Chapter title |
A Nondestructive Method to Identify POP Contamination Sources in Omnivorous Seabirds
|
---|---|
Chapter number | 12 |
Book title |
Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Volume 246
|
Published in |
Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, January 2018
|
DOI | 10.1007/398_2018_12 |
Pubmed ID | |
Book ISBNs |
978-3-31-997739-3, 978-3-31-997740-9
|
Authors |
Rosanne J. Michielsen, Judy Shamoun-Baranes, John R. Parsons, Michiel H.S. Kraak, Michielsen, Rosanne J., Shamoun-Baranes, Judy, Parsons, John R., Kraak, Michiel H.S. |
Abstract |
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are present in almost all environments due to their high bioaccumulation potential. Especially species that adapted to human activities, like gulls, might be exposed to harmful concentrations of these chemicals. The nature and degree of the exposure to POPs greatly vary between individual gulls, due to their diverse foraging behavior and specialization in certain foraging tactics. Therefore, in order clarify the effect of POP-contaminated areas on gull populations, it is important to identify the sources of POP contamination in individual gulls. Conventional sampling methods applied when studying POP contamination are destructive and ethically undesired. The aim of this literature review was to evaluate the potential of using feathers as a nondestructive method to determine sources of POP contamination in individual gulls. The reviewed data showed that high concentrations of PCBs and PBDEs in feathers together with a large proportion of less bioaccumulative congeners may indicate that the contamination originates from landfills. Low PCB and PBDE concentrations in feathers and a large proportion of more bioaccumulative congeners could indicate that the contamination originates from marine prey. We propose a nondestructive approach to identify the source of contamination in individual gulls based on individual contamination levels and PCB and PBDE congener profiles in feathers. Despite some uncertainties that might be reduced by future research, we conclude that especially when integrated with other methods like GPS tracking and the analysis of stable isotopic signatures, identifying the source of POP contamination based on congener profiles in feathers could become a powerful nondestructive method. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 1 | 33% |
Unknown | 2 | 67% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 3 | 100% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 11 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Ph. D. Student | 3 | 27% |
Lecturer > Senior Lecturer | 1 | 9% |
Librarian | 1 | 9% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 1 | 9% |
Lecturer | 1 | 9% |
Other | 2 | 18% |
Unknown | 2 | 18% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Environmental Science | 3 | 27% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 3 | 27% |
Sports and Recreations | 1 | 9% |
Social Sciences | 1 | 9% |
Chemistry | 1 | 9% |
Other | 0 | 0% |
Unknown | 2 | 18% |