title: Residues of plant protection products in grey partridge eggs in French cereal ecosystems.
abstract: The contamination of the eggs of farmland birds by currently used plant protection products (PPPs) is poorly documented despite a potential to adversely impact their breeding performance. In this context, 139 eggs of 52 grey partridge Perdix perdix clutches, collected on 12 intensively cultivated farmlands in France in 2010-2011, were analysed. Given the great diversity of PPPs applied on agricultural fields, we used exploratory GC/MS-MS and LC/MS-MS screenings measuring ca. 500 compounds. The limit of quantification was 0.01 mg/kg, a statutory reference. A total of 15 different compounds were detected in 24 clutches. Nine of them have been used by farmers to protect crops against fungi (difenoconazole, tebuconazole, cyproconazole, fenpropidin and prochloraz), insects (lambda-cyhalothrin and thiamethoxam/clothianidin) and weeds (bromoxynil and diflufenican). Some old PPPs were also detected (fipronil(+sulfone), HCH(α,β,δ isomers), diphenylamine, heptachlor(+epoxyde), DDT(Σisomers)), as well as PCBs(153, 180). Concentrations ranged between <0.01 and 0.05 mg/kg but reached 0.067 (thiamethoxam/clothianidin), 0.11 (heptachlor + epoxyde) and 0.34 (fenpropidin) mg/kg in some cases. These results testify an actual exposure of females and/or their eggs to PPPs in operational conditions, as well as to organochlorine pollutants or their residues, banned in France since several years if not several decades, that persistently contaminate the environment.Routes of exposure, probability to detect a contamination in the eggs, and effects on egg/embryo characteristics are discussed with regard to the scientific literature.
authors: National Game and Wildlife Institute (ONCFS), Research Department, Saint Benoist, 78610, Auffargis, France. elisabeth.bro@oncfs.gouv.fr.
authors: Elisabeth
authors: E
authors: Bro
authors: Centre de Traitement de l'Information Scientifique, 3 chemin de la Gravière, 69140, Rillieux La Pape, France.
authors: James
authors: J
authors: Devillers
authors: National Game and Wildlife Institute (ONCFS), Research Department, Saint Benoist, 78610, Auffargis, France.
authors: Florian
authors: F
authors: Millot
authors: National Game and Wildlife Institute (ONCFS), Research Department, Saint Benoist, 78610, Auffargis, France.
authors: Anouk
authors: A
authors: Decors
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017753:Ecosystem; D002523:Edible Grain; D004531:Eggs; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D046094:Galliformes; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D010575:Pesticides
keywords: Bird; Egg; Exposure route; Farmland; Pesticide; Residue analysis