Effects of PCDDs, PCDFs and PCBs in common tern (Sterna hirundo) breeding in estuarine and coastal colonies in The Netherlands and Belgium

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1995 · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1897/1552-8618(1995)14[99:EOPPAP]2.0.CO;2· OSTI ID:6792252

Bosveld, A T.C.; Gradener, J; Berg, M van den; Kampen, M van ^[1]; Murk, A J; Brouwer, A ^[2]; Evers, E H.G. ^[3]

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1. Univ. of Utrecht (Netherlands)
2. Agricultural Univ. of Wageningen (Netherlands). Dept. of Toxicology
3. National Inst. for Coastal and Marine Management/RIKZ, The Hague (Netherlands)

In 1991, eggs of the common tern (Sterna hirundo) were collected at eight different locations and incubated artificially. The residual yolk sacs of the hatchlings from the highly polluted colonies, located in the main sedimentation area of the Rhine and Meuse rivers, contained on average 16 ng TEQ (toxicity equivalency) per gram lipid, which was fivefold higher than the concentrations in the reference colony. The hepatic EROD activity was induced fourfold compared to the reference colony. At the individual level, a significant relationship was found between log TEQ and both log EROD and log PROD. Average TEQ concentration in chicks that hatched after 23 d of incubation were twice the concentration of those that hatched after 21 d. No concentration-related effects on morphology and physiology were found The non-ortho- and mono-ortho-PCBs were predominant regarding the total TEQ, while the PCDDs and PCDFs contributed less than 10%. The PCB patterns were highly similar among the individual birds and among different locations. In contrast, PCDD and PCDF patterns were not similar at all locations, and two distinct patterns could be recognized and related to sediments that were deposited during different time periods.

• OSTI ID: 6792252
• Journal Information: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; (United States), Vol. 14:1; ISSN 0730-7268
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BELGIUM
ESTUARIES
BIRDS
SENSITIVITY
CHLORINATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
TOXICITY
WATER POLLUTION
FOOD CHAINS
CONTAMINATION
NETHERLANDS
COASTAL REGIONS
OXIDOREDUCTASES
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS
ANIMALS
AROMATICS
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ENZYMES
EUROPE
HALOGENATED AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
PROTEINS
SURFACE WATERS
VERTEBRATES
WESTERN EUROPE
540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology