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Sebastiano M, Jouanneau W, Blévin P, Angelier F, Parenteau C, Pallud M, Ribout C, Gernigon J, Lemesle JC, Robin F, Pardon P, Budzinski H, Labadie P, Chastel O. 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. Sci Total Environ 2023; 901:165920. [PMID: 37527721 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
There is growing evidence that poly and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure leads to the disruption of thyroid hormones including thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), and may affect telomeres, repetitive nucleotide sequences which protect chromosome ends. Many seabird species are long-lived top predators thus exhibit high contaminant levels, and PFAS-disrupting effects on their physiology have been documented especially in relation to the endocrine system in adults. On the contrary, studies on the developmental period (i.e., chicks), during which exposure to environmental contaminants may have a greater impact on physiological traits, remain scarce to this date. We carried out a multi-species study with the aim to assess whether and to which extent chicks of four gull species (herring gull, great and lesser black-backed gull, yellow-legged gull) in South Western France are contaminated by PFAS, and to bring further evidence about their potential physiological consequences. Linear PFOS showed concentrations of concern as it was generally >10 times higher than the other PFAS, and exceeded a threshold toxicity level (calculated from previous studies in birds) in almost all sampled chicks. Nonetheless, in herring gull male chicks, total T3 levels were significantly and negatively associated with perfluorodecanoate (PFDA) and perfluorododecanoate (PFDoDA) and positively associated with perfluorotetradecanoate (PFTeDA) in female chicks. Total T3 levels were also positively associated with PFDoDA in great black backed gull male chicks and with perfluorotridecanoate (PFTrDA) in lesser black backed gull chicks. In lesser and great black-backed gulls, both females and males showed significant negative associations between several PFAS and their body condition, and a positive association between telomere length and L-PFOS in the yellow-legged gull was also found. These results corroborate previous findings and need to be further explored as they suggest that PFAS may interfere with the physiological status of chicks during the developmental period, potentially inducing long-lasting consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Sebastiano
- Unité Physiologie Moléculaire et Adaptation, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, CP32, 7 rue Cuvier, Paris, France; Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Univ. La Rochelle, France.
| | - W Jouanneau
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Univ. La Rochelle, France
| | - P Blévin
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Univ. La Rochelle, France; Akvaplan-niva AS, Fram Centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - F Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Univ. La Rochelle, France
| | - C Parenteau
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Univ. La Rochelle, France
| | - M Pallud
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Univ. La Rochelle, France
| | - C Ribout
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Univ. La Rochelle, France
| | - J Gernigon
- Réserve Naturelle de Lilleau des Niges, 17880, France
| | - J C Lemesle
- Réserve Naturelle de Lilleau des Niges, 17880, France
| | - F Robin
- Réserve Naturelle de Lilleau des Niges, 17880, France; Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO), 17300 Rochefort, France
| | - P Pardon
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, EPOC, EPHE, UMR 5805, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - H Budzinski
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, EPOC, EPHE, UMR 5805, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - P Labadie
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, EPOC, EPHE, UMR 5805, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - O Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Univ. La Rochelle, France
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Jouanneau W, Sebastiano M, Rozen-Rechels D, Harris SM, Blévin P, Angelier F, Brischoux F, Gernigon J, Lemesle JC, Robin F, Cherel Y, Bustamante P, Chastel O. Blood mercury concentrations in four sympatric gull species from South Western France: Insights from stable isotopes and biologging. Environ Pollut 2022; 308:119619. [PMID: 35709917 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a toxic trace element widely distributed in the environment, which particularly accumulates in top predators, including seabirds. Among seabirds, large gulls (Larus sp) are generalist feeders, foraging in both terrestrial and marine habitats, making them relevant bioindicators of local coastal Hg contamination. In the present study, we reported blood Hg concentrations in adults and chicks of four different gull species breeding on the French Atlantic coast: the European herring gull (Larus argentatus), the Lesser black-backed gull (L. fuscus), the Great black-backed gull (L. marinus) and the Yellow-legged gull (L. michahellis). We also investigated the potential role of foraging ecology in shaping Hg contamination across species, using the unique combination of three dietary tracers (carbon, nitrogen and sulfur stable isotopes) and biologging (GPS tracking). A high concentration of Hg was associated with high trophic position and a marine diet in gulls, which was corroborated by birds' space use strategy during foraging trips. Adults of all four species reached Hg concentrations above reported toxicity thresholds. Specifically, adults of Great black-backed gulls had a high trophic marine specialized diet and significantly higher Hg concentrations than the three other species. Blood Hg was 4-7 times higher in adults than in chicks, although chicks of all species received mainly marine and high trophic position prey, which is expected to be the cause of blood Hg concentrations of toxic concern. By using both stable isotopes and GPS tracking, the present study provides compelling insights on the main feeding habits driving Hg contamination in a seabird assemblage feeding in complex coastal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Jouanneau
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France.
