Polybrominated diphenyl ethers and HBCD in bird eggs of South Africa

In this paper, the first data on brominated flame retardants (BFRs), in particular polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) in eggs of bird species from South Africa are described (N=43). Concentrations of PBDEs were detected in all the studied species and in all the geographic areas. Highest concentrations of PBDEs were measured in bird eggs from the Vaal River, which is situated downstream of the most industrialized area in South Africa. Sum-PBDE concentrations were highest in eggs of one African sacred ibis (396 ng g(-1) lipid weight (lw)), possibly due to foraging on dumping sites. Lowest mean level of sum-PBDEs (2.3 ng g(-1) lw) was measured in cattle egrets (N=11) from Barberspan Sanctuary, a Ramsar site. The PBDE congener pattern showed large differences, reflecting different trophic levels, migratory behavior, distance to the source, and, exposure to different PBDE mixtures, among others. HBCD was detected only in four species, and highest levels were measured in one egg of African sacred ibis (71 ng g(-1) lw). In most species, levels of PBDEs were one to several orders of magnitude lower than levels of DDTs and PCBs. PBDEs correlated strongly with DDTs, PCBs and some other organochlorines (OCs), indicating the same source. The widespread occurrence of PBDEs in the South African avian species showed a strong need for further investigations of PBDEs in the Southern African environment.     

Organochlorine contaminants in cormorant, darter, egret, and ibis eggs from South Africa

During the last 15 years, no research has been published on the levels of pesticides in bird eggs from South Africa, despite the high levels found previously. We analysed eggs from African darter, cattle egret, reed cormorant, African sacred ibis, as well as single eggs from some other species, and found HCB, DDTs, HCHs, chlordanes and PCBs at detectable levels. The presence of mirex in all species was unexpected, since this compound was never registered in South Africa. It also seemed as if terrestrial feeding birds had higher DDE:PCB ratios when compared with aquatic feeding birds. Except for chlordane, the African darter eggs had the highest levels of all other compounds (mean 370 and 300 ng g(-1) ww Sigma pesticides and Sigma PCBs, respectively). Multivariate analysis clearly distinguished the aquatic and terrestrially feeding birds on pollution profile. The African darter (aquatic feeding) and the cattle egret (terrestrial feeding) would be good indicator candidates. Eggshell thinning was detected in the African darter, and was associated with most of the compounds, including DDE and PCBs. We raise a concern that generally longer living birds in warmer climates, laying fewer eggs per clutch, might be at increased risk when compared with trophically similar birds exposed to equivalent levels of pollution in colder climates. Given the scarcity of water and the high biodiversity in Southern Africa, climate change will exert strong pressure, and any additional anthropogenic contamination at levels that can cause subtle behavioural, developmental and reproductive changes, can have serious effects.     

Organochlorines in deep-sea fish from the Nordfjord

Hepatic levels of OCs (Organochlorines) were analysed in deep-sea fish from the Nordfjord in Norway. Levels of PCBs in the present study exceed background levels in fish from Norwegian water by a factor of 1.5 to 50, and DDTs by one to two orders of magnitude. DDTs in fish from the Nordfjord have previously been attributed to DDT use in fruit orchards. The present levels of DDTs show that the decline usually found in biota in Scandinavia since the 1970s is not found in the deep-sea fish in Nordfjord. There is no known local PCB source that can explain the elevated levels in the present study. This indicates that the fjord efficiently accumulates atmospheric contaminants. Chlordanes and HCB were less important, and HCHs were not detected.     

全氟羟基物质在冠海豹(Hooded seals)体内的母源性传递

在野生动物物种中,乳汁在传递全氟烃基物质(PFASs)于后代中所起的作用,人类还了解甚少。本文以雌性冠海豹及其生产的一对幼崽为研究对象,在哺乳期间,对母体血浆和乳汁中的8种PFASs进行了定量检测,以及对乳汁在PFASs传递过程中所起的作用进行了分析。选择冠海豹是因为它的泌乳周期短(3~ 4 d),在此期间幼崽仅以乳汁为食。胎盘或乳汁传递成为幼崽体内PFASs的唯一来源。通过对8种PFASs的分析(Σ8PFAS),发现7种存在于所有样品中;因此,乳汁是幼崽体内PFASs的来源。在所有样本中,全氟辛烷磺酰基化合物是优势PFAS。Σ8PFAS的平均浓度为母体血浆中6.0 ng/g蛋白(36 ng/g湿重),乳汁中0.77 ng/g蛋白(3.2 ng/g湿重)以及幼崽血浆中12 ng/g蛋白(66 ng g湿重)。血浆中检测到的PFASs浓度在已有报道的其他海豹物种体内检测到的浓度范围之内,低于已知的实验啮齿动物的毒性阈值。PFASs从母体到幼崽的传递效率的个体差异,依赖于PFASs碳键长度、相对传递量最低的为中间能级键的PFASs (C9-C10)。结果显示母体通过乳汁和胎盘传递PFASs,其中胎盘传递是主导途径。
精选自Randi Gr?nnestad, Gro D. Villanger, Anuschka Polder, Kit M. Kovacs, Christian Lydersen, Bj?rn M. Jenssen, Katrine Borg?. Maternal transfer of perfluoroalkyl subastances in hooded seals. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry: Volume 36, Issue 3, pages 763–770, July 2017. DOI: 10.1002/etc.3623
详情请见http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1002/etc.3623/full
     

