title: Identifying the provenance of Leach's storm petrels in the North Atlantic using polychlorinated biphenyl signatures derived from comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
abstract: PCB signatures can be used for source identification, exposure studies, age dating and bio-monitoring. This study uses comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GCxGC-ToFMS) to produce a PCB signature comprised of over 80 PCBs for individual Leach's storm petrels (Oceanodroma leucorhoa). The Leach's storm petrel is a relatively small, elusive, understudied pelagic bird, which only returns to remote islands under darkness during the breeding season. Samples were obtained from 25 Leach's storm petrels found dead in Canada and the UK following storm events in 2006 and 2009. Tissue samples were extracted and analysed by GCxGC-ToFMS and results showed that 83 PCB congeners were present in >60% of samples. An assessment of the PCB signature in four different tissue types showed that it did not vary greatly in samples obtained from the gut, heart, liver and stomach. Multivariate statistical analysis identified a distinctive PCB signature in birds from Canada and Europe which was used to identify the regional provenance and transatlantic movement of individual birds. The findings showcase the ability of GCxGC-ToFMS to provide the high quality congener specific analysis that is necessary for PCB fingerprinting, as well as highlighting the potential of PCB signatures for use in ecological studies of movement, foraging and behaviour.
authors.affiliation: Biogeochemistry Research Centre, SoGEES, Plymouth University, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK. Electronic address: dpmegson@hotmail.co.uk.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Megson
authors.affiliation: Biogeochemistry Research Centre, SoGEES, Plymouth University, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK.
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Energy & Geoscience Institute, 423 Wakara Way Suite 300, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA.
authors.forename: Glenn W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Science, Mount Royal University, 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW, Calgary, Alberta T3E 6K6, Canada.
authors.forename: Gwen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: O'Sullivan
authors.affiliation: Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, UK.
authors.forename: Anthony W J
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Bicknell
authors.affiliation: Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, UK.
authors.forename: Stephen C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Votier
authors.affiliation: Biogeochemistry Research Centre, SoGEES, Plymouth University, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK.
authors.forename: Maeve C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lohan
authors.affiliation: Biogeochemistry Research Centre, SoGEES, Plymouth University, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK.
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Comber
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XQ, UK.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kalin
authors.affiliation: Biogeochemistry Research Centre, SoGEES, Plymouth University, Plymouth, Devon PL4 8AA, UK.
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Worsfold
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000378:metabolism*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls
keywords: Chemical fingerprinting; Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography; Leach’s storm petrel; Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs); Time of flight mass spectrometry