title: Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans and non-ortho-PCBs in eggs of white-tailed sea eagles collected along the Swedish coast in the Baltic Sea.
abstract: Concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF), and dioxin-like non-ortho-PCBs were measured in white-tailed sea eagle (WTSE) eagle eggs collected along the Swedish coast of the Baltic Sea during the period 1992-2004. The eggs represent two different subpopulations with significantly different nestling brood sizes; the Baltic Proper (BP) with an approximately normal nestling brood size (1.62), and the south Bothnian Sea (sBS) with reduced nestling brood size (1.22) combined with a significantly higher rate of dead eggs. The aim was to investigate if this difference in reproductive outcome was linked to differences in exposure to dioxin-like compounds. Three eggs collected in Greenland in 2000 were included in the study to provide a reference sea eagle population outside of the Baltic Sea region. The concentrations of ∑PCDD, ∑PCDF and ∑non-ortho-PCB in the two subpopulations from the Baltic Sea (BS) region ranged from 0.41-4.1, 1.2-5.3 and 180-970 ng/g lipids, respectively, while in the Greenland population the ranges were 0.11-0.16, 0.22-0.33 and 57-83 ng/g lipid, respectively. 2,3,4,7,8-PCDF was the predominant congener in all areas and accounted for on average 31-49% of the total ∑PCDD/F concentrations. The total toxic equivalents (TEQ) in sBS WTSEs were higher (approximately 39 ng TEQ/g lipid) than reported in eggs for many other birds, and the major contributors to the TEQ in the Baltic Sea were the non-ortho-PCBs. A principal component analysis (PCA) showed a difference in congener pattern between the two Baltic regions that was statistically significant (Hotelling's T(2) test). We found no significant differences in the total TEQ between the two populations (sBS-BP) and thus no evidence was found linking the reproductive impairment in WTSE in sBS to the concentrations of PCDD/Fs or non-ortho-PCBs in the eggs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Environmental Science (ITM), Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden. ulrika.nordlof@itm.su.se
authors.forename: Ulrika
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Nordlöf
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Helander
authors.forename: Yngve
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zebühr
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bignert
authors.forename: Lillemor
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Asplund
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D004147:Dioxins / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D020307:Eagles / Q000378:metabolism*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000633:toxicity; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010063:Ovum / Q000737:chemistry*; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis / Q000633:toxicity; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D013548:Sweden
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; D004147:Dioxins; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; C023614:dibenzofuran; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls