Abstract
The northern fulmar ( Fulmarus glacialis) is an interesting candidate for the study of patterns and levels of halogenated organic contaminants (HOCs) since they accumulate high levels of certain HOCs. In the present study we characterized a suite of established and novel HOCs in northern fulmars breeding on Bjørnøya in the Norwegian Arctic. A comparison between blood and liver HOC levels was made, and the levels were related to the ratios of heavier to lighter stable isotopes of nitrogen 15N/ 14N (δ 15N) and carbon 13C/ 12C (δ 13C) in muscle. A significant difference in congener patterns between blood and liver was found. The δ 13C was not related to HOCs, neither in liver nor in blood. Weak correlations were found between δ 15N and liver HOC levels. The 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p-dioxin toxic equivalents (TEQs) in northern fulmars were well above thresholds for reproductive effects in seabirds.
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