Exposure to persistent organic pollutants is linked to over-wintering latitude in a Pacific seabird, the rhinoceros auklet, Cerorhinca monocerata

John E. Elliott, Mark C. Drever, Katharine R. Studholme, Veronica Silverthorn, Aroha A. Miller, Kyle H. Elliott, Sandi L. Lee, Ken G. Drouillard, Emily Porter, Abde Miftah Idrissi, Glenn T. Crossin, J. Mark Hipfner

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Seabirds are wide-ranging organisms often used to track marine pollution, yet the effect of migration on exposure over the annual cycle is often unclear. We used solar geolocation loggers and stable isotope analysis to study the effects of post breeding dispersal and diet on persistent organic pollutant (POP) and mercury (Hg) burdens in rhinoceros auklets, Cerorhinca monocerata, breeding on islands along the Pacific Coast of Canada. Hg and four classes of POPs were measured in auklet eggs: organochlorine insecticides (OCs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and perfluoralkyl substances (PFASs). Stable isotope values of adult breast feathers grown during winter were used in conjunction with geolocation to elucidate adult wintering latitude. Wintering latitude was the most consistent and significant predictor of some POP and of Hg concentrations in eggs. The magnitude and pattern of exposure varied by contaminant, with ∑PCBs, ∑PBDEs and DDE decreasing with wintering latitude, and mirex, perfluoro-n-tridecanoic acid, and Hg increasing with latitude. We suggest that concentrations of these contaminants in rhinoceros auklet eggs are influenced by variation in uptake at adult wintering locations related to anthropogenic inputs and oceanic and atmospheric transport. Capsule: Wintering latitude of female rhinoceros auklets consistently and significantly predicted concentrations of some POPs and of Hg concentrations measured in eggs collected at three colonies on the Pacific Coast of Canada.

Original languageEnglish
Article number116928
JournalEnvironmental Pollution
Volume279
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 15 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Permissions and cooperation for field work was provided by the following First Nations peoples, within whose traditional territories the study colonies are located: Metlakatla and Lax Kw'alaams (Lucy Is.), Tlatlasikwala and Gwa'sala-’Nakwaxda'xw (Pine Is), Tlatlasikwala and Quatsino (Triangle Is). Funding was provided mainly by Environment and Climate Change Canada under the Ocean Protection Plan, and Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate and Canadian Wildlife Service programs. We would like to thank Guy Savard, Maxine Lamarche, Robyn Lima and Nargis Ismail for laboratory assistance, and the many people who worked in the field.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

  • Toxicology
  • Pollution
  • Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

PubMed: MeSH publication types

  • Journal Article

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