Physiological effects of PFAS exposure in seabird chicks: A multi-species study of thyroid hormone triiodothyronine, body condition and telomere length in South Western France

Plastic ingestion, accumulated heavy metals, and health metrics of four Larus gull species feeding at a coastal landfill in eastern Canada

The objectives of this research were to assess ingested plastics and accumulated heavy metals in four urban gull species. Additionally, the relationships between ingested plastics and selected demographic and health metrics were assessed. Between 2020-2021 during the non-breeding seasons, 105 gulls (46 American herring gulls (HERG, Larus argentatus smithsonianus), 39 great black-backed gulls (GBBG, Larus marinus), 16 Iceland gulls (Larus glaucoides), 4 glaucous gulls (Larus hyperboreus)) were killed at a landfill in coastal Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, as part of separate, permitted kill-to-scare operations related to aircraft safety. Birds were necropsied, the upper gastrointestinal tract contents were processed using standard techniques, and livers were analyzed for accumulated As, Cd, Hg, and Pb. The relationships between ingested plastics, demographics, and health metrics were assessed in HERG and GBBG. Across all four species, 85 % of birds had ingested at least one piece of anthropogenic debris, with 79 % ingesting at least one piece of plastic. We detected interspecific differences in plastic ingestion and hepatic trace metals, with increased ingested plastics detected in GBBG compared with HERG. For GBBG, levels of ingested plastic were relatively greater for birds with higher scaled mass index, while HERG with more ingested plastic had higher liver lead concentrations.

Winter Tracking Data Suggest that Migratory Seabirds Transport Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances to Their Arctic Nesting Site

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.

Extraordinary levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in vertebrate animals at a New Mexico desert oasis: Multiple pathways for wildlife and human exposure

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment pose persistent and complex threats to human and wildlife health. Around the world, PFAS point sources such as military bases expose thousands of populations of wildlife and game species, with potentially far-reaching implications for population and ecosystem health. But few studies shed light on the extent to which PFAS permeate food webs, particularly ecologically and taxonomically diverse communities of primary and secondary consumers. Here we conducted >2000 assays to measure tissue-concentrations of 17 PFAS in 23 species of mammals and migratory birds at Holloman Air Force Base (AFB), New Mexico, USA, where wastewater catchment lakes form biodiverse oases. PFAS concentrations were among the highest reported in animal tissues, and high levels have persisted for at least three decades. Twenty of 23 species sampled at Holloman AFB were heavily contaminated, representing middle trophic levels and wetland to desert microhabitats, implicating pathways for PFAS uptake: ingestion of surface water, sediments, and soil; foraging on aquatic invertebrates and plants; and preying upon birds or mammals. The hazardous long carbon-chain form, perfluorooctanosulfonic acid (PFOS), was most abundant, with liver concentrations averaging >10,000 ng/g wet weight (ww) in birds and mammals, respectively, and reaching as high 97,000 ng/g ww in a 1994 specimen. Perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) averaged thousands of ng/g ww in the livers of aquatic birds and littoral-zone house mice, but one order of magnitude lower in the livers of upland desert rodent species. Piscivores and upland desert songbirds were relatively uncontaminated. At control sites, PFAS levels were strikingly lower on average and different in composition. In sum, legacy PFAS at this desert oasis have permeated local aquatic and terrestrial food webs across decades, severely contaminating populations of resident and migrant animals, and exposing people via game meat consumption and outdoor recreation.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in little penguins and associations with urbanisation and health parameters

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are increasingly detected in wildlife and present concerning and unknown health risks. While there is a growing body of literature describing PFAS in seabird species, knowledge from temperate Southern Hemisphere regions is lacking. Little penguins (Eudyptula minor) can nest and forage within heavily urbanised coastal environments and hence may be at risk of exposure to pollutants. We analysed scat contaminated nesting soils (n = 50) from 17 colonies in lutruwita/Tasmania for 16 PFAS, plasma samples (n = 45) from nine colonies, and three eggs for 49 PFAS. We detected 14 PFAS across the sample types, with perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) most commonly detected. Mean concentration of PFOS in plasma was 2.56 ± 4.3 ng/mL ( Collapse

Key Words

• Ecotoxicology
• Genotoxicity
• Human impacts
• Seabird sentinels
• Wildlife health

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MESH Headings

• Male
• Female
• Animals
• Spheniscidae
• Urbanization
• Alkanesulfonic Acids/analysis
• Environmental Pollutants/analysis
• Fluorocarbons/analysis
• Soil
• Sulfonic Acids

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Affiliation(s)

Melanie R Wells Department of Biological Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart 7001, Tasmania, Australia; Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, Battery Point 7004, Tasmania, Australia.
Timothy L Coggan Environment Protection Authority Victoria, 200 Victoria Street, Carlton 3053, Victoria, Australia; ADE Consulting Group, U 4/95 Salmon Street, Port Melbourne 3207, Victoria, Australia
Gavin Stevenson Australian Ultra-Trace Laboratory, National Measurement Institute, North Ryde 2113, New South Wales, Australia
Navneet Singh ADE Consulting Group, U 4/95 Salmon Street, Port Melbourne 3207, Victoria, Australia
Matthew Askeland ADE Consulting Group, U 4/95 Salmon Street, Port Melbourne 3207, Victoria, Australia
Mary-Anne Lea Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, Battery Point 7004, Tasmania, Australia; Centre for Marine Socioecology, University of Tasmania, Hobart 7001, Tasmania, Australia
Annie Philips Wildlife Veterinary Consultant, Hobart 7000, Tasmania, Australia
Scott Carver Department of Biological Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart 7001, Tasmania, Australia; Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, GA, USA 30602; Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, GA, USA 30602

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