previously unknown, similar to PCBs and dioxins

[ttweed@wildrockies.org (Tony Tweedale)]

it'll be interesting to track this story as it develops!
---

                                Source: American Chemical Society
Posted 12/11/98
(c)1995-8 ScienceDaily Magazine


Unknown Contaminant Found In Seabird Eggs

                                 A previously unknown contaminant, similar
to PCBs and dioxins, and
                                 suspected to be of marine origin, has been
found in the eggs of Atlantic
                                 and Pacific Ocean seabirds. If a marine
organism is proven to be the
                                 source, it would be the first instance of
a naturally produced
                                 organohalogen accumulating in the eggs of
wild birds.

                                 The research is reported in the Nov. 19
Web edition of Environmental
                                 Science & Technology, a peer-reviewed
journal of the American Chemical
                                 Society, the world's largest scientific
society. The article also will
                                 appear in the journal's Jan. 1 print edition.

                                 Concentrations of the contaminant were
significantly higher in eggs from
                                 the Pacific Ocean, as much as 1.5 to 2.5
times higher, according to the
                                 article. "In addition," notes one of the
study's primary researchers, Dr.
                                 Ross Norstrom, Ph.D., of the Canadian
Wildlife Service, "storm petrels,
                                 which feed on small fish and other
organisms that live near the surface of
                                 the ocean, had higher levels than diving
birds that feed at lower ocean
                                 depths." This would suggest, he believes,
that the contaminant exists
                                 primarily in the surface layer of the ocean.

                                 Generally, scientific thinking is that
"all organohalogens that accumulate
                                 in wildlife are from industrial sources or
other human activities," says
                                 Sheryl Tittlemier, principal author of the
research article and a Ph.D.
                                 candidate at Carleton University in
Ottawa, Canada. "The novel
                                 organohalogen appears to be a marine
phenomenon since it was found in
                                 Atlantic and Pacific Ocean seabird eggs,
but was absent in herring gull
                                 eggs from the freshwater environment of
the Great Lakes." The
                                 contaminant, whose source is not yet
identified, contains high levels of
                                 chlorine, bromine and nitrogen, Tittlemier
says.

                                 Researchers don't know what effect the
contaminant may have on the eggs.
                                 "We're planning on doing some
toxicological studies to see if the compound
                                 has any biological activity," according to
Tittlemier.

                                 The study, done by researchers from
Carleton University, the Canadian
                                 Wildlife Service in British Columbia and
Quebec, and the University of Utah
                                 in Salt Lake City, examined the eggs of
numerous birds, including various
                                 species of albatross, auklet, gull, puffin
and storm petrel.