A preliminary study of persistent organic pollutants in seagull egg from South Korea

Abstract

Birds have long been used as bioindicators of potential harm to human beings and theenvironment (e.g. canaries in mines). Similar to marine mammals, birds tend to occupy uppertrophic levels and thus accumulate a wide range of contaminants, making them particularlysensitive to environmental contamination. Bird eggs have been used in many studies,especially in long-term monitoring projects. However, due to the difficulty in sampling, thedata of persistent organic pollutant (POPs) on birds is very limited compared to those onlower trophic organisms&#8212 such as bivalves and fish and marine mammals in Korea. In thisstudy, we conducted the sampling of seagull egg from three breeding sites in the eastern,southern and western coasts of Korea&#8212 Dok-do, Hong-do, and Seoman-do. The overall POPconcentrations (unit: ng/g lipid) in resident birds were 522-11900 (median: 1720) for PCBs,754&#8211 25900 (1910) for DDTs, 11&#8211 398 (68) for CHLs, 14&#8211 137 (34) for HCHs, 35&#8211 225 (75) forHCB, 25&#8211 650 (152) for PBDEs, and 28&#8211 435 (111) for HBCDs. Among the target compounds,DDTs showed the highest accumulation in seabird egg, followed by PCBs > PBDEs >HBCDs > CHLs, HCB > HCHs. Unexpectingly, higher concentration of POPs was measuredin egg samples from Dok-do. Isomeric and congener profiles of POPs were generally similarto each stations except for PBDEs. Deca-BDE was relativets, making them particularlysensitive to environmental contamination. Bird eggs have been used in many studies,especially in long-term monitoring projects. However, due to the difficulty in sampling, thedata of persistent organic pollutant (POPs) on birds is very limited compared to those onlower trophic organisms&#8212 such as bivalves and fish and marine mammals in Korea. In thisstudy, we conducted the sampling of seagull egg from three breeding sites in the eastern,southern and western coasts of Korea&#8212 Dok-do, Hong-do, and Seoman-do. The overall POPconcentrations (unit: ng/g lipid) in resident birds were 522-11900 (median: 1720) for PCBs,754&#8211 25900 (1910) for DDTs, 11&#8211 398 (68) for CHLs, 14&#8211 137 (34) for HCHs, 35&#8211 225 (75) forHCB, 25&#8211 650 (152) for PBDEs, and 28&#8211 435 (111) for HBCDs. Among the target compounds,DDTs showed the highest accumulation in seabird egg, followed by PCBs > PBDEs >HBCDs > CHLs, HCB > HCHs. Unexpectingly, higher concentration of POPs was measuredin egg samples from Dok-do. Isomeric and congener profiles of POPs were generally similarto each stations except for PBDEs. Deca-BDE was relative