall associated with climate change, concentrations of certain organochlorines such as hexachlorobenzene and p, p'-DDE have increased, dependent on seabird species and ecology as well as partitioning characteristics of the chemical. Analysis of a truncated version of the data sets (2005-2014), consistent with typical time series lengths for environmental pollutants in Arctic wildlife, found correlations with precipitation for murres but not with NAO for fulmars, suggesting that longer time series better elucidate relationships with broad-scale climate indices. Organochlorine pollutant data sets spanning 40 years, which is rare for Arctic wildlife, for two species of seabird were assessed, and the results highlight the association between weather/climate and pollutant accumulation in Arctic food webs and the critical role of ongoing monitoring to effectively elucidate these relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L Foster
- Karen Foster Environmental Research , Peterborough , ON K9J 8L2 , Canada
- Applications of Modelling & Quantitative Methods (AMOD) , Trent University , Peterborough , ON K9L 0G2 , Canada
| | - Birgit M Braune
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre , Carleton University , Ottawa , ON K1A 0H3 , Canada
| | - Anthony J Gaston
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre , Carleton University , Ottawa , ON K1A 0H3 , Canada
| | - Mark L Mallory
- Biology Department , Acadia University , Wolfville , NS B4P 2R6 , Canada
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Rigét F, Bignert A, Braune B, Dam M, Dietz R, Evans M, Green N, Gunnlaugsdóttir H, Hoydal KS, Kucklick J, Letcher R, Muir D, Schuur S, Sonne C, Stern G, Tomy G, Vorkamp K, Wilson S. Temporal trends of persistent organic pollutants in Arctic marine and freshwater biota. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 649:99-110. [PMID: 30172138 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
More than 1000 time-series of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Arctic biota from marine and freshwater ecosystems some extending back to the beginning of 1980s were analyzed using a robust statistical method. The Arctic area encompassed extended from Alaska, USA in the west to northern Scandinavian in the east, with data gaps for Arctic Russia and Arctic Finland. The aim was to investigate whether temporal trends for different animal groups and matrices were consistent across a larger geographical area. In general, legacy POPs showed decreasing concentrations over the last two to three decades, which were most pronounced for α-HCH and least pronounced for HCB and β-HCH. Few time-series of legacy POPs showed increasing trends and only at sites suspected to be influenced by local source. The brominated flame retardant congener BDE-47 showed a typical trend of increasing concentration up to approximately the mid-2000s followed by a decreasing concentration. A similar trend was found for perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). These trends are likely related to the relatively recent introduction of national and international controls of hexa- and hepta-BDE congeners and the voluntary phase-out of PFOS production in the USA in 2000. Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) was the only compound in this study showing a consistent increasing trend. Only 12% of the long-term time-series were able to detect a 5% annual change with a statistical power of 80% at α < 0.05. The remaining 88% of time-series need additional years of data collection before fulfilling these statistical requirements. In the case of the organochlorine long-term time-series, 45% of these would require >20 years monitoring before this requirement would be fulfilled.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Rigét
- University of Aarhus, Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark; Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Kivioq 2, PO Box 570, Nuuk 3900, Greenland.
