title: Relationship between legacy and emerging organic pollutants in Antarctic seabirds and their foraging ecology as shown by δ13C and δ15N.
abstract: Foraging ecology and the marine regions exploited by Antarctic seabirds outside of breeding strongly influence their exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs). However, relationships between them are largely unknown, an important knowledge gap given that many species are capital breeders and POPs may be deleterious to seabirds. This study investigates the relationship between Antarctic seabird foraging ecology (measured by δ13C and δ15N) and POPs accumulated in their eggs prior to breeding. Organochlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and dechlorane plus (DP) were measured in eggs of chinstrap, Adélie, and gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica, P. adeliae, P. papua), as well as south polar skua (Catharacta maccormicki), sampled on King George Island. Total POP levels were as follows: skua (3210±3330ng/g lipid weight)>chinstrap (338±128ng/g)>Adélie (287±43.3ng/g)>gentoo (252±49.4ng/g). Trophic position and pre-breeding foraging sites were important in explaining POP accumulation patterns across species. The most recalcitrant compounds were preferentially accumulated in skuas, occupying one trophic level above penguins. In contrast, their Antarctic endemism, coupled with influence from cold condensation of pollutants, likely contributed to penguins exhibiting higher concentrations of more volatile compounds (e.g., hexachlorobenzene, PCB-28 and -52) than skuas. Regional differences in penguin pre-breeding foraging areas did not significantly affect their POP burdens, whereas the trans-equatorial migration and foraging sites of skuas were strongly reflected in their pollutant profiles, especially for PBDEs and DPs. Overall, our results provide new insights on migratory birds as biovectors of POPs, including non-globally regulated compounds such as DP, from northern regions to Antarctica.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Laboratory of Radioisotopes Eduardo Penna Franca, UFRJ, Carlos Chagas Filho 373, CCS, RJ, Brazil. Electronic address: flaviavasc@biof.ufrj.br.
authors.forename: Flávia V
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Mello
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Instrumental Analysis and Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Organic Chemistry, (IQOG-CSIC), Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006 Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: jlroscales@iqog.csic.es.
authors.forename: Jose L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Roscales
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Laboratory of Radioisotopes Eduardo Penna Franca, UFRJ, Carlos Chagas Filho 373, CCS, RJ, Brazil. Electronic address: guidays@biof.ufrj.br.
authors.forename: Yago S
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Guida
authors.affiliation: Marco and Louise Mitrani Departament of Desert Ecology, SIDEER, BIDR, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Mideshet Ben-Gurion, 8499000, Israel. Electronic address: saraivad@bgu.ac.il.
authors.forename: Jorge F S
authors.initials: JFS
authors.lastname: Menezes
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Instrumental Analysis and Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Organic Chemistry, (IQOG-CSIC), Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006 Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: alvigui@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Alba
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vicente
authors.affiliation: Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação, Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua 7 de Setembro, 1156 - Centro, Porto Alegre, RSCEP: 90.010-191, Brazil. Electronic address: erli-costa@uergs.edu.br.
authors.forename: Erli S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Instrumental Analysis and Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Organic Chemistry, (IQOG-CSIC), Juan de la Cierva 3, 28006 Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: bjimenez@iqog.csic.es.
authors.forename: Begoña
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biophysics Carlos Chagas Filho, Laboratory of Radioisotopes Eduardo Penna Franca, UFRJ, Carlos Chagas Filho 373, CCS, RJ, Brazil. Electronic address: jptorres@biof.ufrj.br.
authors.forename: João Paulo M
authors.initials: JPM
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000864:Antarctic Regions; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D046091:Charadriiformes / Q000502:physiology*; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D010063:Ovum / Q000737:chemistry; D046429:Spheniscidae / Q000502:physiology*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; C000615243:Nitrogen-15; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; C000615229:Carbon-13
keywords: Dechlorane plus; Organochlorinated pesticides; Polybrominated diphenyl ethers; Polychlorinated biphenyls; Stable isotopes; Trophic ecology