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Custer CM. Linking field and laboratory studies: Reproductive effects of perfluorinated substances on avian populations. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2021; 17:690-696. [PMID: 33475242 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4394] [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: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Although both laboratory and field studies are needed to effectively assess effects and risk of contaminants to free-living organisms, the limitations of each must be understood. The objectives of this paper are to examine information on field studies of reproductive effects of perfluorinated substances (PFASs) on bird populations, discuss the differences among field studies, and then place those results in context with laboratory studies. Hypotheses to explain the divergences between field studies and between laboratory and field studies will be discussed. Those differences include mixture issues, misattribution of the mechanism or the specific PFAS causing impairments, as well as other possible reasons. Finally, suggestions to better link laboratory and field studies will be presented. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2021;17:690-696. Published 2021. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Custer
- United States Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, La Crosse, Wisconsin
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Guigueno MF, Fernie KJ. Birds and flame retardants: A review of the toxic effects on birds of historical and novel flame retardants. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2017; 154:398-424. [PMID: 28193557 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2016.12.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Revised: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Flame retardants (FRs) are a diverse group of chemicals, many of which persist in the environment and bioaccumulate in biota. Although some FRs have been withdrawn from manufacturing and commerce (e.g., legacy FRs), many continue to be detected in the environment; moreover, their replacements and/or other novel FRs are also detected in biota. Here, we review and summarize the literature on the toxic effects of various FRs on birds. Birds integrate chemical information (exposure, effects) across space and time, making them ideal sentinels of environmental contamination. Following an adverse outcome pathway (AOP) approach, we synthesized information on 8 of the most commonly reported endpoints in avian FR toxicity research: molecular measures, thyroid-related measures, steroids, retinol, brain anatomy, behaviour, growth and development, and reproduction. We then identified which of these endpoints appear more/most sensitive to FR exposure, as determined by the frequency of significant effects across avian studies. The avian thyroid system, largely characterized by inconsistent changes in circulating thyroid hormones that were the only measure in many such studies, appears to be moderately sensitive to FR exposure relative to the other endpoints; circulating thyroid hormones, after reproductive measures, being the most frequently examined endpoint. A more comprehensive examination with concurrent measurements of multiple thyroid endpoints (e.g., thyroid gland, deiodinase enzymes) is recommended for future studies to more fully understand potential avian thyroid toxicity of FRs. More research is required to determine the effects of various FRs on avian retinol concentrations, inconsistently sensitive across species, and to concurrently assess multiple steroid hormones. Behaviour related to courtship and reproduction was the most sensitive of all selected endpoints, with significant effects recorded in every study. Among domesticated species (Galliformes), raptors (Accipitriformes and Falconiformes), songbirds (Passeriformes), and other species of birds (e.g. gulls), raptors seem to be the most sensitive to FR exposure across these measurements. We recommend that future avian research connect biochemical disruptions and changes in the brain to ecologically relevant endpoints, such as behaviour and reproduction. Moreover, connecting in vivo endpoints with molecular endpoints for non-domesticated avian species is also highly important, and essential to linking FR exposure with reduced fitness and population-level effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie F Guigueno
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canada Centre for Inland Waters, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, Ontario, Canada L7S 1A1; Department of Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, 21 111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Québec, Canada H9X 3V9
| | - Kim J Fernie
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canada Centre for Inland Waters, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, Ontario, Canada L7S 1A1.
