R5 PM Avian Sentinels of Environmental Contamination
Thursday, 17 November 2005: 1:50 PM - 5:30 PM in 321-323

(CHE-1117-836540) Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in Mid-Atlantic U.S. Birds of Prey: A Comparative Study.

Chen, D¹, La Guardia, M¹, Watts, B², Mainor, T¹, Bush, E¹, Harvey, E¹, Hale, R¹, ¹ Virginia Institute of Marine Science/College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA, U.S.² College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, U.S.

ABSTRACT- Birds of prey are particularly sensitive to the deleterious effects elicited by exposure to bioaccumulative pollutants. This is exacerbated by the high positions of birds in food webs. Exposure to, and disposition of, pollutants may vary between avian species, as a function of habitat, migration patterns, food preferences and metabolism. Hence, investigation of species with different preferences may thus be informative. In this study, POPs in peregrine falcon eggs from the Maryland and Virginia locales were compared to those in osprey eggs from the Chesapeake Bay region. In addition, two bald eagle eggs, one 1-day old peregrine falcon, and one 1-year old red-tailed hawk (killed in an accident) from that general area were examined. Samples were solvent extracted, purified and subjected to GC/MS analysis. Lipids were estimated by evaporation of a fraction of the extract to constant weight. In all peregrine falcon eggs, PCB153/132 was the dominant congener, followed by PCB180/193, 194, 187, 203/196, 199, 170/190, 118, and 138/158. Total PCB levels in peregrine falcon eggs (mean: 5.14; range: 0.64-13.1 mg/kg wet weight) were comparable with those in osprey eggs. The two bald eagle eggs exhibited relatively high PCB levels (36.0 and 8.22 mg/kg). The red-tailed hawk contained far lower PCBs (muscle 0.023 and liver 0.040 mg/kg). In osprey eggs, total PBDEs were much lower than PCBs and were dominated by less brominated congeners, e.g. BDE-47, consistent with major congeners observed in their major prey item fish. In contrast, falcon eggs contained burdens dominated by more brominated congeners, e.g. BDE-99 and -153.

Key words: Birds of prey, PCBs, PBDEs