Levels and temporal trends (1983-2003) of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and mercury (Hg) in seabird eggs from Northern Norway

The main objective of this study was to investigate possible temporal trends of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and mercury in eggs of herring gulls (Larus argentatus), black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla), common guillemots (Uria aalge) and Atlantic puffins (Fratercula arctica) in Northern Norway. Eggs were collected in 1983, 1993 and 2003. Egg concentrations of POPs (PCB congeners IUPAC numbers: CB-28, 74, 66, 101, 99, 110, 149, 118, 153, 105, 141, 138, 187, 128, 156, 157, 180, 170, 194, 206, HCB, alpha-HCH, beta-HCH, gamma-HCH, oxychlordane, trans-chlordane, cis-chlordane, trans-nonachlor, cis-nonachlor, p,p'-DDE, o,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDD, o,p'-DDT and p,p'-DDT) and mercury were quantified. Generally, POP levels decreased between 1983 and 2003 in all species. No significant temporal trend in mercury levels was found between 1983 and 2003.     

Levels and temporal trends of chlorinated pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls and brominated flame retardants in individual human breast milk samples from Northern and Southern Norway

Human breast milk samples from primipara women from Northern (Troms?) (N=10) and Southern Norway (Oslo) (N=19) collected in 2000-2001 were analysed with respect to hexachlorobenzene (HCB), hexachlorocyclohexane (HCHs), chlordanes (CHLs), DDTs, mirex, toxaphenes (CHBs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD). CHBs, PBDEs and HBCD were only analysed in the Troms? samples. Sum-PCBs and sum-DDTs were the major organochlorines (OCs) (170 and 110 ng g(-1) lipid weight (lw), respectively). Other OCs were found in levels of approximately 10- to 300-fold lower than sum-PCBs. Overall, the concentrations of OCs followed the decreasing order of PCBs>DDTs>HCB>HCHs approximately CHLs>CHBs>mirex. Concentrations of sum-HCHs were significantly higher in breast milk from Oslo compared to Troms? (p<0.05). The PCB profile was dominated by PCB-153, -138 and -180. The PBDE pattern was dominated by PBDE-47 and PBDE-153. The median level of sum-PBDEs was 4.1 ng g(-1) lw. PBDE-209 was detected in all analysed samples (median 0.13 ng g(-1) lw). The estimated daily intake (EDI) for the median (range) of sum mono-ortho (mo) PCBs(8) was 3.7 (1-9) pg TEQ kg(-1) body weight per day for breast fed infants in Norway. This exceeded the TDI by a factor of 1.8 (1-4) based only on intake of mono-ortho PCBs. The present study shows that concentrations of OCs in primipara breast milk have decreased 50-60% since 1991, and that this trend is continuing.     

Influence of diet and sea ice drift on organochlorine bioaccumulation in Arctic ice-associated amphipods

The drifting sea ice has been suggested as important in the transport and concentration of organic matter and pollutants in the Arctic. We collected sea ice-associated amphipods in the marginal ice zone north of Svalbard and in the Fram Strait in September 1998 and 1999 to assess contaminant accumulation in ice-associated organisms. Organochlorine concentrations increased from the more herbivorous Apherusa glacialis to the more carnivorous Gammarus wilkitzkii and the more necrophagous Onisimus spp. The relative contribution of compound classes to the sum of organochlorines differed between the amphipod families, with a higher relative contribution of hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) in A. glacialis. The composition of the compound classes HCHs. chlordanes and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) was similar between the amphipod families, whereas the profiles of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) differed. The occurrence of organochlorines differed spatially, with higher alpha-HCH concentrations in amphipods from the Fram Strait in comparison with amphipods collected north of Svalbard. This could be related to the sea ice drift route, since sea ice in the Fram Strait had a drift route across the central Arctic Ocean, while the sea ice north of Svalbard had a western drift route to the sampling stations. Even though marine invertebrates have direct uptake by passive diffusion of contaminants across their gills. our results imply that the species' ecology such as diet is important in the bioaccumulation process of organic pollutants. In addition, the results show that sea ice drift route influences the concentrations of organochlorine pollutants in ice-associated organisms.