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Fernie KJ, Marteinson SC. Sex-specific changes in thyroid gland function and circulating thyroid hormones in nestling American kestrels (Falco sparverius) following embryonic exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ethers by maternal transfer. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2016; 35:2084-2091. [PMID: 26757407 DOI: 10.1002/etc.3366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Revised: 09/21/2015] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
High concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) accumulate in predatory birds. Several PBDE congeners are considered thyroid disruptors; however, avian studies are limited. The authors examined circulating thyroid hormones and thyroid gland function of nestling American kestrels (Falco sparverius) at 17 d to 20 d of age, following embryonic exposure by maternal transfer only to environmentally relevant levels of PBDEs (DE-71 technical mixture). Nestlings were exposed to in ovo sum (Σ) PBDE concentrations of 11 301 ± 95 ng/g wet weight (high exposure), 289 ± 33 ng/g wet weight (low exposure), or 3.0 ± 0.5 ng/g wet weight (controls, background exposure). Statistical comparisons are made to controls of the respective sexes and account for the relatedness of siblings within broods. Circulating concentrations of plasma total thyroxine (TT4 ) and total triiodothyronine (TT3 ) in female nestlings were significantly influenced overall by the exposure to DE-71. Following intramuscular administration of thyroid-stimulating hormone, the temporal response of the thyroid gland in producing and/or releasing TT4 was also significantly affected by the females' exposure to DE-71. The altered availability of T4 for conversion to T3 outside of the gland and/or changes in thyroid-related enzymatic activity may explain the lower TT3 concentrations (baseline, overall) and moderately altered temporal TT3 patterns (p = 0.06) of the treatment females. Controlling for the significant effect on TT3 levels of the delayed hatching of treatment females, baseline TT3 levels were significantly and positively correlated with body mass (10 d, 15 d, 20 d), with PBDE-exposed females generally being smaller and having lower TT3 concentrations. Given that exposure concentrations were environmentally relevant, similar thyroidal changes and associated thyroid-mediated processes relating to growth may also occur in wild female nestlings. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:2084-2091. © 2016 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim J Fernie
- Wildlife Toxicology & Disease, Science & Technology Branch, Environment Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sarah C Marteinson
- Wildlife Toxicology & Disease, Science & Technology Branch, Environment Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada
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Marteinson SC, Drouillard KG, Verreault J. Short-term fasts increase levels of halogenated flame retardants in tissues of a wild incubating bird. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2016; 146:73-84. [PMID: 26724461 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2015.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2015] [Revised: 11/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/04/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Many species are adapted for fasting during parts of their life cycle. For species undergoing extreme fasts, lipid stores are mobilized and accumulated contaminants can be released to exert toxicological effects. However, it is unknown if short-term fasting events may have a similar effect. The objective of this study was to determine if short successive fasts are related to contaminant levels in liver and plasma of birds. In ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis), both members of the pair alternate between incubating the nest for several hours (during which they fast) and foraging, making them a useful model for examining this question. Birds were equipped with miniature data loggers recording time and GPS position for two days to determine the proportion and duration of time birds spent in these two activities. Liver and plasma samples were collected, and halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) (PBDEs and dechlorane plus) and organochlorines (OCs) (PCBs, DDTs, and chlordane-related compounds) were determined. Most birds (79%) exhibited plasma lipid content below 1%, indicating a likely fasted state, and plasma lipid percent declined with the number of hours spent at the nest site. The more time birds spent at their nest site, the higher were their plasma and liver concentrations of HFRs. However, body condition indices were unrelated to either the amount of time birds fasted at the nest site or contaminant levels, suggesting that lipid mobilization might not have been severe enough to affect overall body condition of birds and to explain the relationship between fasting and HFR concentrations. A similar relationship between fasting and OC levels was not observed, suggesting that different factors are affecting short-term temporal variations in concentrations of these two classes of contaminants. This study demonstrates that short fasts can be related to increased internal contaminant exposure in birds and that this may be a confounding factor in research and monitoring involving tissue concentrations of HFRs in wild birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C Marteinson
- Centre de recherche en toxicologie de l'environnement (TOXEN), Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succursale Centre-ville, Montreal, QC, Canada H3C 3P8
| | - Ken G Drouillard
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER), University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON, Canada N9B 3P4
| | - Jonathan Verreault
- Centre de recherche en toxicologie de l'environnement (TOXEN), Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succursale Centre-ville, Montreal, QC, Canada H3C 3P8.
