title: Assessment of contaminant levels and trophic relations at a World Heritage Site by measurements in a characteristic shorebird species.
abstract: The River Elbe is responsible for influxes of contaminants into the Wadden Sea World Heritage Site. We investigated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), oxychlordane (OxC), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexanes (α-, β-, γ-HCHs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its metabolites, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in blood and feathers from Eurasian oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus; n = 28) at the Elbe and compared it with a non-riverine site about 90 km further north. (1) Mean levels of all contaminants in feathers and serum were significantly higher at the river (∑PCBs: 27.6 ng/g feather, 37.0 ng/ml serum; ∑DDTs: 5.3 ng/g feather, 4.4 ng/ml serum) compared with the non-riverine site (∑PCBs: 6.5 ng/g feather, 1.2 ng/ml serum; ∑DDTs: 1.4 ng/g feather, 0.5 ng/ml serum). Mean ∑HCH and HCB levels were <1.8 ng/g in feather and < 1.8 ng/ml in serum at both sites. (2) Levels of most detectable compounds in serum and feathers were significantly related, but levels were not consistently higher in either tissue. (3) There was no significant relationship between trophic level in individual oystercatchers (expressed as δ15N) or the degree of terrestrial feeding (expressed as δ13C) and contaminant loads. (4) PBDEs were not detected in significant amounts at either site. The results of this study indicate that the outflow from one of Europe's largest river systems is associated with significant historical contamination, reflected by the accumulation of contaminants in body tissues in a coastal benthivore predator.
authors.affiliation: Research and Technology Centre (Forschungs- und Technologiezentrum), University of Kiel, Hafentörn 1, 25761 Büsum, Germany. Electronic address: schwemmer@ftz-west.uni-kiel.de.
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schwemmer
authors.affiliation: Toxicological Center, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium. Electronic address: adrian.covaci@uantwerpen.be.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Covaci
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Oceanology-MARE Research Center, University of Liege, Allée de la Chimie 17, B6C, Institut de Chimie, 4000 Liege (Sart-Tilman), Belgium. Electronic address: krishna.das@ulg.ac.be.
authors.forename: Krishna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Das
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Oceanology-MARE Research Center, University of Liege, Allée de la Chimie 17, B6C, Institut de Chimie, 4000 Liege (Sart-Tilman), Belgium. Electronic address: g.lepoint@ulg.ac.be.
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lepoint
authors.affiliation: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83 Umeå, Sweden. Electronic address: sven.adler@slu.se.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Adler
authors.affiliation: Research and Technology Centre (Forschungs- und Technologiezentrum), University of Kiel, Hafentörn 1, 25761 Büsum, Germany. Electronic address: garthe@ftz-west.uni-kiel.de.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garthe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001530:Belgium; D001717:Birds / Q000378:metabolism*; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Eurasian oystercatcher; Haematopus ostralegus; PBDE; PCB; Stable isotopes; Wadden Sea