<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

Muscles and livers of herring gulls (<italic>Larus argentatus</italic>) found in the coastal area of the southern Baltic Sea were tested for the presence of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) isomers. They were detected in the muscles (ΣHBCD = 42.82 ± 30.65 ng g−1 l.w.) and livers (ΣHBCD = 65.51±27.96 ng g−1 l.w.) of all examined gulls. The α-HBCD isomer dominates in all types of samples. Our study has shown that bodies of gulls are less contaminated with HBCD than bodies of aquatic birds from other regions of the world. There was no clear correlation between HBCD concentrations and sex and age of birds. Nevertheless, it was indicated that the highest concentrations of HBCD and the α-HBCD isomer were found in the livers of immature females (mean = 89.31 ± 21.63 ng g−1 l.w. and mean = 76.72±24.54 ng g−1 l.w., respectively). The highest liver sequestration rates of the α-HBCD isomer were found in both adult and immature males (mean = 7.7 ± 13.7 and mean = 6.2 ± 11.9, respectively).</abstract>

Muscles and livers of herring gulls (Larus argentatus) found in the coastal area of the southern Baltic Sea were tested for the presence of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) isomers. They were detected in the muscles (ΣHBCD = 42.82 ± 30.65 ng g−1 l.w.) and livers (ΣHBCD = 65.51±27.96 ng g−1 l.w.) of all examined gulls. The α-HBCD isomer dominates in all types of samples. Our study has shown that bodies of gulls are less contaminated with HBCD than bodies of aquatic birds from other regions of the world. There was no clear correlation between HBCD concentrations and sex and age of birds. Nevertheless, it was indicated that the highest concentrations of HBCD and the α-HBCD isomer were found in the livers of immature females (mean = 89.31 ± 21.63 ng g−1 l.w. and mean = 76.72±24.54 ng g−1 l.w., respectively). The highest liver sequestration rates of the α-HBCD isomer were found in both adult and immature males (mean = 7.7 ± 13.7 and mean = 6.2 ± 11.9, respectively).

Hexabromocyclododecane contamination of herring gulls in the coastal area of the southern Baltic Sea

Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies

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Muscles and livers of herring gulls (Larus argentatus) found in the coastal area of the southern Baltic Sea were tested for the presence of...

Hexabromocyclododecane contamination of herring gulls in the coastal area of the southern Baltic Sea

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Jun 18, 2020

Page range: 147 - 156

Received: Aug 25, 2019

Accepted: Oct 21, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ohs-2020-0014

© 2020 Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdańsk, Poland

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.