| | - Anders Bignert
- Dep. of Environmental Research and Monitoring, Swedish Museum of Natural History, PO Box 50 007, S-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Birgit Braune
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Raven Road, Ottawa K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Maria Dam
- Environment Agency, Traðagøta 38, P.O. Box 2048, FO-165 Argir, Faroe Islands
| | - Rune Dietz
- University of Aarhus, Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Marlene Evans
- Aquatic Ecosystem Protection Research Division, Environment Canada, 11 Innovation Blvd, Saskatoon, SK S7N 3H5, Canada
| | - Norman Green
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), Gaustadalléen 21, NO-0349 Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Katrin S Hoydal
- Environment Agency, Traðagøta 38, P.O. Box 2048, FO-165 Argir, Faroe Islands
| | - John Kucklick
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - Robert Letcher
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Raven Road, Ottawa K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Derek Muir
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington L7S 1A1, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stacy Schuur
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Hollings Marine Laboratory, 331 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - Christian Sonne
- University of Aarhus, Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Gary Stern
- Centre for Earth Observation Sciences (CEOS), Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources, University of Manitoba,586 Wallace Bld, 125 Dysart Rd., Winnipeg R3T 2N2, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Gregg Tomy
- Centre for Oil and Gas Research and Development, University of Manitoba, Department of Chemistry, Winnipeg R3T 2N2, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Katrin Vorkamp
- University of Aarhus, Department of Environmental Science, Arctic Research Centre, PO Box 358, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Simon Wilson
- Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) Secretariat, PO Box 8100 Dep., N-0032 Oslo, Norway
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Braune BM, Gaston AJ, Mallory ML. Temporal trends of legacy organochlorines in eggs of Canadian Arctic seabirds monitored over four decades. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 646:551-563. [PMID: 30059916 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2018] [Revised: 07/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We compared temporal trends of legacy organochlorine pesticides and PCBs in eggs of five seabird species breeding at Prince Leopold Island in the Canadian high Arctic. Concentrations of most of the major organochlorine groups/compounds have either declined (e.g. Σ35PCB, ΣDDT, ΣCBz, ΣCHL, octachlorostyrene) or shown no consistent directional change (e.g. heptachlor epoxide) since 1975 in eggs of thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia), northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis) and black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla). Aside from β-HCH, which increased in most species, the major organochlorine compounds either declined or showed no trend between 1993 and 2013 in eggs of five seabird species (thick-billed murre, northern fulmar, black-legged kittiwake, black guillemot Cepphus grylle, glaucous gull Larus hyperboreus). Most of the declines occurred during the 1970s to 1990s followed by little change during the 2000s. Glaucous gull eggs had the highest concentrations of almost all organochlorines in the five years compared (1993, 1998, 2003/04, 2008, 2013), and murre eggs generally had among the lowest concentrations. The primary organochlorines found in eggs of all five species were Σ35PCB, ΣDDT (mainly p,p'-DDE), ΣCBz (mainly hexachlorobenzene) and ΣCHL (mainly oxychlordane) although proportions varied by species and year. The major PCB congeners found in eggs of all five species were CB-153, -138, -118 and -180. The penta-, hexa- and heptachlorobiphenyl homologs comprised the largest proportion of Σ35PCB in all five species. Although levels of most legacy organochlorines have declined since 1975, the potential for climate change to alter chemical transport pathways as well as exposure pathways in the biotic environment could affect temporal trends. Therefore, it is important to continue to monitor these legacy contaminants in order to determine how these changes will affect the temporal trends observed to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit M Braune
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Raven Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0H3.
