title: Persistent organic pollutants and methoxylated polybrominated diphenyl ethers in different tissues of white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) from West Greenland.
abstract: We investigated polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (e.g. dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and methoxylated PBDEs (MeO-PBDEs), in six matrices (muscle, liver, kidney, adipose, blood, preen oil) of 17 white-tailed eagles from West Greenland sampled between 1997 and 2009. High inter-individual variation in contamination was found (PCBs: 0.49-1500 μg/g lipid weight (lw), DDTs: 0.23-910 μg/g lw, PBDEs: 0.01-24 μg/g lw, MeO-PBDEs: 0.001-0.59 μg/g lw), mostly due to age-related differences and not to temporal trends. One adult female (age > 5 years) displayed PCB levels up to 1500 μg/g lw in liver, which is the highest concentration ever reported in Arctic wildlife. Muscle generally contained the highest median levels, while adipose tissue displayed the lowest median levels on a lipid basis. No significant differences were found among tissues for MeO-PBDEs. Remarkably, we found distinct correlations (0.62 ≤ r ≤ 0.98; <0.0001 ≤ p ≤ 0.17) between levels of MeO-PBDEs and PBDEs, suggesting similar bioaccumulation pathways of PBDEs and MeO-PBDEs in white-tailed eagles.
authors: University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk (Antwerp), Belgium. veerle.jaspers@ua.ac.be
authors: V L B
authors: VL
authors: Jaspers
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Sonne
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Soler-Rodriguez
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Boertmann
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Dietz
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Eens
authors: L M
authors: LM
authors: Rasmussen
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Covaci
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020307:Eagles / Q000378:metabolism*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006116:Greenland; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers / Q000378:metabolism*; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010575:Pesticides / Q000378:metabolism; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D055768:Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers; D006843:Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated; D010575:Pesticides; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls