Evaluation of the possible adverse effects of legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs) on the brown booby (Sula leucogaster) along the Brazilian coast

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the impact of contamination by persistent organic pollutants (POPs) on Brazilian wildlife. The concentrations of certain POPs, including dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), in the eggs of the brown booby (Sula leucogaster) were measured. The eggs were collected from breeding colonies located on three archipelagos (Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Abrolhos and Cagarras Islands) in the Atlantic Ocean, which are located at different distances from the Brazilian coast (range 4-1010 km). In addition, possible alterations in eggshell characteristics were evaluated. The average values of POPs found in eggs from the archipelago of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (0.05μgg(-1) of ΣPCBs and 0.01 μg g(-1) of ΣDDT) and the archipelago of Abrolhos (0.19 μg g(-1) of ΣPCBs and 0.03 μg g(-1) of ΣDDT) were low compared to the reference values reported in the literature. In contrast, the concentrations measured in eggs from Cagarras (8.4 μg g(-1) of ΣPCBs and 1.8 μg g(-1) of ΣDDT) were the highest, and this total PCB level is close to the threshold values considered to be harmful to birds. Our findings indicate that the brown booby colony closest to the Rio de Janeiro coast has recently been exposed to DDT. Despite the high pollution levels found on the Cagarras Islands, no alterations in the eggshell weight or the thickness of the analyzed eggs were detected. Hence, more detailed studies are recommended to determine the actual effects of the selected POPs on the Cagarras breeding colony.