| | - Anthony J Gaston
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Raven Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0H3
| | - Mark L Mallory
- Biology Department, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada B4P 2R6; Canada Fulbright Chair in Arctic Studies, University of Washington, Box 353650, Seattle, WA, USA, 98195-3650
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Pedro S, Fisk AT, Tomy GT, Ferguson SH, Hussey NE, Kessel ST, McKinney MA. Mercury and persistent organic pollutants in native and invading forage species of the Canadian Arctic: Consequences for food web dynamics. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 229:229-240. [PMID: 28599207 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.05.085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Revised: 05/25/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Contaminant dynamics within Arctic marine food webs may be altered through the climate-driven northward invasions of temperate/boreal species. Here, we compare tissue concentrations of total mercury (THg) and legacy and emerging persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in native versus invading forage species sampled from 2012 to 2014 near Arviat, Clyde River, and Resolute Bay, NU, representing, low, mid- and high eastern Canadian Arctic regions, respectively. Concentrations of THg, legacy Σ-polychlorinated biphenyls (ΣPCB) and Σ-organochlorine (ΣOC) pesticides were detected in all forage species, whereas emerging halogenated flame retardants were detected in only a few individuals. Concentrations of major contaminant groups among regions did not vary for Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida), while for sculpin (Cottoidea) there was no clear latitudinal trend. Thus, considering interspecific variation, native sculpin and northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) had the highest overall concentrations of THg (0.17 ± 0.02 and 0.21 ± 0.01 μg g-1 wet weight, respectively), ΣPCB (322 ± 35 and 245 ± 25 ng g-1 lipid weight (lw), respectively), and ΣOC (413 ± 38 and 734 ± 64 ng g-1 lw, respectively). Comparing the keystone native species, Arctic cod, to its 'replacement' species, capelin (Mallotus villosus) and sandlance (Ammodytes spp.), THg concentrations were higher in Arctic cod compared to capelin (p < 0.001), which was partly explained by differences in fish length. Conversely, capelin and sandlance had higher concentrations of most POPs than Arctic cod (p < 0.02). Neither feeding habitat (based on δ13C), trophic position (based on δ15N), nor fish length significantly explained these differences in POPs between Arctic cod, capelin and sandlance. Higher POPs concentrations, as well as variation in congener/compound patterns, in capelin and sandlance relative to Arctic cod seem, therefore, more likely related to a more "temperate"-type contaminant signature in the invaders. Nevertheless, the relatively small (up to two-fold) magnitude of these differences suggested limited effects of these ecological changes on contaminant uptake by Arctic piscivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Pedro
- Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Center, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment and Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
| | - Aaron T Fisk
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Gregg T Tomy
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Steven H Ferguson
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Central and Arctic Region, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada
| | - Nigel E Hussey
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Steven T Kessel
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Melissa A McKinney
- Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Center, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment and Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
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Alava JJ, Cheung WWL, Ross PS, Sumaila UR. Climate change-contaminant interactions in marine food webs: Toward a conceptual framework. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:3984-4001. [PMID: 28212462 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2016] [Revised: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is reshaping the way in which contaminants move through the global environment, in large part by changing the chemistry of the oceans and affecting the physiology, health, and feeding ecology of marine biota. Climate change-associated impacts on structure and function of marine food webs, with consequent changes in contaminant transport, fate, and effects, are likely to have significant repercussions to those human populations that rely on fisheries resources for food, recreation, or culture. Published studies on climate change-contaminant interactions with a focus on food web bioaccumulation were systematically reviewed to explore how climate change and ocean acidification may impact contaminant levels in marine food webs. We propose here a conceptual framework to illustrate the impacts of climate change on contaminant accumulation in marine food webs, as well as the downstream consequences for ecosystem goods and services. The potential impacts on social and economic security for coastal communities that depend on fisheries for food are discussed. Climate change-contaminant interactions may alter the bioaccumulation of two priority contaminant classes: the fat-soluble persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), as well as the protein-binding methylmercury (MeHg). These interactions include phenomena deemed to be either climate change dominant (i.e., climate change leads to an increase in contaminant exposure) or contaminant dominant (i.e., contamination leads to an increase in climate change susceptibility). We illustrate the pathways of climate change-contaminant interactions using case studies in the Northeastern Pacific Ocean. The important role of ecological and food web modeling to inform decision-making in managing ecological and human health risks of chemical pollutants contamination under climate change is also highlighted. Finally, we identify the need to develop integrated policies that manage the ecological and socioeconomic risk of greenhouse gases and marine pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan José Alava