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Braune BM, Letcher RJ, Gaston AJ, Mallory ML. Trends of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and hexabromocyclododecane in eggs of Canadian Arctic seabirds reflect changing use patterns. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2015; 142:651-61. [PMID: 26342589 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2015.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2015] [Revised: 07/14/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Due to the substantial use and release of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants in North America, PBDE concentrations in North American marine biota are among the highest in the world. In this study, we compared PBDE concentrations and congener patterns in eggs of five seabird species (thick-billed murres, northern fulmars, black guillemots, glaucous gulls, black-legged kittiwakes) breeding at a colony in the Canadian Arctic in 1993, 2008 and 2013. Temporal trends of PBDEs (1975-2014) and another flame retardant, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) (2003-2014), were also examined in eggs of two seabird species, the thick-billed murre and northern fulmar. BDE-47 generally dominated the BDE congener profiles in eggs of all five species. Glaucous gulls had the highest concentrations of both ΣPBDE and BDE-47, and northern fulmars, the lowest. ΣPBDE concentrations increased exponentially in eggs of both thick-billed murres and northern fulmars from 1975 to 2003 with doubling times of 9.1 years in the murres and 7.2 years in the fulmars. From 2003 to 2008/09, ΣPBDE decreased rapidly in the murres and fulmars to concentrations not significantly different from those recorded in 1975 and 1987 for each species. After 2008/09, ΣPBDE concentrations plateaued. BDE-47 followed a similar temporal trend to that of ΣPBDE concentrations. These concentration trends were consistent with the phase-out of the penta- and octa-BDE products from the North American market in the mid-2000s. There was an overall decline in concentrations of HBCD in murre eggs from 2003 to 2014, whereas concentrations in the fulmar eggs increased from 2003 to 2006 followed by a decline to 2014. The ratio of HBCD to BDE-47 suggests that northern fulmars showed more of a European contaminant signature, and thick-billed murres, more of a North American signature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit M Braune
- Environment Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Raven Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0H3.
| | - Robert J Letcher
- Environment Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Carleton University, Raven Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0H3
| | - Anthony J Gaston
- Environment 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
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Fernie KJ, Palace V, Peters LE, Basu N, Letcher RJ, Karouna-Renier NK, Schultz SL, Lazarus RS, Rattner BA. Investigating endocrine and physiological parameters of captive American kestrels exposed by diet to selected organophosphate flame retardants. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2015; 49:7448-55. [PMID: 25988605 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b00857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Organophosphate triesters are high production volume additive flame retardants (OPFRs) and plasticizers. Shown to accumulate in abiotic and biotic environmental compartments, little is known about the risks they pose. Captive adult male American kestrels (Falco sparverius) were fed the same dose (22 ng OPFR/g kestrel/d) daily (21 d) of tris(2-butoxyethyl) phosphate (TBOEP), tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(2-chloroisopropyl) phosphate (TCIPP), or tris(1,2-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP). Concentrations were undetected in tissues (renal, hepatic), suggesting rapid metabolism. There were no changes in glutathione status, indicators of hepatic oxidative status, or the cholinergic system (i.e., cerebrum, plasma cholinesterases; cerebrum muscarinic, nicotinic receptors). Modest changes occurred in hepatocyte integrity and function (clinical chemistry). Significant effects on plasma free triiodothyronine (FT3) concentrations occurred with exposure to TBOEP, TCEP, TCIPP, and TDCIPP; TBOEP and TCEP had additional overall effects on free thyroxine (FT4), whereas TDCIPP also influenced total thyroxine (TT4). Relative increases (32%-96%) in circulating FT3, TT3, FT4, and/or TT4 were variable with each OPFR at 7 d exposure, but limited thereafter, which was likely maintained through decreased thyroid gland activity and increased hepatic deiodinase activity. The observed physiological and endocrine effects occurred at environmentally relevant concentrations and suggest parent OPFRs or metabolites may have been present despite rapid degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vince Palace
- ‡Stantec Consulting Ltd., 386 Broadway Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3C 3R6
| | - Lisa E Peters
- ‡Stantec Consulting Ltd., 386 Broadway Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, Canada R3C 3R6
| | - Nil Basu
- §McGill University, 21,111 Lakeshore Road, Ste Anne de Bellevue, PQ, Canada H9X 3V9
| | | | - Natalie K Karouna-Renier
- ⊥U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, BARC East Building 308, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, United States
| | - Sandra L Schultz
- ⊥U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, BARC East Building 308, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, United States
| | - Rebecca S Lazarus
- ⊥U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, BARC East Building 308, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, United States
| | - Barnett A Rattner
- ⊥U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, BARC East Building 308, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, United States
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