Abstract
Using archived feathers from Norwegian, Swedish, and Greenlandic white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla), we investigated long-term (1866-2015) spatiotemporal trends of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and their methoxylated analogues (MeO-PBDEs). Concentrations of BDE 47 (constituting 47-65% of ∑PBDEs) were significantly increased in feathers from Sweden, while those of other congeners remained at similar levels between Sweden and Norway. Among the naturally occurring MeO-PBDEs, 6-MeO-BDE 47 exhibited higher levels in Sweden while 2′-MeO-BDE 68 concentrations were similar across regions. Concentrations of BDE 47 and 6-MeO-BDE 47 were not intercorrelated in Swedish eagles, highlighting the significance of anthropogenic input and natural origin, respectively, possibly associated with enhanced primary production in the Baltic region. Such a natural origin was further supported by the presence of MeO-PBDEs in 35 historical feathers originally collected from 1866 to 1957. Furthermore, in eagles from Norway and Sweden, less brominated PBDEs exhibited significantly increasing trends until the 1990s that declined considerably thereafter, whereas no apparent decrease was observed for BDE 153 or 154. By comparison, all PBDE congeners showed nonlinear but insignificant changes in Greenland. Additionally, the Swedish eagles showed significantly increased levels of ∑MeO-PBDEs, primarily driven by 6-MeO-BDE 47. Our findings indicate that further evaluation of the sources and impacts of more highly brominated PBDEs and MeO-PBDEs is warranted.
Originalsprog | Engelsk |
---|---|
Tidsskrift | Environmental Science and Technology Letters |
Vol/bind | 11 |
Udgave nummer | 2 |
Sider (fra-til) | 158-165 |
Antal sider | 8 |
ISSN | 2328-8930 |
DOI | |
Status | Udgivet - 2024 |
Bibliografisk note
Funding Information:This study was made possible by the University of Antwerp, the ECOSTRESS project, funded by the Norwegian Research Council (Project 255681) and the FRAM Centre Flagship Program “Hazardous substances - effects on ecosystems and human health” (project Impacts of environmental contaminants and natural stressors on northern raptors: RAPTOR), as well as the BONUS BALTHEALTH project, which received funding from BONUS (Art. 185), funded jointly by the EU, Innovation Fund Denmark (Grants 6180-00001B and 6180-00002B), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Grant FKZ 03F0767A), the Academy of Finland (Grant 311966), and the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research (MISTRA). The authors thank the Government of Greenland, Ministry of Education and Research (Grant 2012-077483), the China Scholarship Council, the Ocean University of China, and FWO-Flanders for support. The authors in particular thank Jan Bolding Kristensen and Jon Fjeldså (Natural History Museum of Denmark), Trond Johnsen (Norwegian Institute for Nature Research), Ingvar Byrkjedal (Bergen University Museum), Jan T. Lifjeld (Oslo University Natural History Museum), Alf Tore Mjøs (Stavanger Museum), Per Gustav Thingstad (NTNU University Museum), Stig Lundmo (Helgeland - Rana Museum), the Project Sea Eagle/Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, and the Swedish Museum of Natural History for their support in feather sampling.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 American Chemical Society.