- Global Fisheries Cluster, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Ocean Pollution Research Program, Coastal Ocean Research Institute, Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - William W L Cheung
- Global Fisheries Cluster, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Peter S Ross
- Ocean Pollution Research Program, Coastal Ocean Research Institute, Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - U Rashid Sumaila
- Global Fisheries Cluster, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Braune BM, Muir DCG. Declining Trends of Polychlorinated Naphthalenes in Seabird Eggs from the Canadian Arctic, 1975-2014. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:3802-3808. [PMID: 28333458 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b00431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
There are relatively few studies of polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) for biota in polar regions and even fewer reports of temporal trends. We determined concentrations of PCNs in eggs of thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia) collected from the Canadian high Arctic between 1975 and 2014 and calculated their associated toxic equivalents (TEQs). Concentrations of Σ67PCN decreased significantly in the murre eggs between 1975 and 2014 at an average annual rate of -14.9 pg g-1 wet weight. Although the penta- and tetra-CNs (predominantly CN-52/60 and CN-42) dominated the PCN profile, the hexa-CNs (mainly CN-66/67) accounted for the majority of the Σ67TEQ-PCN, concentrations of which also decreased significantly between 1975 to 2014. On average, Σ67TEQ-PCN in the murre eggs accounted for only 1.9% of the total toxicity calculated for dioxin-like compounds measured in the murre eggs. As such, the TEQ-PCN concentrations calculated for the murre eggs in this study are several orders of magnitude lower than TEQ levels associated with reproductive effects in birds. This is the first published study of temporal trends of PCNs in Canadian Arctic biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit M Braune
- National Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Carleton University , Raven Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0H3
| | - Derek C G Muir
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada , Burlington, Ontario, Canada L7R 4A6
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Abstract
Lipid extraction is an important component of many ecological and ecotoxicological measurements. For instance, percent lipid is often used as a measure of body condition, under the assumption that those individuals with higher lipid reserves are healthier. Likewise, lipids are depleted in 13C compared with protein, and it is consequently a routine to remove lipids prior to measuring carbon isotopes in ecological studies so that variation in lipid content does not obscure variation in diet. We provide detailed methods for two different protocols for lipid extraction: Soxhlet apparatus and manual distillation. We also provide methods for polar and nonpolar solvents. Neutral (nonpolar) solvents remove some lipids but few non-lipid compounds, whereas polar solvents remove most lipids but also many non-lipid compounds. We discuss each of the methods and provide guidelines for best practices. We recommend that, for stable isotope analysis, researchers test for a relationship between the change in carbon stable isotope ratio and the amount of lipid extracted to see if the degree of extraction has an impact on isotope ratios. Stable isotope analysis is widely used by ecologists, and we provide a detailed methodology that minimizes known biases.
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Rigét F, Vorkamp K, Bossi R, Sonne C, Letcher RJ, Dietz R. Twenty years of monitoring of persistent organic pollutants in Greenland biota. A review. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2016; 217:114-23. [PMID: 26640153 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2015.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Revised: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) is a working group under the Arctic Council with the aim to monitor and assess temporal trends of contaminants in Arctic ecosystems. The Greenland AMAP Core programme was established to contribute to this effort. The Core programme includes three main components; routine monitoring, retrospective studies and new POP screening studies. The programme is based on an adaptive approach, which has led to changes throughout the years. An overview of the temporal trends during the last two to three decades is presently given together with selected examples of different characteristic trends of POPs. The results show how tissue banked samples and retrospective studies has helped in establishing time-series of compounds of emerging concern. Lastly, the statistical power of the Greenlandic time-series is discussed. The lesson learned is that trend monitoring improves with samples over time, and only pays off after decades of data are generated.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Rigét
- Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
| | - K Vorkamp
- Aarhus University, Department of Environmental Science, Arctic Research Centre, Frederiksborgvej 399, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - R Bossi
- Aarhus University, Department of Environmental Science, Arctic Research Centre, Frederiksborgvej 399, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - C Sonne
- Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
| | - R J Letcher
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - R Dietz
- Aarhus University, Department of Bioscience, Arctic Research Centre, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