| | - Manrico Sebastiano
- Unité Physiologie Moléculaire et Adaptation, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, UMR 7221 CNRS/MNHN, 7 Rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France; Behavioural Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - David Rozen-Rechels
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, IRD, INRAE, Université Paris Est Créteil, Institut d'écologie et des Sciences de l'environnement de Paris (iEES-Paris), Paris, France
| | - Stephanie M Harris
- School of Ocean Sciences, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Bangor University, Menai Bridge, LL59 5AB, United Kingdom; Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, USA
| | - Pierre Blévin
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France; Akvaplan-niva AS, Fram Centre, P.O. Box 6606 Langnes, 9296, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Frédéric Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - François Brischoux
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Julien Gernigon
- Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO), 17300, Rochefort, France
| | | | - Frédéric Robin
- Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO), 17300, Rochefort, France
| | - Yves Cherel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés, LIENSs, Univ. La Rochelle, CNRS, 17000, La Rochelle, France; Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 1 Rue Descartes, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS & La Rochelle Université, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
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Sebastiano M, Jouanneau W, Blévin P, Angelier F, Parenteau C, Gernigon J, Lemesle JC, Robin F, Pardon P, Budzinski H, Labadie P, Chastel O. High levels of fluoroalkyl substances and potential disruption of thyroid hormones in three gull species from South Western France. Sci Total Environ 2021; 765:144611. [PMID: 33385816 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) raised increasing concerns over the past years due to their persistence and global distribution. Understanding their occurrence in the environment and their disruptive effect on the physiology of humans and wildlife remains a major challenge in ecotoxicological studies. Here, we investigate the occurrence of several carboxylic and sulfonic PFAS in 105 individuals of three seabird species (27 great black-backed gull Larus marinus; 44 lesser black-backed gull Larus fuscus graellsii; and 34 European herring gull Larus argentatus) from South western France. We further estimated the relationship between plasma concentrations of PFAS and i) the body condition of the birds and ii) plasma concentrations of thyroid hormone triiodothyronine (TT3). We found that great and lesser black-backed gulls from South Western France are exposed to PFAS levels comparable to highly contaminated species from other geographical areas, although major emission sources (i.e. related to industrial activities) are absent in the region. We additionally found that PFAS are negatively associated with the body condition of the birds in two of the studied species, and that these results are sex-dependent. Finally, we found positive associations between exposure to PFAS and TT3 in the great black-backed gull, suggesting a potential disrupting mechanism of PFAS exposure. Although only three years of data have been collected, we investigated PFAS trend over the study period, and found that great black-backed gulls document an increasing trend of plasma PFAS concentration from 2016 to 2018. Because PFAS might have detrimental effects on birds, French seabird populations should be monitored since an increase of PFAS exposure may impact on population viability both in the short- and long-term.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Sebastiano
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Univ. La Rochelle, France.
| | - W Jouanneau
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Univ. La Rochelle, France
| | - P Blévin
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Univ. La Rochelle, France; Akvaplan-niva AS, Fram Centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway
| | - F Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Univ. La Rochelle, France
| | - C Parenteau
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Univ. La Rochelle, France
| | - J Gernigon
- Réserve Naturelle de Lilleau des Niges, 17880, France
| | - J C Lemesle
- Réserve Naturelle de Lilleau des Niges, 17880, France
| | - F Robin
- Réserve Naturelle de Lilleau des Niges, 17880, France; Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO), 17300 Rochefort, France
| | - P Pardon
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, EPOC, EPHE, UMR 5805, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - H Budzinski
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, EPOC, EPHE, UMR 5805, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - P Labadie
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, EPOC, EPHE, UMR 5805, F-33600 Pessac, France
| | - O Chastel
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Univ. La Rochelle, France
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