Organochlorine residue levels in livers of birds of prey from Spain: inter-species comparison in relation with diet and migratory patterns.
Livers from 130 specimens corresponding to 18 species of raptors from Spain were analysed for persistent organochlorine (OC) residues. In all species, p,p'-DDE was the most abundant individual OC compound detected, with geometric means ranging from 61 to 40,086 ng/g ww. The geometric mean for summation operator PCB ranged from 225 to 9184 ng/g ww. Migration to Africa, south of Sahara, where p,p'-DDT is still in use, was not associated with higher liver concentrations of its metabolite, p,p'-DDE. The presence of birds in the diet of the species was an important species-specific factor determining the mean liver concentrations of p,p'-DDE and summation operator PCB. The effect of the diet on OC concentrations in liver is explained by the lower metabolising capacity of OC compounds in birds, especially for p,p'-DDE.
van Drooge
Barend
B
Laboratory of Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain.
Mateo
Rafael
R
Vives
Ingrid
I
Cardiel
Iris
I
Guitart
Raimon
R
D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene / Q000032:analysis; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D020387:Food Chain; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000032:analysis*; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry*; D010573:Pesticide Residues / Q000032:analysis*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis; D020304:Raptors / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D013030:Spain; D013045:Species Specificity
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010573:Pesticide Residues; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls