Some
more pictures from the field work
Uptake, metabolism and effects of
Deca-BDE, HCBD and TBBPA in terrestrial birds
Professor
Bjørn Munro Jenssen and post doc fellow Tomasz Ciesielski
Department
of Biology,
Professor
Janneche Utne Skaare, Norwegian Veterinary Institute and
Professor Jan
Boon,
Professor
Bernt Erik Sæther, Department of Biology, Norwegian
Professor
Hans Christian Pedersen, Norwegian Institute of Nature
Research,
Professor
Claus Bech, Department of Biology, Norwegian
Associate
professor Augustine Arukwe, Department of Biology,
Professor
Rolf A. Andersen, Department of Biology, Norwegian
Bakground
Brominated
flame retardants (BFRs) are used in a wide range of products to reduce
flammability,
and thus to decrease human and economical loss due to fire (Birnbaum and Staskal, 2004)
In 2002 the usage of BFRs was approximately 200.000
metric tonnes, of which 56% was used in Asia, 29% in the Americas, and
ca. 15%
in Europe (BSEF, 2001)
Currently, the three main groups of chemicals used as
BFRs are polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), hexachlorocyclododecane
(HBCD)
and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA).
In the late
1990ies a number
of the BFRs were found in human breast milk (Meironyte
et al., 1999)
and in the biota (De
Wit, 2002)and
this lead to concern about their persistent and
bioaccumulative properties. Documentation of the ability of penta- to
octa-brominated BDEs to bioaccumulate and to undergo long-range
transport,
together with documentation of their potential toxic effects have
resulted in
the ban of the Penta- and Octa-technical BDE-mixtures in the EU from
August
2004 (Cox and Efthymiou, 2003)
Following the ban of the Penta- and Octa-technical
BDE-mixtures in California (from 2008), the sole American manufacturer
(Great
Lake Chemical) have introduced a voluntary moratorium on the production
of
these technical mixtures from 2005 [www.epa.gov]. Thus, the only
PBDE-product
currently in use is the Deca-mixture, which has been believed not to be
bioavailable due to its large molecular weight, and to be non-toxic. In
2002,
the use of the Deca-technical mixture, which consists of 97% BDE-209,
was
56.000 tonnes.
However,
recently the deca-BDE
(BDE-209) has been detected in biota in different ecosystems. As part
of the
EU-financed FIRE-project (Risk Assessment of Brominated Flame
Retardants as
Suspected Endocrine Disrupters for Human and Wildlife Health,
QLK4-CT-2002-00596, www.rivm.nl/fire), we have found deca-BDE in
invertebrates,
birds and mammals from the marine ecosystems in Norway and Svalbard (Gaustad, 2005; Jenssen et al., 2004a;
Salmer et al., 2005; Sørmo et al., 2003).
Although it is especially noteworthy that deca-BDE
was detected in the blubber of polar bears (Ursus
maritimus) (Jenssen et al.,
2004a; Salmer et al., 2005),
the deca-BDE seem to bioaccumulate particularly in
birds, from both terrestrial and marine food chains (Gaustad,
2005; Jaspers et al., 2005; Jenssen et al., 2004b;
Lindberg et al., 2004; Salmer et al., 2005; Sørmo et al., 2003)
and even in humans. (Thuresson
et al., 2005).
In
the FIRE-project, and in a project financed by the Norwegian Research
Council
(ProFo project no.: 141369/720), we have also shown the presence of
HBCD in
species from most trophic levels (including birds) of marine food
chains along
the coast of Norway and Svalbard (Gaustad,
2005; Jenssen et al., 2004a; Murvoll et al., 2005a; Murvoll et al.,
2005b;
Salmer et al., 2005; Sørmo et al., 2003).
HBCD has also been found in birds in the terrestrial
food chains in Scandinavia and in central
With
respect to effects of BFRs, several studies have documented in-vitro
and in-vivo effects of penta- to octa-BDEs that are
similar to those
reported for PCBs (Darnerud et
al., 2001).
In a recent study, deca-BDE was demonstrated to
affect behaviour in mice in a way that suggests that deca-BDE may have
thyroid
disruptive effects (Viberg et al.,
2003).
Also several in
vitro studies indicate that HBCD has the potential to cause
neurobehavioral
alterations (Eriksson et al.,
2002; Mariussen and Fonnum, 2003; Murai et al., 1985).
Results from the FIRE project also indicate that
HBCD have thyroid disruptive effects (Hamers
et al., 2004).
In-vitro studies strongly indicate that TBBPA is a
very potent TH-disrupter (Hamers
et al., 2004; Legler and Brouwer, 2003),
having an affinity to the plasma transport protein
for thyroxin (transthyretine) up to 10 times that of T4. In addition,
one of
the metabolic break-down products of TBBPA is BPA (bisphenol A), which
have
been documented to have estrogenic properties. Even though one study
has shown
that there is a low maternal transfer of TBBPA in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) (Halldin et al., 2001),
adult birds may be exposed to this compound via
their food. Thus, there is considerable concern about the effects of
the main
groups of BFRs still in use on humans and wildlife.
Most
of the studies related to BFRs and other halogenated organic compounds
have
been conducted on species from aquatic or marine ecosystems. However,
recent
information strongly indicate that BFRs, and in particular the higher
brominated compounds such as BDE-209 behave very differently from
organochlorines (OCs) with respect to disposition and exposure and
uptake in
organisms (results presented at meetings of the FIRE-project, the Third International Workshop on
Brominated Flame Retardants in Toronto in June 2004, and on the Dioxin
2004
meeting in Berlin). Relatively high concentrations in both
humans and in
terrestrial ecosystems (Lindberg
et al., 2004; Mariussen et al., 2004)
indicate that BFRs are more readily taken up in terrestrial
animals than are OCs. This may be because some of them are large and
easily
associate with particles. Their high Kow partitioning coefficients may
also
cause them to adhere to leaf surfaces and thus be available uptake and
biomagnification in the terrestrial food web. It has for instance been
documented that BFRs readily adhere to organic film that covers windows
(Butt et al., 2004).
It has been
documented that
that the deposition and organismal uptake of organohalogenated
persistent
compounds tend to be higher at high altitudes than at low altitudes (Ohyama et al., 2004).
This may have impact for the uptake and effects of
BRFs in Norwegian terrestrial food webs. Thus, we wish to compare
exposure and
uptake of BFRs in two closely related species which inhabits two
compartments
of the Norwegian mountain ecosystem: the willow ptarmigan and the rock
ptarmigan (Lagopus mutus). Furthermore,
due to biomagnification levels of OCs have been reported to reach
levels that
cause adverse effects in birds of prey, and these birds may therefore
also be
vulnerable to exposure to BFRs (Lindberg
et al., 2004).
1.
Determine
between-species differences
in levels, uptake and metabolism of deca-BDE (BDE-209), HBCD and TBBPA
in altricial
and precocial birds from terrestrial ecosystems. Levels will be
examined in house
sparrows, willow ptarmigan and rock ptarmigan, and if possible in birds
of prey.
2.
Examine
uptake and metabolism and
effects of deca-BDE, HBCD and TBBPA on development of the thyroid
hormone
system, the vitamin A and E and on formation of ROS and antioxidant
defence
(CAT and SOD) in precocial and altricial birds. Japanese quail and/or
hens will
be applied as model species for precocial birds, and the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata castanotis) as a
model for altricial species.
The results
from the study
will generate results important for risk assessment of exposure to BFRs
in
terrestrial birds in Norwegian ecosystems.
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