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Tartu S, Bourgeon S, Aars J, Andersen M, Ehrich D, Thiemann GW, Welker JM, Routti H. Geographical Area and Life History Traits Influence Diet in an Arctic Marine Predator. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155980. [PMID: 27196700 PMCID: PMC4873193 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Global changes are thought to affect most Arctic species, yet some populations are more at risk. Today, the Barents Sea ecoregion is suffering the strongest sea ice retreat ever measured; and these changes are suspected to modify food access and thus diet of several species. Biochemical diet tracers enable investigation of diet in species such as polar bears (Ursus maritimus). We examined individual diet variation of female polar bears in Svalbard, Norway, and related it to year, season (spring and autumn), sampling area and breeding status (solitary, with cubs of the year or yearlings). Sampling areas were split according to their ice cover: North-West (less sea ice cover), South-East (larger amplitude in sea ice extent) and North-East/South-West (NESW) as bears from that zone are more mobile among all regions of Svalbard. We measured fatty acid (FA) composition in adipose tissue and carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotopes in plasma and red blood cells. Females feeding in the North-West area had lower δ15N values than those from the NESW. In South-East females, δ13C values were lower in autumn compared to spring and females seemed less selective in their diet as depicted by large variances in stable isotope values. Considering the differences in FA composition and stable isotope values, we suggest that females from the North-West and South-East could ingest a higher proportion of avian prey. With regard to breeding status, solitary females had higher δ15N values and smaller variance in their stable isotopic values than females with cubs, suggesting that solitary females were more selective and prey on higher trophic level species (i.e. seals). Overall, our results indicate that prey availability for Svalbard polar bears varies according to geographical area and prey selectivity differs according to breeding status. Our findings suggest that complex changes in sea ice and prey availability will interact to affect Svalbard polar bear feeding patterns and associated nutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Tartu
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
- * E-mail:
| | - Sophie Bourgeon
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
- UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Jon Aars
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - Dorothee Ehrich
- UiT-The Arctic University of Norway, Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Tromsø, Norway
| | | | - Jeffrey M. Welker
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, Alaska, United States of America
- University Center in Svalbard, Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway
| | - Heli Routti
- Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram Centre, Tromsø, Norway
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Fort J, Grémillet D, Traisnel G, Amélineau F, Bustamante P. Does temporal variation of mercury levels in Arctic seabirds reflect changes in global environmental contamination, or a modification of Arctic marine food web functioning? ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2016; 211:382-388. [PMID: 26798998 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2015.12.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Revised: 12/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/28/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Studying long-term trends of contaminants in Arctic biota is essential to better understand impacts of anthropogenic activities and climate change on the exposure of sensitive species and marine ecosystems. We concurrently measured temporal changes (2006-2014) in mercury (Hg) contamination of little auks (Alle alle; the most abundant Arctic seabird) and in their major zooplankton prey species (Calanoid copepods, Themisto libellula, Gammarus spp.). We found an increasing contamination of the food-chain in East Greenland during summer over the last decade. More specifically, bird contamination (determined by body feather analyses) has increased at a rate of 3.4% per year. Conversely, bird exposure to Hg during winter in the northwest Atlantic (determined by head feather analyses) decreased over the study period (at a rate of 1.5% per year), although winter concentrations remained consistently higher than during summer. By combining mercury levels measured in birds and zooplankton to isotopic analyses, our results demonstrate that inter-annual variations of Hg levels in little auks reflect changes in food-chain contamination, rather than a reorganization of the food web and a modification of seabird trophic ecology. They therefore underline the value of little auks, and Arctic seabirds in general, as bio-indicators of long-term changes in environmental contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Fort
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS - Université La Rochelle, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France.
| | - David Grémillet
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), UMR 5175 CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France; FitzPatrick Institute, DST/NRF Excellence Centre at the University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
| | - Gwendoline Traisnel
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS - Université La Rochelle, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France
| | - Françoise Amélineau
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), UMR 5175 CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS - Université La Rochelle, 2 rue Olympe de Gouges, 17000 La Rochelle, France
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de Solla SR. Exposure, Bioaccumulation, Metabolism and Monitoring of Persistent Organic Pollutants in Terrestrial Wildlife. THE HANDBOOK OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/698_2015_450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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