Ingested plastics in northern fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis): A pathway for polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) exposure?

Svenja Neumann,Magdalene Langset,Mikael Harju,Dorte Herzke,Signe Christensen-Dalsgaard,Geir Wing Gabrielsen,Tycho Anker-Nilssen

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146313

Abstract

Although it has been suggested that plastic may act as a vector for pollutants into the tissue of seabirds, the bioaccumulation of harmful contaminants, such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), released from ingested plastics is poorly understood. Plastic ingestion by the procellariiform species northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) is well documented. In this study, we measured PBDEs levels in liver tissue of northern fulmars without and with (0.13-0.43g per individual) stomach plastics. PBDE concentrations in the plastic sampled from the same birds were also quantified. Birds were either found dead on beaches in southern Norway or incidentally caught in longline fisheries in northern Norway. PBDEs were detected in all birds but high concentrations were only found in liver samples from beached birds, peaking at 2900ng/g lipid weight. We found that body condition was a significant factor explaining the elevated concentration levels in livers of beached birds. BDE209 was found in ingested plastic particles and liver tissue of birds with ingested plastics but was absent in the livers of birds without ingested plastics. This strongly suggests a plastic-derived transfer and accumulation of BDE209 to the tissue of fulmars, levels of which might prove useful as a general indicator of plastic ingestion in seabirds.

Highlights

Plastics have been found in a variety of different marine taxa including most trophic levels (e.g. Besseling et al, 2015; Desforges et al, 2015)
As an Ecological quality objective (EcoQO), it was set as an acceptable target that less than 10% of the fulmars found dead on beaches should have more than 0.1 g plastic particles in the stomach (OSPAR Commission, 2008)
Two laboratory blanks were run for a batch of ten liver samples and three procedural blanks were performed parallel with a set of plastic samples

Summary

Introduction

Plastics have been found in a variety of different marine taxa including most trophic levels (e.g. Besseling et al, 2015; Desforges et al, 2015). A narrowing between the proventricular and the gizzard does not allow regurgitation of the whole stomach content (Furness, 1985; Van Franeker et al, 2011; van Franeker and Law, 2015) and fulmars are likely to retain plastic items in their stomachs. Fulmars are typically recorded with much higher amounts of ingested plastics than most other species (Van Franeker et al, 2011; Trevail et al, 2015; Acampora et al, 2016) which makes this species suitable for biomonitoring trends in marine plastic pollution in these waters (Van Franeker et al, 2011; Avery-Gomm et al, 2018). Ingested plastics may increase the exposure of seabirds to POPs (Teuten et al, 2007)

Methods

Results

Conclusion